The dark circles look may only be cute on pandas, but on us, they make a person look sleepy and tired. For many, concealers are often the weapon of choice to camouflage the darkness and brighten the under-eye area for a fresher, more awake look. From home remedies to beauty creams, even celebrities have their own tips and tricks for walking down the red carpet with fresh, bright peepers.
But is there a cosmetic treatment to get rid of these pesky eye woes for a long-lasting result? We’ll explore more about the factors behind dark eye circles and treatments available.
Causes
Dark eye circles are usually caused by sleep deprivation but they can also be contributed to various reasons such as stress, genetics and lifestyle behaviours.
1. Lack of sleep
As the skin under the eye is delicate and thin, it easily takes on a bluish, blackish tone due to the fine blood vessels that run underneath. Cortisol is produced when the body is tired, a sleep-fighting chemical that causes the blood vessels to swell. Lying down for extended periods of time can also produce the same effect of enlarged blood vessels. Fluids accumulate when you lie for some time, and the veins expand to hold more blood.
2. Melanin overproduction
Dark circles can also be worsened by excess brown pigment (melanin) due to sun exposure, habitual eye rubbing and genetics. Melanin content is increased when there is too much sun exposure without sun protection, and skin in the eye region can pigment more as it is more sensitive. Dark circles can also be caused by rubbing your eyes which can break small blood vessels in the eyelids.
3. Fat pads under the eye
There are deposits of fat in the layer below the skin in the eye region. Too little or too much fat tissue in these fat pads can result in the visibility of dark circles. Due to ageing, the fat pad becomes thinner and the underlying blood vessels become more noticeable. Too much fat tissue causes an unsightly bulge that gives a droopy look.
Treatment
The treatments available for dark eye circles largely depend on what the patient wants and the condition of their dark eye circles. For quick results, a dermal filler may be more suitable. For overall improvement of skin texture, laser treatments are ideal. For some patients, combination treatments can also be done to treat severe conditions and penetrate different depths of the skin.
1. Dermal fillers
Dermal fillers like Juvederm and Restylane are popular face fillers in Singapore that help in facial sculpting without any surgery. It is also used commonly in restoring facial contours, especially to add volume to sunken facial areas due to ageing and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Dermal fillers can help to treat the upper cheek area that experienced volume loss, to provide support to the undereye area and reduce the shadows created by volume loss. Those who simply have a deep tear trough can also benefit from having the dermal filler injected into the tear trough to lift the area.
2. Laser treatments
Laser treatments can address various types of skin problems from pigmentation to acne scar removal in Singapore. Certain lasers are suitable to reduce dark circles, particularly pigment lasers such as Q-switch ND Yag laser, which can target blood vessels and break down the pigments behind the shadow effect or darkening of dark eye circles. Lasers can also help to hide the sunken parts around the eyes and stimulate collagen growth so it can thicken up thin skin, causing the blood vessels underneath to be less noticeable.
The first step in treating dark circles is to correctly diagnose it and understand the cause of it. Talk to our doctors today where they can make a proper assessment of your condition before proposing a solution.
If you wish to seek more details on them or other treatments available such cystic acne treatment in Singapore, contact us today.