By our own beauty expert, Donna Fay Graziano.
Do tea bags and cold spoons really work to get rid of bags under your eyes?
These remedies do help some to minimize the swelling that can occur under the eyes because they both cause vasoconstriction. This decreases the amount of fluid in the area and makes the swelling less. Unfortunately, they are only a temporary solution and not a long lasting one.
When it comes to dark circles, what’s the best way to treat them?
I get asked this question at least five times a day! I wish there were an easy answer. Obviously, if there were one easy fix, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
In the majority of cases, the biggest contributor to under eye darkening is actually not in the skin- it is caused by the vasculature lying underneath the skin. Through a phenomenon called the Tyndall effect, the overlying under eye skin looks dark because of how the light is refracted when it hits the vessles deep to the skin. That’s why it is often hard to treat with lightening creams and most chemical peels. Some of the newer lasers and devices help tighten the skin and lessen the Tyndall effect, thus making the dark circle less apparent (CO2, ultrasound therapy, or radio frequency).
In the cases where there is actually darkened skin under the eyes, lightening creams or lasers that decrease pigment can be helpful (Hydroquinone, Lumiere Riche by Neocutis). If there are superficial blood vessels that contribute to the discoloration, this is treated with a laser that targets the vasculature. If the appearance of darkness is from hollowing along the lower orbital rim (tear trough), this is best corrected using a dermal filler. This gives an immediate correction and patients are so pleased with this procedure. Your dermatologist can help you decipher the cause and the best approach to treatment.
I do want to point out that dark circles are very hereditary and, in most cases, there is little (if anything) that can be done to prevent them.
