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Eye circles

Eckhart

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Hey, I wasn't sure if I should post here about that, well, "issue", but I guess I give it a try. Actually I don't know whom or where I could ask about it otherwise.

I have eye circles since so many years I don't know when was the last time I didn't have them. Even if I don't feel so tired I still have them. I thought (or still think) it could be quite obvious that it could have to do with sitting too much in front of the PC, but actually they don't go away even after three weeks of holidays where I barely spent time on my Macbook, so it could be a more complex issue. Though they are, at least I believe, sometimes darker than usual.

Well, it is not that this issue would kill me (I never really wasted much time thinking about it), but I guess it doesn't look that great. They are somewhat purple'ish under the eyes and turn green'ish at the part between the eyes and the nose. Since I am also rather pale it doesn't look too healthy to other people I guess. Though it looks different from different viewing sides. Sometimes it doesn't look so dark, but with shadows or so it looks kinda stupid.

Is there anything I could do about it? Well, obviously I don't speak about makeup or so (hey, I am a guy :p), more like something to fight the problem. Or maybe someone can share his/her own experiences about it.
 

Arclight

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Were you asthmatic as a child?

My rings are apparently scar tissue from childhood asthma..
Like you, it does not matter how tired or healthy I am feeling. the rings never go away.

What you can do is this.

Buy Vitamin E
in this format
images


Directly put the oil contained onto your rings before bed. One caplet should be enough for both eyes.. after 2 weeks you should notice a difference.. after 4 weeks the rings should be light brown and fading.. after 2 months (the farthest I have gotten doing this) the rings will be almost gone..
But apparently they never quite disappear and will come back as soon as you discontinue using the Vitamin E.
 

Eckhart

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No, I wasn't asthmatic.

Hm, are those Vitamin E things expensive? Under what name can I find such things? Actually when talking about vitamins. Can Vitamin B12 be related to this too?

Thank you so far though, sounds already like a first plan to try :p
 

Arclight

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No, I wasn't asthmatic.

Hm, are those Vitamin E things expensive? Under what name can I find such things? Actually when talking about vitamins. Can Vitamin B12 be related to this too?

Thank you so far though, sounds already like a first plan to try :p

Well they cost money.. I am not sure what the price is, it's been a while. But from I can see online you will pay somewhere between $12 and $30 dollars (Canadian) for 30 caplets, depending on the brand.

I have no idea about Vitamin B12.. This advice I gave you was given to me by a dermatologist.

It's all I can offer you.
 

Randomnity

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I have really dark rings too - I would love to find a solution. Even a makeup that actually works would be awesome (the best I can do with that is go from looking horrific to merely exhausted/battered, even when very well-rested).

It definitely doesn't look like scar tissue so I'm not sure vitamin E would help. I've never had asthma or similar but have had dark blue-purple circles for possibly my whole life (definitely since middle school or so). So I'm very interested in any solutions, but not much help myself - I just use concealer constantly to get rid of the worst of it.
 

Vasilisa

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Dark undereye circles are genetic. "Those dark blood vessels underneath the eyes look more visible on people with pale skin,"

Blue circles are typically caused by blood pooling under the eyes, while yellow or brown circles are usually a buildup of melanin caused by the sun.

And they're only going to get worse (hey, thanks). "As the collagen pads underneath your eye start to deteriorate with age, the hollow area also makes the discoloration more obvious,"

Advice: plenty of water and sleep, see if a reduction in your sodium intake has any effect. Consider your diet: is it healthy with foods high in antioxidants? Use sunscreen and wear sunglasses. Try an extra pillow at night to elevate your head and keep fluid from settling.

The next step would be eye cream.
 

Eckhart

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@Arclight: Oh, ok. Well I just came to this Vitamin B12 thing because some years ago (2-4 years I think) my doctor meant after some blood test I would be lacking here (well, at least the other stuff was ok). Don't know if that changed actually.

@Vasilisa: Thank you too for your advice (and the quotation). What makes me a little irritated is you mean I should use sunscreen and sunglasses. The thing is I don't really see that much of the sun and am already pretty pale, so it sounds strange to me that I would get too much of it (or I did understand it wrong).

I think I will try that water / sleep / pillow advice first, because that seems like the easiest thing to do as first. To sodium and antioxidants I simply cannot say much.
 
P

Phantonym

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The skin under the eyes is very thin, so the veins under the skin make it look dark. This could be hereditary. But I also I agree with Vasilisa, this could be related to poor diet and excess sodium and toxins in your body. Not to alarm you but this might also be an indication of problems with liver or kidneys, so if you notice any changes to the worse, a trip to the doctor is in order.
 

Eckhart

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I just did something what I might have done maybe earlier before already, but it simply never struck me before. I tried to find some photos of me where I was younger (which was not THAT easy since for some reason there exist not that much photos of me when I was younger, and in the chaos here they were hard to find). It actually seems they have been always there to some degree (the oldest photo was when I was maybe 5 or so, and you can see there slightly this purpleish part already), though the strength of appearance fluctuates somewhat, probably depending on tiredness and the viewing angle (actually when I look from some sides or different light you sometimes barely notice mine even now).

I guess that would speak for the hereditary theory?

Right now they look worse, but I must admit that the last days I slept less and was more exhausted, and in the last days when I looked in the mirror I felt suddenly the need to think over it. I am not sure if it generally looks worse now or if it is only temporary, because I never really compared. I just know there have more or less always been some.
 

Eckhart

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Nasal congestion – a blocked nose can result in dark circles under your eyes because the veins that drain from your eyes to your nose are darkened and dilated. [...] Lifestyle factors – Poor nutrition, excess alcohol consumption, too many caffeinated drinks, cigarette smoking, and lack of exercise can all contribute to under-eye discoloration. Consider seeing a nutritionist or dietician if you're concerned about dietary issues.

My nose is running rather often actually. Also I am pretty much guilty for taking much caffeine and not really exercising much.

I have read about that frozen spoon stuff at some other sites already too and might try that too.
 

cascadeco

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I have really dark rings too - I would love to find a solution. Even a makeup that actually works would be awesome (the best I can do with that is go from looking horrific to merely exhausted/battered, even when very well-rested).

It definitely doesn't look like scar tissue so I'm not sure vitamin E would help. I've never had asthma or similar but have had dark blue-purple circles for possibly my whole life (definitely since middle school or so). So I'm very interested in any solutions, but not much help myself - I just use concealer constantly to get rid of the worst of it.

For makeup, if you haven't tried it, maybe give Bare Escentuals (sp?) a try. You'll probably only find the stores in major cities/malls, though, and you'd want to get a free consult in the store to get the appropriate colors. It's mineral/powder based -- even the foundations -- and for me it *really* evens out my skin tone. I don't have noticeable eye circles like being described in this thread, but it's worth a shot. I've always had more of an acne issue so my skin is a bit splotchy as a general rule.. but this makeup really neutralizes all of that and evens it out. It's the only brand of foundation I've ever liked - liquid foundations are horrible imo- they just sit in every nook and cranny and cake on...which is why I like the powder formula. And this powder is even blended in under the eyes so it does help with that as well (I don't believe liquid foundations work great when applied under/around the eyes).
 

Randomnity

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Thanks for the recommendation! I'll have a look and see if I can find that. Hopefully they sell it in Canada.

The one I usually use is a liquid concealer which goes on well but doesn't conceal as much as I'd like; I bought one of those concealer-lipstick tubes recently to try it out and it seems to work marginally better but has a bad tendency to create lines under my eyes.
 

Eckhart

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How long am I supposed to hold the spoon on my eyes? I just tried it and noticed the spoon got warm in seconds.
 

Litvyak

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For me, it takes around a minute to completely warm up. It should be enough.
 

FDG

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Perhaps Litvyak's fridge is set on a colder temperature...
 

Fidelia

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Yellow concealer helps a bit, Randomnity. Bare Escentuals is available in Canada and also online. I'd suggest buying online after you find the right shade for you.

I've noticed that a lot of my friends with Mediterranean origins are more likely to have dark circles naturally - seems to be heredity.

Some have suggested that not only the effects of allergies (eye rubbing etc) can worsen eye circles, but also the presence of allergies. I've read a couple of books which indicate that following a particular diet makes a considerable difference, although I don't know anyone who's tried it.
 
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