How can I get rid of dark circles?

If you’ve developed dark eye circles – aka periorbital hypermelanosis or periorbital hyperpigmentation – it may give you comfort to know that the condition’s fairly common. It’s generally found on the lower eyelid, making you look tired, hungover or sad, even when you’re not. More common in darker skintones, prominent circles can be the result of excess pigmentation, loss of fatty tissue in the eyelid or around the eye, puffiness, thinning of the skin or prominent shadowing due to skin laxity. While these factors are partly influenced by your genetics, lifestyle choices (such as smoking), fatigue, dehydration, allergies, thyroid disease and menstruation can also play a role. There are lots of treatments available, but there’s no easy fix, meaning lifestyle changes, treatments and products are all needed to produce results.

First, beauty sleep is no myth, so try to get seven to nine hours per night. Studies show that, when you’re sleepdeprived, your blood vessels dilate, which increases blood flow, producing a dark tint beneath the thin skin around your eyes. Lack of sleep also reduces lymph drainage, so you get a build-up of water in the tissue around the eyes. It’s wise to tweak your diet if alcohol and salt feature heavily, as they can cause dehydration and puffiness, making dark circles more prominent.

UV rays can also make dark circles worse by increasing the skin’s melanin content. The dermis under the eye is thin, meaning UV rays can penetrate and cause pigmentation more easily, so opt for sunglasses that carry a CE mark and always use SPF (factor 30 at least). As for dialling down existing damage, you’ll need gold standard pigment-busting ingredients. Products that contain vitamin C, arbutin, kojic acid, liquorice extract, niacinamide, azelaic acid and retinol should all help brighten the area. When it comes to clinical-grade treatments, a course of gentle chemical peels can help to lighten the eye area over time. Commonly used peels include trichloroacetic acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid and glycolic acid, which result in mild skin shedding over a few days. They’re often combined with microneedling – a procedure that makes tiny punctures in the skin, which then makes it easier for the peel to penetrate deeper for better sloughing. Injectables are also an option. As you age, you lose fat underneath the eye, so, if your dark circles are due to the natural ageing process, then small volumes of dermal filler – containing hyaluronic acid – can be deposited in the tear trough to plump and smooth the area. Fillers aren’t a permanent cure, however; the effects will last about a year before you’ll need a top-up. Ultimately, when it comes to dark circles, there’s no magic cure, so prevention of further damage should be your top priority.