(Resubmitted, the original post was removed "for lack of a descriptive question in the title.")
So here's the deal, ladies. I'm a young guy, 25. I get plenty of sleep--8 hours per day as a bare minimum, usually closer to 10. My life and attitude are very low-stress. I spend plenty of time outdoors. I take vitamins. Yet I have these dark raccoon circles under my eyes that make me look like a tired, overworked old man.
How do I make them go away? Is there some sort of cream that will help with this?
I'll say flat-out that I'm not interested in concealing the circles, so please don't suggest make-up products. (Call me hopelessly old-fashioned, but I'm pretty firm in my conviction that guys shouldn't wear makeup. And in fact, I absolutely love it when a girl says "screw the media-industrial complex and their 'you are not good enough' propaganda" and goes makeup-free).
I'm just wondering if you ladies know of any sort of non-makeup method (Pond's cream, moisturizer, home remedies, whatever) to reduce the appearance of the dark circles. I have absolutely zero knowledge of cosmetic products--I don't even use lotion or hair products--so feel free to explain this to me like I am a drooling moron. Thanks.
Edit for updates and clarification, with lots of info that may/may not contribute to diagnosis:
I do not smoke (except for a pipe, grandpa-style, maybe once a month) or do drugs. I'll occasionally drink socially, but I have not had more than two drinks in one night since for maybe three years now.
I do suffer from allergies. I recieved shots for about 6 years growing up and I still take Clarinex D on a daily basis, and occasionally take eye drops for itchy eyes. Would treatment for allergy-induced eye discoloration go beyond this? Or could I rule out allergies as the cause based on the fact that the problem persists while allergy treatment is ongoing. I do live in a major East Coast city, so I'm well aware that air quality could probably be better.
I do suffer from a vitamin D deficiency, and I take 4000 IU's per day to compensate. My lab results are normal, but could this be related?
My skin is on the dark side, thanks to Native Hawaiian blood on my mom's side, and naturally very tolerant of sunlight--I've never worn sunscreen, I can spend day after day outdoors without a sunburn, and I barely even develop a tan.
It's been a pretty bitter winter here, so I haven't spent much time outdoors of late. But during spring, summer, and fall, I spend as much time as possible working and playing outdoors. The dark circles are present year-round.
Hi all, I’ve just joined this group since I’ve really gotten into skin care and I wanted to know your personal experiences with dark circles and have you been even slightly successful to get rid of them. I’m 21 years old and I have hollow space under my eyes. I always had dark circles but during the lockdown it amplified to such an extent that it’s really really severe now. I also have anemia and the skin under my eye is really thin and veiny. Even though I know there’s no product that can completely get rid of them and leads would be highly appreciated! Thanks in advance!!
For those of you who had really visible permanent dark circles (not the lack of sleep kind), how did you get rid of them?
I'm considering using a hydroquinone cream for the eye area but are there any others I should look out for? I'm looking for suggestions.
I'm not seeking medical advice, I just want to know some stuff before I go to the derm.
level 1
Vitamin C serum helped me. Mine weren't bad but there has been a noticeable improvement in about a month. I'm using the Paula's Choice product.
level 2
I second the vitamin C. I use one of Garnier's Dark Spots Treatment. It's cheap! Unfortunately, it's also got a strong fragrance.
level 1
The important thing is to try and figure out what kind of dark circles you have, then you can see what can be done. The Dark Circles post in the side bar is excellent! I have the third kind, and nothing has made them go away, but controlling my allergies during allergy season has made them a bit less blue.
level 1
Nothing from the outside helped mine. The biggest improvements were: improving sleep quantity and quality, sleeping on my back, controlling my allergies by removing food triggers and using an antihistamine in allergy season.
level 2
Does sleeping on your back really make that much of a difference? Is it because you get a more restful sleep , or no?
level 1
Hydration. Mine used to be an intense purple (definitely not from lack of sleep or anything temp) and now I don't even need to wear makeup there. It can't hurt if you try drinking some more anyway. :) I wish you luck, this is a difficult skin condition to relieve yourself of.
level 1
I find that my dark circles worsen in the spring due to my seasonal allergies so for me the addition of a daily antihistamine really helped. My physician told me this is so because the antihistamine reduces the swelling of the sinuses. If you have allergies you may want to talk to your physician.
Other than that I think rest is key and hydration of the area. My PC antioxidant serum has seemed to help a bit as well.
level 1
I use Kiehl's Avocado Eye Cream along with the Eye De-Puffer! I've seen a noticeable change and they tend to come back when I lack sleep and go back to smoking cigarettes. But these items always seem to help minimize them!
level 1
Burt's Bees Radiance Eye Cream works pretty well for me. The dark circles are still kinda there, but at least people don't ask me if I got punched in the face anymore
level 1
Sleep, sleep
Maybe antioxidants
Mostly sleep though
level 1
Dark circles are largely genetic. I don't know of any topical product that will help them. Hydroquinone is effective against skin discoloration. Dark circles aren't a discoloration in the skin, they're the blood vessels below the skin showing through.
level 1
· 8 yr. ago
Rosacea & Sensitive | Argan Fan [GER]
Going to a derm, getting on antihistamines (Cetirizine) and using a niacinamide eye-cream (Sothys multi-action eye contour) which got recommened to me by my doc.
level 1
I've had really dark circles for years, I only noticed how bad they had gotten when I was looking at old pictures from five years ago and realised how much lighter my undereyes used to be.
Cutting down dramatically on my salt intake is what has helped me a lot. I usually use a lot of salt on everything I eat but for the ladt few months I've been eating healthily and made an effort to stop putting salt on my food.
HUGE difference in my dark circles. Like seriously, they are so much better now.