Circles under the eyes: cosmetologists against the Internet

The violent subjective impressions of a couple of girls can create a real “thread” on the Internet, which will continue to mislead the rest of the fair half of humanity for a long time.

Cosmetologists rarely interfere in such battles, preferring to explain the essence of the problem personally. The cosmetologists of our rejuvenation clinic decided to share their knowledge with their readers in order to counteract misinformation in the beauty environment and teach potential patients to distinguish lies from the truth. What are the myths about the fight against circles under the eyes based on, and what is the real state of affairs - read our article.

Myth No. 1: You can avoid dark circles under the eyes with the help of creams.

With the help of creams, you can avoid the early deepening of facial and linear wrinkles, but under two conditions:

The cream, serum or fluid is of high quality (ideally, they should be professional and personally selected by a cosmetologist);
Cosmetics are used preventively, not after the fact.

Bruises and bags under the eyes almost never respond to superficial cosmetic correction. Unfortunately, many popular products can even worsen the defect - for example, increase swelling in the eyelid area, dry out and thin the skin, and deprive tissues of access to oxygen. The listed factors create a favorable environment for stabilizing stagnant processes.

How to remove facial swelling?

If the disorder is not caused by serious diseases, it is reduced using the following means:

Massage. Gently, without stretching, you need to pat, pinch and smooth the skin from the center to the edges. It is better to massage using cream. To which sometimes a drop of chamomile, lavender or mint oil is added, or you can use the “Citron” phytobiocomplex from.
Treat your skin with a piece of ordinary ice. You can also freeze green tea, appropriate herbal infusions or AQUAton tonic. A cold compress will have a fairly close effect. Both methods are very effective and can easily cope with even severe swelling. But this method has a wide range of contraindications - rosacea, sinusitis, sinusitis, inflammation of the facial nerve or recovery from it, etc.
Instead of ice and a cold compress, ready-made gel masks . They are stored in the refrigerator. And if necessary, apply to the problem area for 3-5 minutes. The restrictions are similar to the previous methods.
A mask made from fresh chilled cucumber is useful for removing swelling from the skin . To do this, you need to wash it thoroughly, cut it into slices and put them on. The mask exposure time is 10–15 minutes. She has no contraindications.
A mask made from finely grated potatoes is very effective . Its duration is 15 minutes. After which the mask is removed from the skin and washed with cool water. To consolidate the result, massage is useful.
Green tea lotion will help with swelling due to overwork and lack of sleep . A tablespoon of tea is poured with 90-degree boiling water and infused for 10 minutes. After that, moisten a napkin with the resulting infusion and cover your face with it. The procedure lasts up to a quarter of an hour. When finished, wash your face with cool water.

Myth No. 2: Korean patches help instantly remove bags under the eyes!

Good Korean (as well as Swiss, Italian, Japanese, German, Russian and others) patches are used only to instantly tone the skin of the eyelids and lightly lighten dark circles under the eyes. Moreover, any patches are a kind of “SOS funds” intended for collections for important and special events.

They are absolutely useless as a long-term care product. They are unable to “dissolve” age-related fatty hernias and relieve deep edema, either immediately or in the future with daily use.

Contusion (bruise) of the eye

Most often, a contusion (or bruise) of the eye occurs due to a blow to the eyeball with some object. For example, with a fist during a fight or with a snowball during a game. The affected person feels a sharp pain in the eye, lacrimation appears, photophobia occurs, and visual acuity may sharply decrease.

If there is no rupture of the eyeball or a penetrating wound, then at the first moment the victim may not feel any consequences. But after some time, vision suddenly becomes worse. It is worth remembering that even seemingly minor eye injuries can lead to very serious complications. Therefore, you should not self-medicate under any circumstances. It is better to immediately seek medical help from an ophthalmologist. Only he, after the examination, will be able to prescribe the necessary treatment for you and monitor the condition of your eye.

What urgent measures need to be taken before visiting a doctor? To begin with, you need to provide the injured eye with absolute rest. To do this, completely eliminate movements and turns of the head, stop any, even minimal, physical activity (bending forward, lifting heavy objects, sudden movements). Next, you need to apply a sterile gauze bandage to the eye, which can be soaked in antibiotic eye drops (Levomycetin or Albucid). This will serve as a good prevention of infections.

Myth No. 5: Dark circles under the eyes can be easily lightened with lemon juice.

Ascorbic acid helps to partially lighten pigmentation, and if the appearance of dark circles is associated with excess melanin synthesis, the statement has a right to life. Lemon juice will have to be used regularly for 1.5-2 months to achieve minimal effect. Now imagine what will happen to the delicate, sensitive and vulnerable skin of the eyelids after daily smearing with a “caustic” acidic liquid.

It is likely that catastrophic dehydration, severe peeling, and the formation of sharp, deep wrinkles will be added to the dark circles that hastily returned after the experiment. And a “gift” in the form of an allergy.

A much wiser decision would be a course of injection or non-injection mesotherapy with cocktails containing adapted synthetic vitamin C.

General recommendations for troubleshooting

The first and main recommendation is to start leading a healthy lifestyle:

Regular sleep of 8–10 hours.
Balanced diet with reduced amount of salts. Reduce consumption of carbonated drinks, coffee, fatty, smoked and fried foods.
Introduce natural diuretic foods into your diet: citrus fruits, carrots, watermelons, apples, melons, etc.
Quit smoking and alcohol abuse.
Drink diuretic teas, fruit drinks and infusions from: lingonberries and their leaves, cranberries, blackberries, viburnum, rowan.
If swelling appears after sleep, change the pillow to a higher and more elastic one.

And, of course, just in case, you should consult a doctor about the causes of this problem. Because in this case, self-medication can only be done when you know that the disorder is not caused by a serious illness.

For example, swelling of the cheeks often appears as a result of injury, diseases of the teeth and oral cavity, allergies, inflammation of the lymph nodes and other diseases.

Only special medications should be used against allergies; other methods will not help. And swelling associated with inflammation of the facial nerve should not be treated with various cold compresses, as they will only worsen the situation. Therefore, if your cheeks for no apparent reason begin to look somehow wrong, you should contact the clinic.

You can reduce the likelihood of swelling after sleep with the help of diuretics:

Natural. We have partially listed foods and drinks with this effect above.
Medical. These include Torasemide, Amiloride and others. You can also try to relieve swelling with Leoton gel, which is primarily used for the legs. Since the gel is not intended for the face, it must be used with great caution, avoiding contact with the eyes.

The use of medications and diuretics should be agreed with doctors. Here are a few more recipes to improve fluid circulation in tissues:

Diuretic based on blackberries. You need 80 grams of blackberry leaves, and 10 grams of coltsfoot leaves and birch leaves. The ingredients are mixed and poured with boiling water (1:2). Then keep in a water bath for 15 minutes. The resulting infusion is filtered. The decoction should be drunk in the morning and afternoon, one glass at a time. Usually the course takes up to one and a half to two weeks.
An infusion of bear's ear herb has an antiseptic effect on the urinary system, so it will be especially useful for kidney diseases. Here you need 1 tbsp. collection spoon. It is poured with a glass of hot water and left in a thermos for 2 hours. The resulting infusion is filtered. You need to take the product 2 times a day, half a glass.
Flax-seed. It helps remove excess fluid well. For the effect, you need to eat 1 teaspoon of ground seeds daily. They can also be added to porridges and other dishes, since they do not have a pronounced or unpleasant taste and smell. Duration of treatment – 1 month.

Myth #6: Creams with hyaluronic acid help remove puffiness under the eyes

Low molecular weight hyaluronic acid, concentrated in expensive luxury creams, partially penetrates into the deep layers of the skin. One molecule of it retains up to 500 molecules of water around itself, catalyzing not a decrease, but an increase in swelling.

High molecular weight hyaluronic acid contained in budget analogues can dry out the skin when the air humidity in the environment is low. Sudden dehydration provokes a kind of shock in the tissues, and they begin to accumulate moisture “in reserve.” Swelling naturally increases.

For these trivial reasons, women who have actually tried eye creams based on hyaluronic acid often complain about the opposite effect to the declared one.

Application of cosmetics

The most effective and fastest way to eliminate bruises is to use special cosmetics that can be purchased at pharmacies or beauty salons.

When choosing such drugs, it is recommended to consult with a professional cosmetologist, since sometimes when using this type of cosmetics, unwanted side effects may occur.

Some of the best types of cosmetics for eliminating bruises in this group are:

Gel “Caffeine Roller” (Garnier). The product is available in the form of a container equipped with a massage roller. Thus, this gel not only has an effect on the skin due to the presence of active components in the composition, but also has a massage effect, stimulating the activity of epidermal cells. When using this cosmetic product, bruises disappear within four weeks.
Time Freeze (Lumene). Cream based on plant proteins and heather extract. The drug has a strengthening effect and significantly reduces the size of bruises, and with prolonged use such defects completely disappear.
A new Alternative (Avon). Another cream based on herbal remedies. The product contains medicinal herbs that stimulate blood circulation processes. The positive effect of using this cream is observed already a week after the start of its use.

It is worth noting! Cosmetic preparations are mainly intended to eliminate bruising that occurs with age, so young people and those who have bruises due to injury should not use these preparations.

It is better to use pharmaceutical ointments or folk remedies.

Myth No. 7: Hemorrhoid ointment is the best non-standard remedy for dark circles

As absurd as this may sound, there is some truth here. Hemorrhoids are a consequence of varicose veins. Rapid relief of its symptoms is achieved by systemic or local use of venotonics. Venotonics quickly “unload” the blood flow, remove excess fluid, and relieve swelling. Compresses with venotonics actually eliminate swelling under the eyes if they are caused by lack of sleep and other exogenous physiological reasons. But they cannot be used on an ongoing basis - only in emergency cases. As for deep edema and hernias, medications for varicose veins are powerless.

Myth No. 8: Lower eyelid swelling can be eliminated by massage

If you are a competent specialist in the field of lymphatic drainage massage, this is true. You will actually be able to reduce the puffiness under your eyes. If you perform a massage using amateur “tutorials” on YouTube, get ready for the opposite effect. Transient swelling will become persistent, slight swelling will increase 1.5-2 times, and the skin will stretch and soon become covered with a network of wrinkles. Manual and machine massage at home is an extremely controversial procedure. We strongly recommend that you refrain from such experiences.

Microcurrent, massage

To stimulate the reduction of dark under-eyes, it is useful to resort to procedures that have a positive effect on blood and lymph circulation. The outflow of lymph from the infraorbital area allows you to remove toxins and prevent blood stagnation. Hardware massage, microcurrent therapy, and iontophoresis are recommended here. Sometimes carbon monoxide may be indicated to lighten the skin.

To achieve temporary results, you can use specialized patches for the area under the eyes, pre-chilled in the refrigerator, or simple ice cubes. And, of course, concealers and correctors will always come to the rescue. The existing palette of different products will allow you to correct any skin tone under the eyes. It is important to apply and shade the product correctly. But you should understand that these solutions are suitable for a very limited period, unlike other options.

Myth #10: Proper makeup and concealer will mask problems.

Camouflaging a defect is not as easy as it might seem. As we age, thick layers of concealers and foundation only add to our age and highlight imperfections. And if you put them on “substantial” bags under the eyes, you won’t be able to hide the second ones. Rather, you focus the attention of others on your problem. Mature women should focus on quality skin care from a cosmetologist in order to get by with light nude makeup instead of bright contouring.

Be smart when dealing with conflicting information. Consult a cosmetologist, read scientific articles, study the problem at an expert level. Remember that many “beauty recipes” will take it away from you even sooner than inaction.

Permanent makeup procedure

Currently, there is such a fairly popular method of getting rid of dark circles as applying permanent makeup. It is worth noting that permanent makeup does not eliminate physiological causes, in particular diseases. But by applying pigment to the area under the eyes, you can very effectively disguise bruises. To do this, a shade that is different from the skin color, lighter, is selected individually. Overlapping a dark tone with a light dye allows you to even out the tone of the skin of the face and infraorbital area. The advantage of permanent makeup is its durability - for the next few years you can forget about concealers and correctors. The period of pigment fading is very individual. For girls who are actively involved in sports, the term can be up to three years. For others, up to five.

Injecting pigment is similar to the tattooing procedure, but the depth of the working area is located at a smaller distance from the surface layer. But in any case, the dye is introduced deeper than the zone responsible for the production of melatonin. There is a situation when, after permanent tanning in the summer, the area under the eyes does not acquire a tanned tint. This is the handwriting of a not very professional master who introduced the pigment to an insufficient depth, above the level of melanocytes.

If you decide to resort to permanent makeup services, a few days before the start you should stop visiting the solarium and taking vascular medications. The procedure lasts no more than a couple of hours and is painless and calm for the patient. At first, the makeup will be a little brighter than the planned shade - this is absolutely normal. Minor redness, swelling and flaking are also natural. In the coming days, all unpleasant sensations will disappear. To speed up regeneration, you need to use healing products (usually recommended by a doctor) and stop using decorative cosmetics for a week.