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Rings under the eyes - dark circles causes and home remedies
contents
- symptoms
- Causes of wrinkles under the eyes
- Dark circles due to deficiency symptoms
- Cause of dark circles in children
- When to the doctor?
- What helps against dark eye shadow?
- Tips for masking dark circles
- Medical treatment options
- Naturopathy and dark circles
symptoms
"Oh, have you slept too little?" "You have rings under your eyes, are not you feeling well?" Questions like these are familiar to many people, because eye shadows are widespread. If the dark discoloration were to occur in a different, less visible part of the body (for example, a bruise on the thigh), much less thought, talk, and writing would probably be thought of. However, the dark circles referred to as "halo eyes" are obvious to everyone and can not be completely masked even with the best make-up.
Eyes under the eyes are often associated with lack of sleep and fatigue. However, the discoloration of the skin can also cause other causes such as have an allergy or infection. (Image: PixieMe / fotolia.com) The dark skin changes under the eyes appear purple-bluish, gray, brown or even black depending on the cause. The discolorations are usually sharply limited, but in some cases, they also go soft in the normal skin color.
In addition, dry eyes, swelling of the eyes, eye redness and increased sensitivity in the eyes are sometimes described.
Whether symptoms such as depression, sleep disturbances, inner restlessness or chronic fatigue are associated with the appearance of dark circles is discussed.
First and foremost, it is the aesthetic component of wrestling under the eyes that causes problems for many sufferers. Constant response to the most common causes, such as lack of sleep, dehydration, or iron deficiency, can cause irritability and bad mood in people with eyeshadows.
Daily work on the PC is very stressful for the eyes and can favor dark edges. (Image: sebra / fotolia.com) Causes of wrinkles under the eyes
The skin below the eyes is particularly thin in humans, without subcutaneous tissue (subcutis) with fatty tissue. As a result, changes under the skin such as lymphedema or a vascular congestion are very quickly visible. The causes for this seem to be very individual and partly also a multifactorial event.
Stress, lack of fluids and sleep, alcohol, nicotine and drug use are considered as possible causes from a medical point of view. Eyestrain, for example, prolonged work on the PC monitor or hours of television, quickly results in tired, dry and irritated eyes and promotes dark skin discoloration.
Various diseases (e.g., kidney, heart or liver diseases) leading to fluid retention (edema) are also contemplated. Furthermore, from an expert's point of view, excessive pigment deposition in the skin (hyperpigmentation), strong UV radiation (for example, by prolonged sunbathing or solarium) or foods and foods rich in salt may be the reason.
In part, the dark shadows can also be innate. Dark circles may appear as a result of inflammation, e.g. conjunctivitis occur. Often sufferers suffer from allergies such as Pollen allergy and hay fever, as well as patients with eczema under dark shadows.
Dark circles due to deficiency symptoms
Another possible cause of skin discoloration may be a deficiency syndrome. Here, above all, an insufficient supply of the trace element iron is to be thought of, which, above all, ensures the supply of oxygen to humans and is therefore indispensable for the human body. Causes of significant iron deficiency may be greater blood loss, e.g. by accidents, surgeries, heavy menstruation or chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
The cause of the skin discolorations may be e.g. to be an iron deficiency. This particularly affects women, since e.g. In pregnancy the need for iron increases significantly. (Image: nerudol / fotolia.com) Likewise, there is a shortage of nutrients during pregnancy and lactation due to an increased demand for iron. Vegetarians are often affected, as iron from plant foods is more poorly absorbed by the intestine. Athletes also have an increased demand for iron due to increased energy and oxygen turnover as well as increased sweating. The absorption of the trace element can be disturbed by certain medications. These include, among others, stomach acid (antacids) and cholesterol lowering medicines (statins).
A deficiency of vitamin C or zinc can also manifest itself in the form of dark shadows. Especially if the skin changes occur for the first time and for no apparent reason, therefore, the family doctor should be promptly visited. This can create a corresponding blood count in order to reliably detect or rule out a possible vitamin and / or nutrient deficiency.
Cause of dark circles in children
Children have dark edges under the eyes, sleep deprivation is usually suspected as causes. In fact, this is rarely the case, instead, the skin discoloration usually show up as part of an allergy or cold with runny nose or stuffy nose. Congested nasal secretions or inflammation in the nasal passage lead to an expansion of the veins in the area of the eyes, making them darker than usual through the thin skin.
In children eye margins show up especially if they have a cold or are sick. (Image: Ramona Heim / fotolia.com) Dark circles in children may be inherited or indicate a lack of fluids. This can e.g. As a result of diarrhea or gastrointestinal flu, it can occur relatively quickly because children have lower fluid reserves than adults. Furthermore, of course, in children under supplies of vitamins and / or nutrients such as iron or zinc are conceivable. To clarify the reason for the eye shadow, you should therefore always have your child thoroughly checked by their pediatrician.
When to the doctor?
The shadows under the eyes have in most cases no serious causes. Especially people who often have dark circles, but otherwise no complaints, usually need not worry. Because in this case, the discoloration is usually hereditary and have no disease value. Likewise, it is not unusual for the shadows to appear after a short night, during stress or as a result of alcohol consumption. Here, the tired eyes usually disappear quickly, as soon as enough sleep, relaxation, etc. is taken care of.
The situation is different when the dark edges appear suddenly and last longer, especially when you are not prone to it. Then, as a precaution, the observations should be reported to a doctor to clarify the cause of the lesions. This is especially important if there are other symptoms in parallel such as fever, dizziness, pain, nausea or chronic fatigue. Because here the dark circles are related to a (serious) disease and should therefore be taken seriously anyway.
What helps against dark eye shadow?
Unfortunately, there is no panacea for the unpleasant discolorations. Instead, it depends on the cause, which measures can be effectively used against the eye shadow.
Since in many cases overwork and lack of sleep are responsible for the skin lesions, care should be taken to sleep more (seven to eight hours) and to absorb more fluid. To prevent dark circles from dehydration, it is important to drink at least one and a half to two liters a day.
Alcohol and cigarettes promote the formation of ocular margins and should therefore be avoided. (Image: Nomad_Soul / fotolia.com) It is helpful to cool the eyes and to provide the sensitive skin around it with a moisturizing care product (cream, gel, etc.). Maintain a healthy, balanced diet and avoid nicotine and alcohol. If there is a deficiency of certain vitamins and / or minerals, it should be compensated and avoided in the future.
There are many whitening creams available on the market that are designed to reduce eye shadow. But the effect here is usually much weaker than expected. In addition, the application of the products usually takes place over a longer period of time and must be repeated regularly, which quickly turns the whole thing into an expensive fun.
Tips for masking dark circles
Anyone who has dark circles under their eyes will quickly make others feel sleepy and sickly. But there are several first aid measures to hide these. First, the area around the eyes should be e.g. Refresh with cold water to make the blood vessels contract and shimmer less through the skin.
Using concealer, the shadows can be covered somewhat. (Image: vladimirfloyd / fotolia.com) Following the skin discolorations can be covered with special cream. The so-called "concealer" (English "to conceal" = covering, hiding) should be about one to two tones brighter than the actual skin tone, because the dark areas are balanced and the face appears fresher again. Take a small amount of the cream or the concealer and gently pat the concealer with your finger under the eyes.
If the shadows are very dark, however, a concealer is often not enough. In this case, a so-called "corrector" can help, which is applied under the masking cream and neutralizes the discoloration. Accordingly, it must be selected to match the color of the dark circles: If they are bluish, a pink corrector is needed. For brownish to violet edges, you should turn to yellow or orange. Redness is most effectively covered with green.
Medical treatment options
If cosmetics and home remedies for dark circles are not enough, medical treatment may be considered. Depending on the cause of the dark shadows, various methods are used here. If the skin under the eyes is not only darkened but also sunken, it is suitable, for example. an injection with hyaluronic acid. This is a body-own filler, which upholstered the skin from the inside. As the skin layer thickens as a result, the blood vessels appear less through and the dark circles are less visible.
Alternatively, the "upholstery" can be achieved by autologous fat. This is taken from the butt or thigh and processed in a special way. Then it is injected under the skin in the eye area to give it back more volume.
Naturopathy and dark circles
Alternative medicine offers a range of proven remedies and procedures that are effective against the dark shadows. It can be helpful, for example, to soak cotton pads with cold milk or fresh fig juice and lay them on closed eyes for about ten minutes.
In order to promote the blood circulation of the skin around the eyes, a massage with almond oil, which is carried out regularly in the morning and in the evening, helps. Since the skin is particularly sensitive here, it should be handled very gently.
To help the circulation, you should generally go as much as possible in the fresh air. This is especially important when the eyes (for example, by hours of PC work) are permanently heavily loaded and the muscles in this area must be increasingly supplied with oxygen.
Cold spoons are an effective first aid measure to reduce swelling and dark circles under the eyes. (Image: Olga Femarty / fotolia.com) An old and very effective home remedy for dark circles and puffiness are teaspoons, which are placed for a moment in the freezer and then pressed onto the closed eyes. Because the cold stimulus causes the vessels to contract and the blood circulation is promoted. Danger: In order to avoid the risk of cold burns, the spoons should not be too cold. The same effect can be achieved e.g. also cold compresses or ice cubes.
Another proven method is the application of cucumber slices or quark compresses. Frequently, the so-called Schüssler salts are used in the naturopathic treatment of dark circles. Depending on the severity and color of the shadows, for example, salt no. 1 (calcium fluoratum) or salt no. 5 (potassium phosphoricum) may be considered. An experienced alternative practitioner or naturopathic doctor can help you choose the appropriate remedy and inform you about the right medication. (tf, jvs, nr, last updated on 19/01/2017)
Specialist supervision: Barbara Schindewolf-Lensch (doctor)