Can an eye patch help fix dark circles?

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. From under-eye patches to creams, serums and laser treatments, the beauty market is flooded with options, in various price points, if you are hunting for a “solution" for dark under-eye circles. Dark circles are among the most common skin complaints nowadays, say experts, since people are increasingly spending time on their phones, laptops and compromising on their sleep.

That's also one of the reasons dark circles are more frustrating to treat. Why do you get dark circles anyway? “Dark circles occur when the skin under the eyes gets darker or discoloured. Since the skin the your eyes is so thin and delicate, even the blood vessels, pigmentation, or hollowness can make the area look much darker," says Shareefa Chause, dermatologist, Dr Shareefa Skin Care Clinic, Mumbai.

Factors like genetics, lack of sleep, more screen time, stress, smoking, alcohol, dehydration, iron deficiency, allergies, conditions like eczema, and rubbing the eyes vigorously, can cause them, explains Dr Chause. Ageing also leads to dark circles, as the skin sags and the under eyes appear more hollow, according to Kiran Sethi, MD Skin, wellness expert, Isya Aesthetics, Delhi. “When the skin around your eyes sags you see the bone so there is a sunken effect.

Thin wrinkly skin appears dark. Sinus infection can also cause them. If your vessels don’t push blood fast enough, blood sits there and looks congested, causing dark circles due to vascular reasons.

Drugs, vaping and sheesha can also cause them," says Dr Sethi. Products claiming that they can make your dark circles disappear in a week are just “fake marketing tactics", says Dr Chause. These products can only lighten or manage your dark circles but cannot make