Sometimes just adding water is enough. Read on to find other options.
What are the causes of bruising under the eyes
Here are the most common factors that make the skin “blue.”
1. Fatigue, lack of sleep
When you have no strength, the processes in the body slow down. And this is understandable; the body wants one thing – to hibernate to recover.
Blood circulates more slowly, stagnates, vessels dilate. The capillaries under the eyes are located close to the surface. Having expanded, they begin to shine through from under the thinnest skin. This is how bruises appear.
In the area of the eyes, the thickness of the skin is approximately 0.5 millimeters.
Bonus; along with blood circulation, lymph drainage slows down. Because of this, edema appears – bags under the eyes.
2. Eyestrain
Perhaps you have been sitting in front of the monitor for too long or have been concentrating on reading some text. Due to the tension, the blood vessels under the eyes dilate again and begin to show through the skin.
Read also: 10 Natural Remedies to Lighten a Sunburned Skin
3. Iron deficiency anemia
Anemia is a lack of hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to organs and tissues. By binding with oxygen, hemoglobin becomes bright scarlet and gives this hue to arterial blood. Giving up oxygen, hemoglobin darkens. Take a look at the wreaths on your hands – they are bluish; they already have little oxygen.
For the normal formation of hemoglobin, iron is needed. If there is little in the body, the amount of coloring protein in the blood decreases. The remaining hemoglobin loses oxygen faster. As a result, the vessels acquire a dark blue hue, and the first thing this anemic cyanosis becomes visible under the thin skin near the eyes.
4. Dehydration
When the skin lacks fluid, it becomes drier and thinner. And under the eyes, it generally turns into a translucent parchment, unable to hide the capillaries underneath. Hello, bruises.
5. Allergic reactions
With allergies, the eyes are often itchy and watery. Histamines – those irritating substances that the body releases in response to an allergen – at the same time provoke vasodilation. The latter begins to shine through. If you scratch your eyes, your symptoms get worse. Due to friction, fragile blood vessels break down, and the smallest bruises occur, increasing the cyanosis.
6. Age
Over the years, the skin loses moisture, becomes thinner. Therefore, the area under the eyes becomes more visible.
7. Genetic features
Some people have too thin skin from birth, bruises under the eyes haunt them since childhood. If your close relatives regularly have dark circles under the eyes, you may inherit this trait.
8. Smoking, alcohol abuse
These bad habits make the skin thinner, and the blood vessels more fragile. Blood cells from cracked capillaries accumulate under the skin, oxidize, darken, and shine blue.
9. Gastrointestinal disorders, poisoning
Due to the accompanying vomiting and diarrhea, the body loses a lot of fluid. The onset of dehydration, in turn, leads to the appearance of dark circles.
10. Cardiovascular disease
Such disorders can cause blood stasis. In the delicate area under the eyes, this will manifest itself first of all.
How to remove bruises under the eyes with home methods
A lot depends on the reasons for these bruises in general. If they harass you regularly, no matter how tired you are, how you sleep, whether you eat well, do not be too lazy to consult with a therapist. Dark circles under the eyes can be the first symptom of heart problems or a sign of anemia. It is important to diagnose these conditions in time.
If bruising is a one-time occurrence, most likely, you can not worry. It is enough to make a little lifestyle change and use simple home methods to get rid of them.
1. Get enough sleep
The sleep rate for an adult is 7-8 hours a day. It is this period that allows the body to recuperate. Well, blood circulation at the same time.
Little life hack: if you wake up with bags under your eyes, try sleeping on a higher pillow. It will help improve the flow of blood and lymph.
2. Follow your drinking regimen
It is not necessary to pour in eight glasses of water every day. Just don’t let the feeling of thirst. I felt like drinking – do not dismiss this desire, drink water, tea, fruit drink, juice. Also, try to control the color of your urine. As long as it is colorless or light yellow, your drinking regime is fine.
3. Eat well
Your job is to maintain healthy hemoglobin levels. Make sure your diet includes foods rich in
- iron (for example, meat, fish, liver, spinach, chicken eggs)
- folic acid (e.g., leafy greens, legumes, asparagus)
- vitamin C (e.g., citrus fruits, strawberries, black currants)
- vitamin A (e.g., liver, cod liver oil, spinach, pumpkin).
4. Moisturize your skin
The thinnest skin under the eyes suffers from a lack of moisture in the first place. So invest in a moisturizer and use it at least before bed. Apply the product with light pat movements – this gentle massage will improve blood circulation and lymph drainage.
If possible, monitor the humidity in the room you sleep or spend most of the day. This is especially important in winter when the heating is on.
5. Apply a cold compress under the eyes
This is an express method that will help you quickly “erase” cyanosis. Apply cotton pads soaked in cool water or, for example, tablespoons to the area under the eyes for 3-5 minutes. The cold will narrow the blood vessels, and they will no longer shine so clearly from under the skin.
6. Place cucumber slices or brewed tea bags under your eyes
Yes, yes, grandma’s funds are working. Cucumber is because it contains a lot of moisture, which means it will perfectly moisturize the skin under the eyes. Also, it serves as a kind of alternative to a cold compress.
The tea that gets on the skin from the sachets contains caffeine – it improves blood circulation. If you pre-chill the brewed sachets in the refrigerator, they also replace the compress.
7. Apply concealer
Light makeup will not get rid of under-eye circles, but it will help mask them.
Also read: 10 Foods That Help Combat Skin Aging
How to remove bruises under the eyes using professional methods
If the cause of dark circles is genetic characteristics or age, lifestyle changes cannot be overcome. In this case, you should contact a beautician or dermatologist. The doctor will listen to your complaints, conduct an examination, and, based on its results, suggest a way to cope with the problem. This could be:
- Brightening cream. Professional products with azelaic, glycolic acid, or hydroquinone help to get rid of bruises.
- Chemical peeling. These treatments reduce skin pigmentation and make under-eye circles less visible.
- Laser therapy. Another way to reduce pigmentation and start skin regeneration.
- Use of fillers based on blood plasma or hyaluronic acid. Such funds are injected with the thinnest needle and “fill” the skin, making it denser.
- Blepharoplasty. Often, circles under the eyes become noticeable only because the eyelids, which have become heavier with age, cast a shadow on this area. A plastic surgery called blepharoplasty removes bags under the eyes and makes the eyelids less bulky.
Adapted and translated by The Cop Cart Staff
Sources: Life hacker