How to Treat Dark Undereye Circles

Those horrible undereye circles seem to trouble us all, but some more than others. Worst of all they become even more of a problem as you age; just another of Mother Nature's not so humorous jokes. Undereye circles can result from a number of things including lack of sleep, improper diet, disease or the medications used to treat it and age. They can appear blue, purple, pink, yellow or a combination thereof. They can look like hollows or puffy pillows. No matter their color or effect, they are unwelcome, unwanted and unnecessary. There are lots of ways to treat them today. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Determine what causes your undereye circles. Are they hereditary? Are they due to lack of sleep, improper diet, age, illness or some other situation? Has you physician labeled them a side effect of a disease or the medication used to treat it? If you understand the cause behind your circles, it is much easier to know which treatment to choose.

2

Examine your dark undereye circles in a well lit mirror. What exactly do they look like? What is their color? Do they appear as hollows or puffs? Do they appear wrinkled (as with age)? This information is also important in determining how to proceed with treatment.

3

Decide what method you want to use to treat your dark undereye circles. Do you want to have laser surgery or collagen injections to temporarily repair them? Do you want to try to make them less prominent with facial muscle exercises? Do you want to use products that reflect light away from that portion of your face? Do you just want to conceal them? Or perhaps you want to do some sort of combination treatment.

4

If you choose to use laser surgery to strengthen the undereye skin and muscles, thereby improving the look of undereye circles, then it is time to seek out plastic surgeons who might be able to perform the procedure for you. Narrow your choices down to two or three physicians and make an initial "free" consultation with each to determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure, how much it will cost, and any other information you require. Be sure to go in with a list of questions that you need answered before you make your decision. Choose the surgeon who best meets your needs, expectations, and budget. Be aware that laser surgery can be extremely expensive, ranging into thousands of dollars and will likely require re-treatment within a relatively short amount of time (three to five years, depending upon your individual situation and your lifestyle, health, diet, and other factors).

5

If you choose to use collagen injections to plump up your undereye skin to diminish the look of undereye circles, it's time to seek out plastic surgeons who might be able to perform the procedure for you. Narrow your choices down to two or three physicians and make an initial "free" consultation with each to determine if you are a good candidate for the procedure, how much it will cost, and any other information you require. Be sure to go in with a list of questions that you need answered before you make your decision. Choose the surgeon who best meets your needs, expectations, and budget. Be aware that such treatment can be extremely expensive, sometimes even ranging into thousands of dollars and will likely require re-treatment within a relatively short amount of time (three to five years, your individual situation, and your lifestyle, health, diet, and other factors).

6

If you know someone who has already had collagen injections or plastic surgery, ask them questions. Try to find out what to expect, how long the recovery period might be, the possible side effects, and any other questions you can think of. They might also be able to recommend someone to perform the procedure, which could take away some of the uncertainty for you.

7

If you choose to make your undereye circles less prominent by improving the underlying facial muscles, this can be accomplished one of several ways. There are spas that have treatments that are supposed to help you accomplish this feat. Some of them work well and others don't work at all. If you opt to go this route, check out the reputation of the spa(s) you are considering and try to talk to individuals who have used their procedures. That way you can get a sense of their potential.There are also plastic surgeons that employ minor electrical shock treatments to reactivate the muscles underneath the eyes to plump them up. This helps to diminish the look of undereye circles. However, not all plastic surgeons provide this procedure because the machinery is very expensive. Also, the treatments themselves can be very expensive; as much as $200 per treatment. They are also temporary and will need to be repeated on a regular basis (anywhere from two to four times a week), which may make them cost prohibitive except for special occassions.Finally, there are individual machines on the market today that can help you perform basically the same kind of electric shock treatment to yourself at home. The most well known and highly respected of these is the FaceMaster by Suzanne Sommers. These machines aren't inexpensive at between $100 and $300 each. However, if used properly, they will last for a long time with only a need to replace batteries, rod tips, and solution at less than $20 every three to six months (depending upon how often you use the machine). The major benefit to these over the other procedures is that you can give yourself a treatment in the privacy of your own home, repeating it as often as you choose to achieve the results that you want. Additionally, these machines, like those used by plastic surgeons, can be used on other areas of your face and neck as well. This allows you to tone your entire facial structure and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

8

If you choose to use skin care or cosmetic products that use materials to reflect light away from the deep circles, the trick will be to find the right product for you. Many skin care lines make claims that their eye products will "cure" undereye circles. While I have found many that help greatly, I've yet to locate one that lives up to the claim of an actual cure. Such products work best if you begin using them just as the circles begin to form, when they are minor in nature, and when you do not have deep hollows or exaggerated puffy eyes. Skin care products for eyes can range from around $8 to hundreds of dollars, depending upon the type and brand.Cosmetic products like Maybelline's Age Rewind Double Face Protector and YSL's Touche Eclat use a mixture of skin cream and cosmetics to help reflect light away from the dark circles underneath the eyes. These work well for individuals who are just beginning to develop dark circles and when they are less prominent (yellow or pink in color versus blue or purple and not exaggerated hollows or puffs). These type of products range in cost from around $8 to $50, depending upon the brand.

9

If you choose to use concealer to coverup the dark undereye circles, there are lots of options to choose from. Virtually every cosmetic line has one or more types of concealers. The trick will be to find the right concealer for your skin's color and texture as well as your specific undereye problem. Yellow-based concealers are generally better for covering up heavy undereye circles among Caucasians while one with a slightly more orange tone works best for those with dark or deep skin tones. Choose a shade about one shade lighter than your foundation. A word of caution, however, going too light can actually make the circles appear more prominent by giving you those dreaded raccoon eyes.Apply concealer in light layers until you get the result you want. Applying it too heavily will result in a heavy, mask-like effect. Dot the product lightly under the eyes and pat into the skin. Don't rub or pull the fragile skin in the undereye area or the overall effect will be very aging. Apply your foundation on over the concealer or set it with loose powder.Whenever possible obtain samples or use testers of concealers before purchasing them. It will likely take several tries (as many as a dozen or more) to find the right concealer for you. That can be expensive if you purchase every tube along the way.