Looking tired?
Stubborn dark eye circles that do not improve despite adequate sleep?
Dark circles under the lower eyelids are common in both men and women.
Often made worse by the presence of eyebags, dark circles can give one a “tired” appearance, even making you look older than you are!
What exactly are Dark Eye Circles?
Dark eye circles refer to the darkening of the skin area below your eyes. Of note, dark eye circles are different from eyebags or the tear trough.
Eyebags are caused by fat or fluid accumulation, leading to a swelling seen under the eyes.
The Tear Trough refers to the hollowing or “groove” between the junction of the lower eyelid and the cheek.
To compound problems, all 3 problems may co-exist together, exacerbating and worsening their appearance.
Who is commonly affected?
Though almost anyone can be affected by dark circles, they are most common in these 3 groups of people.
Older age: Loss of fatty tissue and thinning of the skin occurs around the eyes as part of the natural ageing process. These changes can exacerbate the appearance of dark circles in older adults.
Darker Skin Types: Dark circles are more common in people with darker skin tones. It is thought to be attributed to the increased amount of skin pigmentation that occurs naturally. Genetics: Dark circles can be hereditary. Research has found that dark circles under their eyes run in family members.
How do dark eye circles form?
The formation of dark eye circles can be attributed broadly to 2 factors.
1) Blood vessel congestion leading to pooling of blood and engorgement of blood vessels under the eye. Some of these vessels are found superficially (closer to the skin surface), causing the area to appear dark bluish/greenish/purplish at times.
2) Hyperpigmentation i.e increased or extra pigment formation or deposition in the under-eye area. This is commonly seen in people with darker skin tone or prolonged sun exposure.
Common Causes of Dark Eye Circles
Any factor that worsens blood vessel congestion or increased pigmentation formation can contribute to worsening of dark eye circles.
- Lack of sleep or poor sleeping habits can disrupt blood flow to the eye area
- Allergies, including hay fever can cause vessel dilation and accumulation of blood
- Overexposure to sun light, increasing pigmentation formation
- Aging leads to reduced collagen and reduced levels of fatty tissue around the eyes as well as thinning of skin under the eyes, causing blood vessels to be more visible
- Smoking leads to premature aging of the skin
- Inherited genes
Treatment options
Dual laser program a.k.a Panda Eye Laser Program
To treat both blood vessel congestion and hyperpigmentation, Dr Edwin uses 2 lasers to safely and effectively address both the root causes of Dark Eye Circles.
Laser 1 – Pro Yellow Vascular Laser constricts and minimizes the appearance of blood vessels under the eye, thereby reducing under-eye discolouration.
Laser 2 – Spectra Pigmentation Laser reduces hyperpigmentation around the eyes, lightening dark eye circles.
Many a time, patients have complained that they have underwent laser treatment for dark eye circles, but without success. Unfortunately, most are only treated with the pigmentation laser alone which is unable to improve blood vessel congestion and hence, the less than satisfactory results.
Under Eye Fillers
In patients with thin, ageing skin, under-eye fillers such as Teosyal RD2 can be used to mask the appearance of blood vessels as well as stimulate collagen to improve skin elasticity and thickness. Furthermore, Teosyal RD2 contains different types of antioxidants which work to brighten skin and lighten pigmentation around the under eyes.
Rejuran I
Rejuran I (Eye) is an anti-ageing treatment specially focused on rejuvenating the eye area. It contains Polynucleotides (PN) derived from Salmon DNA.
Studies have shown that PN extracted from salmon DNA is very safe and compatible with human skin. PN are DNA fragments that repair damaged skin cells and stimulate collagen production.
It is injected in a similar fashion to Skinboosters, with a series of precise micro injections into the skin around the eyes.
More information can be found here.
