So apparently, I look tired these days. One thing is to feel tired and a different thing is when multiple people say you look tired. I am sitting at my work desk minding my own business when someone who is visiting my area comes to me:
Person: “you look tired darling, are they overworking you?“
Me on the inside: “nice way to say I look like sh*t”
Me out loud: “I thought I was having a good day, but I guess I look tired…“
Person: “tell the boss to give you a raise!“
Me on the inside: “that would be great!”
Me out loud: “you tell my boss so.”
Person laughs and leaves.
Me on the inside: “crappity crap, I look like sh*t”
Now this was just the first time this week. I heard the same “you look tired” comment from multiple people in the last days. So, it got me thinking, what in the world is up with my face?! For several years now, I’ve noticed that the circles under my eyes have been getting slowly and surely darker. And of course, I asked my friend Google for help to look into causes and treatment. We all know the internet doesn’t lie… (yes, read with a sarcastic voice please!). But after reading several articles I came up with the list below and I will also share how am I doing witch each item:
- Age:Well… I am getting older, ha! Our skin gets thinner and looses collagen with age, and until a few years ago, I was the kind of person without a skin care routine. It was around the time I started noticing the darker circles that I started paying more attention to my skin. Trying to age gracefully but most importantly I focus on protecting my skin from the sun and not so much on rejuvenating my skin. I guess I get 0.5 pts on this one.
- Fatigue: I’ve trying to get my fair share of sleep. If there is one thing I don’t compromise on is sleeping. I try to get at least 7 hours per day but I know oversleeping is also a problem here. But with my crazy schedule, I have definitely not gotten enough rest. I guess I get 0 pts on this one.
- Eye Strain: When you exhaust or overuse the muscles in your eyes by staring at a computer screen or television for long periods of time, you stain your eyes. Aside from blurry vision, watery eyes, and headaches, eye strain can cause the blood vessels around your eyes to enlarge which can cause dark circles under your eyes. Oh boy, totally screwed on this one! I spent long hours staring at a computer screen for work and even for my hobby (oh hi there blog!). I try to minimize the time I spent on my phone especially when I get home but I am sure my eyes pretty much hate me on this one. I guess I get a -3.0 pts on this one.
- Allergies: Histamines which are released by your body to fight harmful bacteria during an allergy reaction, can cause your blood vessels to dilate. This added to the itching and the urge to rub your eyes can increase the look of dark shadows under your eyes. This year seasonal allergies have taken a toll on me. In the past it had been the itchy nose and the sneezing but this year my allergies are far worse messing up even with my eyes. I can feel my eyes are so tired and blurry and itchy. I have stepped up my game with meds this year and it helps some days and others not so much. I guess I get 0.5 pts on this one for at least trying.
- Hydration: In case you forgot, the human body is made up 50-75% of water depending on the age and gender. So is important to make sure we are properly hydrated for our entire body to work properly. Our skin is quick to reflect signs of dehydration by becoming dry and dull. Sunken eyes is also a sign of dehydration. My eyes aren’t sunken but overall, I am not the most hydrated person ever. Some days I am really good at it keeping up with my liquid intake and others not so much. I guess I get 0.5 pts on this one too.
- Genetics: Hereditary traits like pigmentation, vascular movement, and pale skin, can cause dark circles. I don’t know if this is the cause for me but I feel I need more than just Google to make a guess on it. So I will just leave this one to an expert advice and just share with you that this is a possible cause for dark circles.
Now when it comes to treatments, there are SO many things to try to get the pigmentation on that area to match the rest of your face. I am just gonna wing it here and promise to limit the amount I spend on my laptop because I know that is a huge factor for me, I will get my fair share of sleep, be mindful to stay hydrated, and try to be rested which I think is a great indicator of not putting too much pressure on yourself. I did order these under eye patches (thank you Prime!) which promised to help a little. I can tell you they did not miraculously took away my dark circles but they do give you this cooling sensation when you use them and they match nicely with my pink hair though is hard to see that on this picture. They might provide better results over time so I guess I will have to update you later on that one.
Do you have something you swear by helps with dark circles? I am, oh so very much, interested to hear about it.
Mama Bear Kim