At some point in time most people will succumb to the symptoms of stress and lack of sleep. Although there are many negative effects come along with this condition that can have both short term and long-term consequences. Still, one of the most visible and notable issues that comes from this is the scourge of dark under eye circles. The big question is what is the root cause behind these ugly reminders of age and poor health and what can be done about them.

Well, to understand where dark circles under the eyes comes from one has to look no further than their own family. That's right, the biggest determining factor in predicting if someone will have to deal with this can be found in their genetic makeup. In short, the main determiner is the thickness of the skin just under the eyes. This is because the thinner the dermal layers under the eyes plus the general pigmentation in the area the more likely it is that notable darkness will be able to be seen. Add to that the fact that blood does tend to build up in this area which can lead to, not only darker skin tones, but also considerable puffiness.

So, understanding all of this, the next big question has to be how can someone prevent or alleviate the development of dark circles under the eyes. After looking at all of the research done by practitioners in the field of dermatology what we found was that there are basically six ways to help to get back to looking your best which also means looking refreshed.

Use Extra Pillows And Sleep On Your Back

Knowing that pooling blood under the eyes can be a major contributing factor it can be very helpful in preventing under eye darkness to keep your head propped up in order to keep blood circulating properly. It should also be noted that sometimes allergies can be a contributing factor so be sure to keep your pillows clean and use hypo-allergenic pillows when possible.

Use An Antihistamine

Relating back to the last point, one of the things that is found is that more people than one might suspect have allergies that they are not even aware of. If it turns out that this is the case with you it would be good to start using an antihistamine.

Use Products That Lighten The Skin

Although this strategy won't do away with dark under eye circles it certainly will help to hide them until they start to fade over time. Among the best treatments for this issue include Vitamin C, Kojic Acid and Licorice extract. One can also invest in a broad-spectrum physical sunscreen containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

Use A Product That Constricts Blood Vessels

If you can't wait to let dark under eye circles to start fading on their own you might try using a product such as Preparation H. That's right, and the reason for this is the fact that the formulation actually causes blood vessels in the skin to contract which can have a profound effect on the collection of blood in the affected area.

Try to Reduce the Amount of Irritation

Yes, the color of your skin can be greatly affected by the amount of skin irritation that it has to deal with. In essence, the lower the amount of rubbing, either with the hands or with products such as makeup removers.

Use Products That Contain a Retinoid

There are many products that fall into this category and many of them have been shown to be quite effective in building up dermal thickness which can obviously help to reduce the amount of blood that shows through the skin. One of the products which has proven to be most effective is known as RevitaLume.

In the end, there is little that can be done to prevent the predisposition for under eye darkness but by employing some or all of the strategies listed above living with this scourge of this unflattering discoloration anyone can make their life just a little bit easier and their face lot more appealing.

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