The causes & cures for those dark circles under your eyes

Whether you are plagued by chronic raccoon eyes or you’ve just had a rough week, there is more you can do to refresh your face than just layering on brightening concealer.

We recently asked one of the nation’s top dermatologist and author of the book Skin Rules Debra Jaliman M.D. about the causes and cures for this irritating eye condition, and she shared with us her top trade secrets.

Dark undereye circles may be a common beauty concern, but just because we can all relate to it doesn’t mean their cause is universal—which means neither is the cure. The key to finding the right treatment for your under eyes is decoding the cause of your dark circles.

Lack of Sleep: It’s true; one of the most common causes of your undereye dilemma is a lack of sleep or the lack of quality sleep.

Genetics: It can be inherited and is often seen in people of Mediterranean descent or people with very thin skin which makes the vessels under the eyes are more visible.

Allergies & Irritants: Seasonal allergies, food allergies as well as access salt and alcohol can cause your eyes to swell.

Sun Damage: Dark circles could be a sign of sun damage which is just another reminder that sunscreen isn’t just for the beach.

1. Beauty sleep isn’t just a cute excuse to sleep in; it’s important to rest 7-9 hours per night. Try sleeping propped up on two pillows to allow for lymphatic drainage, so that your eyes don’t get puffy as this makes the darkness look worse.

2. If you do wake up puffy-eyed, place gel ice packs on your eyes for 10 minutes in the morning.

3. You can also keep your eye serum in the refrigerator and put the cool gel on your eyes to take down the swelling. Under-eye patches are also really good for reducing the swelling and brightening up the area!

4. Look for caffeine in the ingredients of eye products that will help take the dark discoloration away by constricting the blood vessels.

5. Other good ingredients to look for are retinol which helps lighten the area as does niacinamide and Vitamin C.

6. You can also take cool tea bags and put them on your eyes the tannin in the tea bags reduce swelling.

7. Cucumber slices are another classic cure. The antioxidants in the cucumber help to reduce irritation, and the cold reduces swelling.

8. If you think your dark under eyes are caused by allergies, try an over-the-counter antihistamine like Benadryl that will decrease swelling in the eyes.

9. You can also try avoiding excess salt, MSG and artificial sweeteners which tend to make your eyes swell.

10. If your problem is pigment or sun damage, Jaliman says a non-ablative laser-like Revlite can be used to lighten the skin.

11. Sometimes she says they can even use Thermage radiofrequency to stimulate more collagen in the area and make it look better.

12. And then of course, if all else fails there is just a good ole fashion concealer. She recommends a light reflecting mica in concealer or eye cream to camouflage your dark circles.