Ask JeniqueK

Hi Key... Congratulations! I'm proud of you. Yeah...I have a question. What do you do for dark spots around the eyes? Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry® Linda Simpson

Great question Linda, there are several things that cause dark spots once we figure out what cause a particular dark spot we can know how to treat it or at least cover it.

Allergies are a common cause of skin discoloration under the eyes. Seasonal allergy problems such as the hay fever can frequently be effectively treated with over-the-counter and prescription medications. Talk to a dermatologist for help determining what you may be allergic to. Taking a multivitamin, if you don't already, may help with your allergies as well as black circles.

If you've been under a lot of stress, or you have insomnia or sleep apnea, your skin will reflect your lack of sleep by looking poor or discolored.

Lifestyle factors – Poor nutrition, excess alcohol consumption, too many caffeinated drinks, cigarette smoking, and lack of exercise can all contribute to under-eye discoloration.

Heredity – Establish whether or not this condition runs in your family, as under-eye dark circles are believed to frequently be hereditary. This doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything about the conditions, but you should be prepared for minimal success when trying to get rid of them.

There are tons remedies out there, not all of them will work, or even be appealing to you, but it's important that you try what you think will work in your situation. I personally like natural remedies. Cucumber slices reduce puffiness and refresh the appearance of skin around the eyes, providing a fast "pick-me-up" for tired and puffy eyes. Do this daily, and keep your eyes closed for like, 10-15 minutes. Apply cool tea bags or an ice cube wrapped in soft cloth to your eyes daily. The tannin in tea bags reduces swelling and discoloration (you can refrigerate them overnight so they’ll be ready)put them over your eyes, again for about 10-15 minutes with your eyes closed. Get plenty of sleep nightly. Try to get a good amount regularly for a couple of weeks to see if that helps. Reduce your stress to help you to sleep more. Eat a healthy, balanced diet, take vitamins, and drink plenty of water. Dark circles and puffiness are often attributed to lack of vitamin K or inadequate antioxidants. Also, a deficiency in B12 (usually anemia-related) can result in dark circles. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables—especially cabbage, spinach, and other leafy green vegetables—and take a daily vitamin supplement if necessary. Get adequate fluids to improve circulation. Reduce salt intake. Excess salt causes the body to retain water in unusual places, and this can result in puffiness under the eyes.

Use cosmetic solutions. There are a number of ways to cover up dark circles under eyes using cosmetics. Use a concealer that will camouflage the dark under-eye circles. It's important to use a concealer that matches your undertone (yellow, peach, tan, light brown, etc.) After applying the concealer, set it with a light dusting of translucent powder.

Buy and apply an eye cream containing vitamin K and retinol. Dark circles may be caused by a deficiency of vitamin K. Long-term daily use seems to have the greatest effect.
So Linda I know this is alot of info but I did a lot of research and I hope it helps you out, thanks for all the support.
Your girl
JeniqueK