1. get plenty of sleep nightly. for one thing, lack of sleep tends to cause the skin to become paler (thus increasing the appearance of darkness under the eyes), and it reduces circulation. it’s also believed that too little time lying down is a cause in itself. determine how much sleep you need (it’s usually 7-9 hours per night, but varies throughout different people) and try to get that amount regularly for a couple of weeks to see if that helps. remember that alcohol and drugs can adversely affect the quality of your sleep; abstain from these products or use only in moderation for best results.

2. establish whether or not this condition runs in your family. 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 actually trying to get rid of them. dark circles under the eye may also, in fact, be light carbon deposits that result from incomplete protein digestion. incomplete protein digestion may result from insufficient hydrochloric acid in your stomach that may be caused from a lack of primarily b6 and folic acid. about 30% of the population does not absorb regular b6 (pydroxine) or folic acid and need to take in these vitamins in a different form or another way.

3. identify allergens. allergies may be the most common cause of skin discoloration under the eyes. if allergies are the root of your problem, you simply need to treat them or remove the allergen (the thing to which you are allergic). seasonal allergy problems such as the hay fever can frequently be effectively treated with over-the-counter and prescription medications. for other allergies the best course of action is usually avoidance. if your dark circles or puffiness are constant, you may have an undetected food allergy or an allergy to a chemical in your home or workplace. talk to a dermatologist for help determining what you may be allergic to. people with allergies also tend again to be deficient in b6, folic acid. taking a multivitamin, if you don't already, may help with your allergies as well as black circles.