Periorbital Pigmentation

How do we usually confirm that we aren’t getting enough sleep? The dark circles under our eyes answer that for us. They just don’t do that but they also tell us if we are tired or not having enough water. Well maybe we should be thanking them for it. But showing themselves on our faces and reducing our beauty is a far bigger concern why we should eradicate them in the first place. Before making them go away, let’s see what they actually are.

What is periorbital pigmentation?
Periorbital pigmentation in common words is known as under eye dark circles. It is a very common problem nowadays. The condition involves formation of light-to-dark coloured brownish black spots around the eyelids. It gives a tired look to a person and can affect his/her confidence. It’s pretty hard to find the exact reason for their occurrence but it will most probably be one of the following-

• Family History- The problem of periorbital pigmentation is considered to have genetic basis. Many people have pigmentation around the periorbital area in several members of the family. The pigmentation starts early in childhood and gradually increases with age.
• Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation- A person suffering from frequent allergies may rub and scratch the skin around the eye which can cause pigmentation in that area.
• Tear through deformity- The depressed area below the eyelid becomes prominent with age and gives the impression of under eye circles.
• Lack of proper sleep is one of the major causes of development of under eye circles. Apart from that, stress, alcohol overuse and smoking also contribute to the problem.
• Ultraviolent (UV) rays from the sun can aggravate under eye circles.
• Regular and continuous use of spectacles or contact lenses can cause exhaustion of periorbital muscles, leading to development of under eye circles.
• Anaemia or lack of haemoglobin- When enough oxygen doesn’t reach the periorbital tissues, it can make the periorbital region look comparatively darker.
• Use of several drugs like oral contraceptives, hormone-replacement therapy can lead to periorbital hyperpigmentation.
• Several medical problems also aggravate the dark circles like disorders of heart, thyroid, kidney or liver, vitamin K deficiency and Addison’s disease.

Whatever reason it may be, its important to fix the damage it has caused- the stubborn dark circles.

Treatment of Periorbital Pigmentation
Being such a prominent issue, curing dark circles is the mainstay. There are a number of treatments available which can help you to get rid of your dark circles. These treatments include-

• Topical Therapies: Using creams containing hydroquinone, kojic acid, azelaic acid, topical retinoic acid along with sunscreen can help you in reducing your pigmentation.
• Chemical Peels: Lactic acid, glycolic acid, retinol peels, arginine-based peels can be used to reduce the pigmentation.
• Q-switched lasers with nanosecond pulse technology are ideal for selectively treating melanosomes leading to decrease in melanin content of the skin, thereby reducing pigmentation.
• Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers can be used to correct under eye hollows.
• Radiofrequency tightening: The given treatment can be used in treating puffiness and appearance of eye bags.
• Fat grafting: Fat transfer is a good means to achieve facial rejuvenation.
• Platelet rich plasma: In PRP, your own blood is taken from which the plasma is separated using a special machine. The plasma so collected contains various growth factors and proteins which provide nutrition to the skin. It is injected back into the skin. This puts the skin in a healing mode, leading to the rejuvenation of skin around the eyes.

Verdict
Apart from getting indulged into any medical treatment to cure dark circles, it is important that you take care of a few things like-

• Getting enough sleep: Lack of sleep as mentioned above is one of the major causes of dark circles. So, it is something you need to take care of on your end.
• Apply cold tea bags on your under eyes as they contain antioxidants which will calm your skin down, stimulate blood circulation and improve the appearance of dark circles.
• You can also apply cold cucumber slices on your eyes for a few minutes since it too contains antioxidants which will make your dark circles less prominent.