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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Women: Dark Circles

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Dark Circles

Dark Circles
under the Eyes

No More Tired-Looking Shadows

Cosmeticians worked hard to make Sally Field look old enough to play Tom Hanks's mother in the Oscar-winning movie Forrest Gump. They put dark circles under her eyes. But if you have under-eye shadows, the only kind of recognition that you'll hear is concerned remarks like, "Are you feeling tired?"

Dark circles can be aggravated by fatigue, allergies, overexposure to the sun, menstruation or pregnancy. But they're usually hereditary; if your parents have them, chances are that you do, too, says Marianne O'Donoghue, M.D., associate professor of dermatology at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago.

Sometimes what you're seeing isn't really darkened skin, but engorged blood vessels under your eyes. Because the skin under your eyes is thinner than skin anywhere else on your body, blood vessels there are more noticeable, especially if you're fair-skinned, says Monica L. Monica, M.D., Ph.D., an ophthalmologist in New Orleans and spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Usually, dark circles are caused by hyperpigmentation--higher-than-average amounts of melanin, the substance that gives your skin its pigment. They tend to show up in people of Mediterranan descent and can run in families.

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

Medically speaking, dark circles are harmless, say doctors. Still, if you'd prefer to blot them out, here are a few lightening tips.

Try a cold compress. Close your eyes and cover them with a cold washcloth for about five minutes, says Dr. Monica. Repeat several times throughout the day. That will help constrict your blood vessels, minimizing darkness, and it may help minimize tissue swelling and eliminate some of the darkness.

Hide 'em. More opaque than foundation makeup, cream concealer is made to order for under-eye darkness. Select a cream concealer that's a little lighter than your skin when wearing it under foundation (or the same shade as your skin when wearing the concealer alone), says Fatima Olive, product developer for Aveda Corporation, a cosmetics and health products manufacturer in Blaine, Minnesota. "Paint" the concealer with a small brush into the dark areas. Then take your pinky finger and very lightly pat the edges to blend it in. Finally, powder lightly to help the concealer stay put.

Spread on the sunscreen. Use a sunscreen especially made for the face with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, but preferably 20, "all day every day," to keep the sun's rays from darkening the skin under your eyes, says Dr. O'Donoghue.

Supplement your foundation. Some foundation makeups contain SPFs of 6 or 8, says Dr. O'Donoghue. For full protection you'll still need either a moisturizer or a sunscreen lotion with an SPF of 15.

Eye cream: The newest option. If your circles persist, try an opaque eye cream such as Lancome's Expressive, says Dr. O'Donoghue.

Alpha hydroxy acids, used in many newer eye creams "decrease wrinkles and lighten and smooth the skin," says Wilma Bergfeld, M.D., head of clinical research in the Department of Dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. The most common alpha hydroxy acids are glycolic acids (extracts derived from fruit and other plants). Other new eye creams that look promising include Renova and the cosmetic Cellex-C eye contour cream or gel (a topical vitamin C).

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