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Dark circles are one of those problems that make people assume you haven’t slept in a week, even when you have. They’re caused by a mix of things: thin under-eye skin showing blood vessels beneath, hyperpigmentation from sun damage, volume loss as you age, or just plain genetics. Sometimes allergies. Sometimes iron deficiency. Often several of these stacked on top of each other.
The fix depends on the cause, so here’s what actually works, from the free stuff to the expensive stuff.
1. Sleep and Elevation
Start with the obvious. Seven to nine hours, consistently. Not five hours on weeknights and eleven on Sunday.
Elevate your head with an extra pillow while you sleep. Fluid pools under your eyes when you lie flat, and that pooling makes dark circles look darker by morning. A slight incline drains it. You’ll notice the difference within a few days.
2. Cold Compress
A cold compress constricts the blood vessels under your eyes, which reduces both the dark colour and any puffiness sitting on top of it. Wrap ice in a cloth, use a chilled spoon, or grab one of those gel eye masks from the freezer. Hold it there for 10-15 minutes.
Works best in the morning when overnight puffiness is at its worst. It’s temporary (a few hours), but it’s fast and free.
3. Retinol Eye Cream
Retinol is the workhorse ingredient for dark circles caused by thin skin or fine lines. It boosts collagen production, thickens the skin over time, and reduces the visibility of blood vessels showing through.
Use a retinol specifically formulated for the under-eye area (lower concentration than face retinol, because the skin there is thinner and more reactive). Apply a pea-sized amount at night. Start every other night for the first two weeks. Results take 8-12 weeks of consistent use, so don’t bail after week three.
4. Vitamin C Serum
Vitamin C brightens hyperpigmentation, which is the brownish discolouration some people get under their eyes (especially common in darker skin tones). It also protects against UV damage that makes pigmentation worse.
Look for a serum with 10-20% L-ascorbic acid. Apply in the morning under sunscreen. It oxidises fast, so keep it in a dark bottle and replace it when it turns orange.
5. Sunscreen
UV exposure is one of the biggest triggers for under-eye hyperpigmentation, and most people don’t apply sunscreen close enough to their eyes. Use a mineral sunscreen (zinc oxide) rated SPF 30 or higher. Apply it right up to your lower lash line. Reapply every two hours if you’re outside.
Sunglasses help too. Not a substitute for sunscreen, but they block direct UV hitting the thinnest skin on your face.
6. Tea Bags
Steep two caffeinated tea bags in hot water for 5 minutes, then chill them in the fridge for 20 minutes. Place one on each eye for 15 minutes.
The caffeine constricts blood vessels (same principle as the cold compress, but with a chemical assist). The tannins reduce puffiness. Green tea and black tea both work. It’s cheap and surprisingly effective for something that sounds like a home remedy from 1985.
7. Chemical Peels
For dark circles driven by hyperpigmentation, a professional chemical peel containing glycolic acid or trichloroacetic acid (TCA) can lighten the under-eye area by removing the top layers of pigmented skin. New, lighter skin grows in its place.
This isn’t a DIY situation. The under-eye area is too delicate for at-home peels. A dermatologist applies a controlled concentration, and you’ll need 3-6 sessions spaced 2-4 weeks apart. Expect redness and peeling for a few days after each session. Stay out of the sun.
8. Dermal Fillers
If your dark circles are caused by volume loss (hollowing under the eyes that creates a shadow), no cream is going to fix that. Hyaluronic acid fillers like Restylane or Juvederm get injected into the tear trough to fill in the hollow and eliminate the shadow effect.
Results are immediate and last 9-12 months. Cost runs $600-$1,500 per session depending on how much filler you need. This is one of the most effective options for the "I look tired no matter what" type of dark circles, but find a practitioner who specialises in under-eye work. It’s a technically demanding injection site.
The nuclear option for stubborn dark circles is laser treatment (fractional CO2 or pulsed dye laser), but that’s expensive, requires downtime, and is only worth considering if nothing else has worked after 6+ months of trying.