Dark Circles & Puffiness

Your eyes can tell people a lot about you. They give away when you’re feeling excited or upset. They can tell people when you’re tired or when your mind is somewhere else. But sometimes the skin around your eyes can send messages you don’t want them to. When you’re sporting puffy under-eyes or dark circles under your eyes, it can make you look older or tired even when you aren’t.

What Causes Dark Circles and Puffiness Under Your Eyes?

Dark circles and puffiness under your eyes are actually caused by different things. Dark circles and puffiness under your eyes often appear or become more noticeable as you get older because the skin in this area gets thinner. When the skin is thinner, the blood vessels and other tissue beneath your skin become more visible, giving this area a darker look. That thinness also causes the skin to sag which can create puffiness or bags under your eyes.

Dark circles can also be caused by dilated blood vessels under your eyes which make the area look darker. Those dilated blood vessels could come from things like inflammation or from rubbing your eyes too much. Things that make your skin paler can also allow dark circles to appear, like stress, sleeping too little, drinking excessively, or smoking.

Inflammation and fluid retention can also cause puffiness under your eyes, and genetics can play a role in both dark circles and puffiness.

Do You Get Dark Circles Under Your Eyes from Not Sleeping Enough?

Ever been told, “Oh you look tired” or some variation of that? There’s a good chance it was because you had dark circles or puffiness under your eyes. So is the assumption true, that you’ll get dark circles or puffiness under your eyes if you don’t sleep enough?

The answer is yes and no. You can definitely have puffiness and dark circles if you don’t get enough sleep because this can make your skin pale, which makes blood vessels below your skin stand out and discolor your skin, and it can cause fluid retention which makes your under-eyes puffy. But both puffiness and dark circles can be caused by other things too like allergies or simply genetics, so these symptoms don’t necessarily mean you aren’t getting enough Zs.

What Can Remove Dark Circles Under the Eyes and Puffiness?

The best way to treat your puffiness and dark circles will depend on what’s causing them, so if you aren’t sure what that is, it may be a trial and error process. But there are several solutions that can help:

• Using anti-aging products for the eye area which can make your skin thicker and firmer
• Avoid eating too much salt because this can make you retain fluids under your eyes
• Protect your under-eye area from discoloration from sun exposure by wearing sunscreen as well as wearing large sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat outside
• Use pigment correcting products under your eyes to reduce discoloration

Try out these tips to see which ones work best for keeping your under-eyes smooth and revitalized.