A question I’m often asked is what can I do about my dark under eye area. Firstly we have to establish why you have them. There are a few reasons why, it’s mostly because of two things; pigmentation caused by sun damage, or thinning of the skin. As well as those main two it can also be hereditary, or be a sign of an iron deficiency.
Sun damage skin causes brown patches of pigmentation that are often permanent or become more apparent in the hotter climates. To establish if you have a pigmentation problem you need to do the pinch test. Carefully pinch your under eye skin and see if the colour stays or disappears. If the pigment stays it is most likely sun damage, if it disappears you have thinning of the skin where the veins show through because the skin has become transparent, making the eye area darker in colour.
To fade the pigmentation a retinol product, which is a derivative of vitamin A, will help. It works by increasing collagen production which makes it a good product for thinning skin too. Vitamin C is another key product to use because it’s a fantastic antioxidant; it also inhibits the enzyme Tyrosinase, which helps to prevent melanin production, overproduction of which causes pigmentation.
To prevent any further pigmentation its important to use an SPF every day, all year round, especially if your using a retinol product, because it increases cell turnover. Make sure it’s a broad spectrum SPF, protecting you from UVA and UVB. Wear big sunglasses and stay away from sunbeds! Start looking after your skin as early as you can. Most skin damage occurs in your teens and 20’s but won't show through till your 30’s or 40’s.
Treatments in salons such as skin peels can also help. I’ve seen great results in my business with a combination of peels and the right homecare products. Peels have an instant result, and help not only in reducing pigmentation but also for smoothing wrinkles and helping tackle blemishes. There are many strengths of peels on the market but I only use mild to medium types, without any downtime, which ensure that you look like yourself when you leave the treatment room. Some light skin shedding is fairly common but some people don’t have any. Also, for a more advanced procedure you can have tear trough injections. These fillers restore lost volume whilst reducing discoloration from thinning skin.
I am a stockist of medik8 products and offer Medik8 skin peels in my beauty studio. For more information and to book a treatment head over to my website www.alsagerbeauty.com or message me for any advice or further information.
Thanks for reading, Vicky x