What causes dark circles under the eyes of many African Americans?  You have your regimen in place that allows you to take care of your beautiful black skin yet you still have the appearance of a raccoon. Okay, not the raccoon but you get the idea.

Could it be that you put in 14 to 18 hours a day between work, family and if you’re lucky leisure time?  That leaves you 6 to 10 hours for sleeping.  If you can call it that, because if you’re tossing and turning trying to wind down from your days activities your hours are slipping away.  Did I mention allergies?  Yes allergies contribute to restless nights and loss of sleep time.

The results, puffy eyes, dark circles and wrinkles that form from pulling and tugging your skin as you rub your eyes.

Dark circles and puffiness under your eyes can make you look tired and haggard, even though you might be full of energy.  Dark circles can also bring its friend often referred to as bags under your eyes.

What causes dark circles and puffiness/bags under your eyes?

Dark circles, puffiness/bags can be caused by a stressful or incomplete night’s sleep or a deficiency of some nutrient like vitamin K.  But you’ll need a physician to determine whether or not you have a vitamin deficiency, so don’t go running out buying up all the vitamin K if you have dark circles under your eyes.  But here are a few things to take into consideration if you do have dark circles and puffiness under your eyes.

Heredity: Just like varicose veins, dark circles under your eyes can be inherited.  Take a look at other family members, if they have them, there is a slight possibility that you will have them also.

Pigmentation: As African Americans, you might experience dark circles and puffiness at the same time, so your skin care regimen is crucial.  Although pigmentation can occur with age, you’ve got that all important factor known as melanin and the slightest change internally can appear outwardly in your skin and show up as dark circles and bags.

Hormonal Changes and allergies: Any condition that causes your eyes to itch can contribute to darker circles because of the rubbing or scratching that you do around your eyes.  Food allergies and medications can also cause dark circles and puffiness around your eyes.

How do you get rid of dark circles and puffiness under your eyes?

• You can always add a serum or eye cream your daily skin care regimen

• You can use a cosmetic base that is yellow to counteract the blue tones in your skin.

• You can place cool cucumbers or moist cool tea bags on your eyes.  This  helps in reducing inflammation.

• A good healthy diet that’s filled with vitamins and mineral, particularly green leafy vegetables – kale, spinach, broccoli, collards – just might be helpful in reducing dark circles and puffiness under your eyes.

So the next time you look into the mirror and see dark circles, puffiness or bags under your eyes, take a look at your ancestors, your diet and the amount of rest you’re getting and go to work doing what’s best for you to remove them.

Dedicated to Your Beauty,

Juliette Samuel

Esthetician/Publisher

Nyraju Skin Care