Sunday, 05 April 2009

• All About Your Eyes: Dark Circles, Puffiness, Fine Lines

  
  

  
  We all hate it. Dark circles, puffiness, fine lines... but why do we get them?
  

  Why do most of us have fine lines under the eyes? Why do our eyes look puffy in the morning? And what are these little spots under our eyes? All your questions can be answered here.
  
  Dark Circles 
  *image credit to Zane
   
  Are also referred to as dark blemishes around the eyes, not just under them. There are multiple reasons why we have them. It is often due to lack of sleep, bruising, or having inherited this from our parents. Other common causes could be from allergies, asthma, ezcema, anemia or medication.
  
  - Our eye area is very delicate. It has the thinnest skin on our whole body, and is about 0.5mm thick- compared to rest of our body of 2mm.
  

  This means that we can see our blood vessels more easily, as the skin is very thin. The dark circles under our eyes are blood vessels. Therefore, the thinner the skin, the darker the circles will appear.
  
  - When we lack sleep, our face can become paler, therefore dark circles appear more visible. Before our period, or during pregnancy, our skin can also become pale, which also results in more visible panda eyes.
  
  - As we age, the skin loses more collagen, making the skin thinner -- dark circles will become more noticeable and may also become permanent.
  
  - Lack of nutrients, or lack of mineral iron can also be the cause of dark circles. As Iron deficiency causes our skin to become more pale and translucent, more blood vessels will be visible.
  
  - Bad blood circulation of the eye area is another reason for dark circles to appear. As we are lying down sleeping or resting, blood flows easier this way rather than when we have been standing up all day.

  Fine Lines

  Fine lines, must not be mistaken for wrinkles. If you are 25, and say you have wrinkles, you must be seriously crazy or you are from Mars. Fine lines are a sign of dehydration.
  
  *image credit to Leash

  

  Fine lines under eyes

  As the eye area is very delicate and possibly needs more attention than anything, we often forget about this and abandon it.

  Regardless of skin type, the skin of the eye area is thin, therefore it secretes less moisture as there are fewer sebaceous glands (glands that produce our natural oil, Sebum, to help nourish and moisturize our skin).
  
  Fine lines can later become wrinkles. And when that happens, it will become permanent.

  Puffiness
  *image credit to Watanabe
  

  

  Apart from certain types of chronic allergies, sinus problems, or due to inheritance, we get puffy eyes in the morning because of excess water that is being collected and stored in the soft tissues under your eyes while you sleep.

  Milia

  You must be thinking, Milia? What? These are the tiny white spots, "milk seeds" or "oil seeds" that usually appear on the eye area, as well as on other areas of the face. They must not be mistaken for pimples or pustules.
  
  

  

  Milia

  Remember, the skin on our eyes is very thin; therefore, the sweat pores are tiny. Apart from possibly genetic inheritance, the reason for the growth of Milia can be due to the sweat ducts being congested or obstructed.
  
  This is why it is often the eye area that is effected by milia because of it's thin skin texture. If you use something too rich, such as a normal face cream on your eye area, this can result in the sweat pores being clogged up with something too much to absorb. Using oil products, is even worse, a guaranteed growth of milia.

  Prevention
  *image credit to Martin

  
  

  

   
  RULE NO. 1~ Love your eyes.

  Eyes are the windows to your soul. And I think that eyes are the most beautiful feature on the human face. I enhance them most in make-up, because I want to express this beauty the most.
  
  And so this is why I think that just as well with any part of your body, your eyes should be cared for. They are wide, awake and work at least 12 hours a day for you, 7 days a week and in your whole entire lifetime. Your eyes are as old as you are.
  
  RULE NO. 2~ Eat well. Drink well. Sleep well.
  *image credit to Marco and Zoltan

   
  

  
  This of course, goes with anything -- to get better looking skin, or to have a healthy diet, or to have healthy looking eyes.  Eat a well-balanced and healthy diet. This includes:
  

  - Fruit intake. I don't care if you don't like eating fruits. Take vitamin supplements, or buy freshly squeezed juices.  
  - Drink water. Doctors recommend you drink at least eight cups daily to keep you hydrated. This does not include tea, or coffee. Body hydrated = skin is hydrated. (I like to keep a jug of water with a slice of fresh lemon or lime. Gives a more refreshing taste!)
  - Think Sleeping Beauty.
  
  

  
  

  .. if only we can look this beautiful while sleeping!
  
  Recommended sleep is for at least 8 hours a day, and between the times of 10pm-2am. This allows time for cell regeneration on your skin, and for your eyes and body to rest physically and mentally. You are then well prepared for the upcoming day.
  
  I can never put on a good make-up if I have had less than 6 hours sleep, so usually I just give up on trying. This is because our skin hasn't had enough time to regenerate its cells, so it will therefore appear rough, dehydrated and pale the next day.
  
  Another good tip is to make sure you do not drink water prior 2 hours before you sleep, to induce eye puffiness in the morning.
  
  RULE NO. 3~ Care for your eyes.
  
  

  
  

  1. Eye cream / Eye gel
  

  One of the big mistakes I ever made was abandoning my eyes. If I had knew earlier that I needed to put cream on it to keep it hydrated- I may not have the fine lines I have under them now. Buy an eye-cream/eye-gel to help moisturize and hydrate the delicate areas of your eyes who constantly long for hydration.
  
  Buy a product that can help ease the fine lines and that can help brighten the area- whatever your concerns.
  
  Common ingredients for eye creams and also good for the eye area include: Q10 Co Enzyme, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Witch Hazel, Aloe Vera, Collagen.
  
  No product as of writing cannot make your dark circles disappear completely. They can only make it less visible, by brightening the area. Trust me on this one -- you would rather have it less obvious than doing nothing at all. It really makes a difference.
  
  If you need any advice on particular cosmetic ingredients you are unsure about, please feel free to ask me.
  
  
  
  

  
  2. Eye massage and eye masks
  

  Take regular eye massages, and apply eye masks at least once a week.
  
  Eye massages are proven to work wonders as they can help to increase blood circulation, and can help brighten the eye area effectively.
  
  Eye masks can also help soothe and brighten the area with their active ingredients.
   
  There are many brands out there today which offer gel-based eye masks which you can also leave on overnight. This is great for keeping your eye area constantly hydrated during sleep, and especially in air-conditioned rooms.
  
  And so, follow these simple basic steps for beautiful, healthy looking eyes just as well as your skin. You are definitely worth it!
  

  Credits: 
  -  Wendy's Academy of Science who has also made this post a lot easier as she pretty much did a good damn job in writing about them!
  - Deviantart.com, for everyone's beautiful work.

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