When you show up to work with dark circles under your eyes, it doesn’t matter how toned your body is or that you’re dressed to the nines. There will always be that one coworker who will point out your tired appearance in the most tactless way possible.
It’s frustrating, especially when your dark circles have nothing to do with your sleeping habits. What causes dark circles under the eyes and how can you get rid of them?
Here are three things every guy needs to know about dark eye circles:
- The skin around the eyes is incredibly thin. It also doesn’t have many oil glands or fat tissue, making it prone to dehydration and a sunken appearance.
- Understanding some of the primary causes of dark circles under the eyes is an important step in eliminating the problem for good.
- With a regular skin care regimen and a few key lifestyle changes, you can effectively combat dark eye circles.
What Causes Dark Circles Under the Eyes?
Although a lack of sleep is often blamed for a tired appearance, sleep deprivation is far from the only cause of dark circles under the yes. Factors such as stress, age, genetics and lifestyle habits all play a role in the development of dark eye circles.
If your dark eye circles are bothering you, rest assured that you aren’t the only guy struggling with this particular issue. But before you can come up with an effective form of treatment, you should first understand the underlying causes of dark circles under the eyes.
Stress—Anyone would feel overwhelmed by a mile-long to-do list. When it’s a chronic issue, however, stress can start to wreak havoc on your skin—specifically, the area of skin around your eyes.
According to a 2015 study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, stress can cause a decline in skin barrier function, resulting in dehydrated skin that is slow to heal (see claim: “…psychological stress causes a decline in EPBF and deterioration in barrier disruption and recovery.”)
What does this mean for your dark circles? When your skin barrier function is impaired, it can’t trap moisture as effectively. This lack of hydration can cause your skin to appear sunken, making dark circles more prominent.
CONTROL EYE BAGSSkipping Sunscreen—The skin around the eyes is much thinner compared to other parts of your face, making it particularly vulnerable to sun-induced hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation simply refers to the development of dark patches on the skin.
Although it’s usually harmless, sun-induced hyperpigmentation is especially worrisome because overexposure to the sun can cause skin cancer. This is just one reason why wearing a daily moisturizer with SPF is essential to maintaining healthy skin. Along with protecting the sensitive skin around your eyes, a moisturizer with SPF can help refresh tired skin and reduce the appearance of dark circles.
The Aging Process—As we age, our skin loses its elasticity and becomes thinner and more fragile. The folds in our skin can cast shadows, which makes the skin under our eyes appear dark. As our blood vessels become more fragile with age, they can also break and leak hemoglobin to the eye region, making it appear bruised.
Of course, those things happen only in old age, right? We wish this were the case. Unfortunately, a lot of guys unknowingly speed up the aging process in their young age by neglecting their skin care routine. It’s one of the many reasons why we encourage guys to establish a regular skin care regimen that they can actually stick to.
Genetics—Your dark circles may not be entirely your fault. Although your lifestyle can have a huge impact on your skin’s appearance, genetics can also contribute to dark circles under the eyes. For example, if your mom and dad had more pigmentation around the eyes or problems with circulation (both of which can cause bruised-looking eyes), it’s likely that your dark circles are hereditary.
Smoking—If you needed any more reason to ditch your smoking habits, here is one more: Smoking is terrible for your skin. Apart from overexposure to the sun, it’s one of the worst things you can do to your skin.
In a 2007 study published in JAMA Dermatology, researchers had the rare opportunity to study twins to measure the effect of smoking on the skin. The twin who smoked approximately 52.5 packs of cigarettes a year had significantly worse skin aging compared to the nonsmoking twin (see claim: “…the twin with an approximately 52.5-pack-year smoking history showed more severe skin aging than did the nonsmoking twin.”)
The nicotine in cigarettes reduces microcirculation by restricting blood vessels. When blood vessels are restricted, they can take on a blueish appearance. The skin around the eyes is already super thin, which makes the blue/purple color even more noticeable.
Allergies—Do your dark circles appear during a specific season or after you eat certain foods? If so, they may be the result of allergies. All the itching, rubbing and redness associated with allergic reactions can irritate the delicate skin around our eyes, causing us to accidentally break blood vessels and give eyes their dark appearance.
Allergies can also lead to “allergic shiners.” These dark circles are the result of blood being blocked by congested nasal passages, which cause the blood to pool in the capillaries beneath our eyes.
Take the skin care quiz5 Simple Steps to Combat Dark Circles
Now that you understand which factors play a role in the development of dark eye circles, it’s time to find an effective treatment for them. Here are a few simple steps to take to finally banish those pesky eye bags for good:
1. Commit to a Regular Skin Care Routine—If you want to keep dark circles at bay, you need to get comfortable with the idea of a regular skin care routine. The good news is that you don’t need to spend an hour in the bathroom each day just to refresh your eyes. With just a few simple steps, you can look more awake and refreshed.
2. Rinse with Lukewarm Water—Hot water can dehydrate the skin and accentuate your dark circles. Stick to washing your face with a daily facial cleanser twice a day with lukewarm water to avoid drying out the skin. If your dark eye circles are also puffy, you can do a final rinse with cold water to soothe them.
3. Exfoliate Regularly—After washing your face, use a gentle face scrub no more than twice a week to promote cell turnover. In addition to keeping skin blemish-free, a face scrub can improve your skin tone and help reduce the appearance of dark circles. It also removes dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, making your additional skin care products more effective. Just be extremely careful with using a scrub around your eyes. Due to the thinner skin in this region, it’s all too easy to damage the skin and accidentally worsen your dark circles.
4. Apply an Eye Cream with Peptides— A powerful eye cream with collagen-stimulating peptides is your secret weapon to getting rid of dark circles under the eyes. The best eye creams will revitalize tired-looking skin by boosting circulation and improving skin tone—and while we don’t mean to brag, our AM/PM Eye Cream does a rock-star job at both. With the antioxidant power of Caffeine and age-reducing power of Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, our eye cream can brighten AND tighten the skin. So whether your dark circles are caused by stress, age or sun-induced hyperpigmentation, our eye cream has you covered on all fronts.
5. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize—Guys, even if you have an oily skin type, moisturizing is crucial to healthy skin. When the skin loses its collagen and elasticity, dark circles under the eyes can become more prominent. Using a daily moisturizer with SPF is key to keeping the skin on your face hydrated, smooth and youthful for as long as possible. (Be careful when applying to avoid getting the moisturizer with SPF into your eyes.)
My Dark Circles Are Still There—Now What?
If your dark circles are still prominent after following a skin care routine for a few weeks, don’t panic! There are plenty of additional remedies and solutions for your tired-looking eyes that can help you fix the problem for good.
Use Concealer—Guys, it’s 2019 and makeup for men is a thing. A dab of concealer under the eyes can quickly disguise the appearance of tired eyes before you stroll into the office. We promise that it won’t result in someone taking away your man card.
Up Your Antioxidants—When it comes to fixing frustrating skin care conditions, potent antioxidants are your best friends. Specifically, keep an eye out for skin care ingredients with Vitamin B3 and Caffeine, both of which can protect skin against oxidative stress that can lead to dark circles.
According a 2011 study published in Dermatology Research and Practice, Vitamin B3 (aka Niacinamide) can decrease pigmentation and inflammation of the skin, making it a potential treatment for sun-induced hyperpigmentation (see claim: “Niacinamide has anti-inflammatory properties and is able to decrease the transfer of melanosomes.”)
Caffeine also contains antioxidants that protect the delicate skin around the eyes against free radical damage. According to a 2013 study published in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, Caffeine also stimulates blood flow in the skin, contributing to more oxygen in the blood and reducing the likelihood of skin taking on a bluish appearance (see claim: “…caffeine contained in cosmetics increases the microcirculation of blood in the skin.”)
Add a Firming Serum—If your eye cream alone isn’t doing the trick, try adding a firming serum to your routine to get rid of dark circles under the eyes. Facial firming serums are packed with skin-boosting vitamins and antioxidants that can tighten and restore the skin around your eyes, reduce discoloration and turn back time on your face.
There is one caveat to using facial firming serums on the skin near your eyes. The skin in this region is particularly sensitive and may be irritated by retinoid-containing serums. Although retinoids can boost collagen production and help your dark circles, the irritation may lead to dryness that may worsen the problem.
Make a Few Lifestyle Changes—Even the best skin care routine known to man can’t help your dark circles if you don’t make a few healthier lifestyle changes. We’re talking about getting better sleep by putting away digital devices before bed, committing to a regular fitness regimen and eating a skin-healthy diet.
Sleep, fitness and diet all play an important role in skin health. By focusing on adopting healthier habits such as these, you’ll eventually notice an improvement in your dark eye circles and the overall appearance of your skin.
Consider Filler Injections and Laser Treatments—A lot of guys understandably shy away from fillers and lasers. Along with the stigma of using such treatments, the cost can be a roadblock for many. Even so, it’s an option worth considering if nothing else seems to have any effect on your dark circles.
Laser treatments have become incredibly effective at treating a wide range of skin conditions. According to a 2011 study published in Dermatologic Surgery, researchers found a low-frequency laser treatment to be highly effective and safe for the treatment of dark circles under the eyes (see claim: “Treatment of infraorbital dark circles using low-fluence 1,064-nm QSNY laser is safe and effective.”)
Wrapping Up
If there is one key takeaway from what you’ve just read, it’s that you shouldn’t dismiss the power of an effective skin care system. Dark circles can show up for any number of reasons, from working a stressful job to unfortunate genetics. And while Caffeine-containing creams and super serums can go a long way in getting rid of dark circles under the eyes, they aren’t always a magic solution to sleep-deprived eyes. (When using any skin care products around your eyes, be very cautious to avoid getting any product in your eyes.)
To see noticeable, long-lasting improvement to the skin under your eyes, you still need to be consistent with your skin care routine and make a few necessary lifestyle changes. By keeping at it with a basic skin care routine and healthier habits, you won’t need to turn to pricey laser treatments and fillers to revitalize your handsome eyes.
