Dark under-eye circles. Have I tried everything yet?

Factual Questions
1

I think I have. So far the least impressive performance was by Hylexin, which a couple of friends said absolutely worked for them and which had a 30-day money-back guarantee. Which was good, because it cost $95 for a tiny little tube.

Didn’t work.

I have also tried, over the course of the last 30 years, probably $5000 worth of other stuff, much of which did NOT have a money-back guarantee either.

I have had dark circles under my eyes since I was 5. Without makeup, I look like I have two black eyes. (Of course I didn’t wear makeup when I was 5.) If, as often happens, I get something under a contact lens and tear the makeup off, I am asked at work if I walked into a door. Obviously this situation has not gotten better with age, since nothing improves with age as far as I can tell.

I have heard and addressed the following possible reasons: allergies, not enough sleep, too much sleep, skin that’s too thin, broken blood vessels (okay, I haven’t addressed this potential cause), lack of certain vitamins. I’ve eaten raisins. I’ve taken zinc. I’ve put on eye cream. I’ve put cucumbers and teabags on my eyes, though not at the same time. I’ve put on lots and lots and lots of undereye concealer. The dark circles just get worse.

Here’s how bad they are: my son got wedding pictures back, and my husband said the photographer should probably have told me to take off my sunglasses before the family picture. I told him to look closer: the photographer did tell me to take my sunglasses off and I complied. Yes, I started with makeup on but during the course of the wedding I, uh, must have gotten something in my eye.

So I am looking for something that, rather than just covering the dark circles up, actually makes them go away. Or at least get lighter, hence easier to cover. Has anybody heard of anything that has actually worked? If it’s worked for anyone and doesn’t cost too much or involve surgery I will try it.

2

The most common cause is not enough sleep, or restless sleep. And, you didn’t say whether or not you tried that. :smiley:

Have you seen your MD? Go visit him, it’s likely time for a check up. Tell him about how you sleep, and the dark circles. Before you try cosmetic tricks, let’s rule out anything medical, eh?

3

Nope, it’s a skin thing. The skin under your eyelids is translucent, letting us see your blue vessels underneath.

I know you don’t want another makeup suggestion, but here’s one anyway:

Have you tried a professional makeup designed to cover burn scars and tattoos? They have a lot more pigment than makeup, and are waterproof and smudgeproof. Dermablend is probably the most well known, but I’ve heard good things about Colortration and Mehron as well.

4

Yes, in fact, I have the Dermablend cover stick in my makeup arsenal. But so far the best thing I’ve found is a Physician’s Formula two-step product ($3!).

Pancake makeup worked, too, when I was younger, but now it just turns the dark circles into somewhat lighter bags. Trading circles for bags doesn’t appeal to me.

Oh, and yes, I have addressed this with doctors. In my youth, said doctors were male, and they were clueless. One of them said, “You girls! You spend a fortune on eye shadow and then complain about dark circles?” I guess being male he never noticed that the eye shadow goes above the eye, not under it.

5

Well, for $1000 a pop, there’s Restalyne injnections. Last about 8 months and fill in the area under the eye so there’s less sagging and bumpiness. The pics on their site are all of mouth area wrinkles, but this news report says it’s used under the eyes, as well.

Then, of course, there’s blepharoplasty, which is surgical tightening of eylids.

6
  1. It’s possible that since your youth, some doctors are a bit more enlightened about women’s cosmetic issues. I’d try again.
  2. It’s possible that since your youth, there are more female doctors available for consultation and they are possibly more likely to be sympathetic to your issues, as well as more well informed than the doctors you went to back in the day
  3. I used to hear about models putting Preparation H under their eyes to reduce swelling. I never knew exactly why they did it, and I don’t exactly know how effective it was, but I don’t see that mentioned in your post as a remedy that you have tried. If you’ve been willing to try slices of cucumber, then don’t rule this one out, ya know?
7

What does this have to do with the OP?

8

If it’s any consolation, I’ve found the dark shadows under women’s eyes to be attractive. I had an aunt who had them and I always found her to be very beautiful.

9

The OP started out with just dark circles, but then when I suggested scar/tattoo covering makeup to cover the darkness, she said, “Pancake makeup worked, too, when I was younger, but now it just turns the dark circles into somewhat lighter bags. Trading circles for bags doesn’t appeal to me.” This tells me that the skin under there is bagging, and not as tight as it once was. I offered two interventions for help tightening the skin. Once the skin is tight, a strong concealer may be as helpful as it was when she was younger.

10

Actually the skin is still tight enough that if I could put just one thing on as a concealer it would be okay. But everything that works is a two-step process. E.g., yellow concealer to knock out the dark, then skin-colored makeup to cover the yellow. I’ve used the Dermablend alone but it’s more effective if I set it with powder.

I’ve heard the Preparation H thing for years but I just can’t do it. First of all there’s just the idea–I know this is stupid, why don’t they come out with Preparation I for this purpose so we could all feel better about it? But second, I’m pretty careful what I put around my eyes. There are certain types of mascara I can’t wear, and they are made for that area. Again, Preparation I would take care of that objection too.

11

Oops, sent that instead of previewing…

I’ve also heard that thickening the skin under the eyes (Restylene, etc.) can eliminate or lighten dark circles, which makes sense. I would like something that was either much cheaper or lasted much, much longer–anyway this is getting perilously close to surgery.

12

I have the same problem. In my case, it is because my skin there is so very thin and fair that my blue viens show through. In a pinch, I put ice over the skin and it restricts the blood vessels and makes them less visible. I’ve also found that yellow conditioner or eyeshadow balances out the blue which is creating the darkness. This doesn’t work as well for a friend of mine that has rose-tinted white skin, but since my skin naturally has a yellow tint, I can cover it up pretty well with that.

13

The yellow stuff works pretty well for me but, as I said, then has to be covered up with something else.

Oddly, the best neutralizer for me is purple–which makes the circles look darker initially but then, when I put the flesh-colored concealer on, they are gone. Or as gone as they ever get.

In addition to that Restylane I read somewhere very recently about a somewhat longer lasting implantation (eek, surgery) using fat, preferably your own fat. Well I’m sure I could spare some from somewhere. Anyway, supposedly it forms a buffer between the veins and the skin…

Come on, cosmetic medical profession, here I am, waiting desperately for the first nonsurgical face transplant!

14

The last two replies of yours weren’t there when I posted. Here’s exactly what I do -

First I put on a liquid concealer that is a shade lighter than my natural skin tone and has a very slight yellow tint to it. I just place it over my dark under eye areas and avoid the blue veins which extend off to the side. I gently pat it in place and only apply it where needed. Then, I take a powered foundation that is truer to my natural color and lightly brush over top of it. After that is set, I take a fine brush and paint over the blue lines with a lightly yellow eyeshadow. I was taught this trick by a professional makeup artist and it works pretty well.

Here is a recent pic of my eyes where I was in a hurry and didn’t properly put the makeup all the way up to my lower eyelid and didn’t bother with painting over the blue veins. Here is a pic where I spent more time with my makeup. You can still see the darkness, but it isn’t as visible as in the other pic.

15

How is the airflow through your nose? How about the sinus area?

The reason I ask is because I’ve had an ongoing sinus/nose problem ever since I’ve been a child. I used to have darkish circles under my eyes as well. Once the doctor got in and scooped out the blockages in my sinus, the circles wen’t away.

Perhaps a visit to the ENT for a checkup?