Article by Sami Blackford
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A customer recently asked me about dark under-eye circles, and I’m sure most of us have experienced them at some point in our lives (if you haven’t, you’re one lucky lady!), so instead of just sharing this information with one client, I thought I’d share it with everyone.

As you may imagine, there are differing views as to what causes these dark circles. Some blame lack of sleep, others say it’s due to poor diet, some say it’s just part of the aging process, others say they’re hereditary.

I say it’s all of these and more.

But let’s start at the beginning. Firstly we must recognise that there are two different types of dark under-eye circles. The first are the Red-ish/purple-ish/blue-ish circles that look like bruises under the eyes, the ones we might see after we’ve indulged in a few too many late nights (these are the ones we’re looking at today). And the second are the brown-ish/yellow-ish/green-ish circles which are caused by pigmentation under the eyes. In addition to these two types, there are also under-eye ‘bags’ caused by puffiness, water-retention and sagging skin.

As I said, we’re looking at the bruise-like dark circles today. These are caused by leaking capillaries (tiny blood vessels around your eye). Your capillaries are so small that red blood cells sometimes have to line up, single file, to get through. Sometimes, the walls of the capillaries around the eyes are weakened and allow red blood cells to seep through, and get lost and wander into the surrounding skin. This isn’t a problem, it happens all the time, and your body has a mechanism to mop up these escapees. Enzymes in your body break down the red blood cells, including their haemoglobin which then oxidises and becomes iron oxide, known as hemosidirin, giving it this purplish or blue-black discoloration, and because the delicate skin under the eyes is quite translucent, the colour is easily noticeable.

So what causes the capillary walls to weaken? As I said, all of the above. To function at its best, your body needs a balanced, healthy, nutrient-rich diet, plenty of good-quality sleep, and a relaxed and stress-free lifestyle. A lack of any of these can make to dark circles worse. They can also be genetic and run in your family.

You see, poor diet and lack of sleep means the body doesn’t have enough energy to work as well as it could, and becomes stressed. Stress causes blood to be diverted from the skin to the more vital internal organs, so this means the skin on your face looks paler, and so this emphasises the dark circles.

Dark circles can also be more pronounced on those with naturally pale skin. Your face shape and bone structure can also have an effect. If your eyes are naturally sunken, this can cause shadowing around the eyes which makes dark circles appear darker than they might actually be.

And, of course, there’s the ever-present aging process. As we age, the skin starts to break-down and lose many of its properties (hence wrinkles, sagging, etc.), so you are more likely to have leaky capillaries (again, sounds lovely, doesn’t it).

So in a nutshell…

What are the possible causes?

• Iron or B12 deficiency – Anemia
• Poor vitamin and mineral absorption (underlying gut condition)
• Allergies – you may have an undetected food allergy (gluten intolerance) or an allergy to a chemical in your home or workplace.
• Dehydration
• Nasal Congestion (sinus infection)
• Lifestyle factors – Poor nutrition, excess alcohol consumption, too many caffeinated drinks, cigarette smoking, stress and lack of exercise can all contribute to under-eye discoloration.

Tips for vibrant healthy eyes:

• Eat Healthy- Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables rich in beta carotene will help you have healthy eyes. Carrots, spinach (and other green leafy vegetables), papaya, and mango all have high levels of beta carotene.
• Stop rubbing your eyes – when you rub your eyes you break blood vessels under your eyes and unintentionally cause dark circles under eyes.
• Sleep – without quality sleep the face literally sags. When you sleep circulation increases throughout your body; including your face and eyes
• Place cool tea bags or cool cucumber slices on the closed eyelid and rest for 10-15 min a day
• Drinking 2L of filtered water a day
• Cutting down on dehydrating drinks (alcohol and coffee) and reducing your salt intake
• Taking a multi vitamin A whole host of cosmetic problems can be attributed to vitamin deficiencies. Dark circles and puffiness are often attributed to lack of vitamin K or inadequate antioxidants.
• Getting a blood test to check your Iron and B12 levels

Until next time,