Wake Up Tired Eyes

• Skincare, Skin Treatment, Skin Rejuvenation, Medical Grade Skincare, AlumierMD, Chemical Peels, Microneedling

Do you know the 5 factors that lead to tired-looking eyes? Let me tell you.

• Loss of volume leading to skin laxity and dark circles.
• Loss of collagen (remember - the scaffolding of our skin!) leading to lines and wrinkles.
• Periorbital discolouration leading to dark, brown circles.
• Vascular permeability (basically how well the vascular system is supplying tissues with nutrients and clearing waste products) leading to dark, blue circles.
• Lack of hydration, resulting in overall dull skin.

Ever had that colleague who’s quick to comment on your morning zoom “Ooh, you do look tired” (yeah, thanks Mary) even after you’ve managed a dreamy 8 hours sleep?! In many cases, we put tired dark circles and puffy eyes down to a restless night’s sleep or a stressful week – but inconveniently, there are many other reasons your eyes appear tired. Let’s delve a little further and discuss a handful of these.

Dehydration

Lack of water in the body can enhance tired looking, puffy eyes. The skin around our eyes is very sensitive, and dehydration can make them look even more sunken and exhausted. Top Tip: Make sure you take a large glass of H20 to bed and gulp it down as soon as you wake up. There are many different opinions on just how much water we should drink daily, however health experts recommend 2 – 2.5 litres daily (about 8 – 10 large glasses).

Intake of Salty Food

Annoyingly it’s not just the wrinkles on our bottom that will be impacted by excess salt intake. A salty diet can lead to water retention in the body, particularly around the eyes. Fluid retention can stretch the super thin-fragile skin around your eyes, making them look tired. Along with drinking lots of water, review your salt intake.

Sun Overexposure

Overexposure to the sun can cause your body to produce an excess of melanin, the pigment that provides your skin with colour. Too much sun, particularly for your eyes, can cause pigmentation in the surrounding skin to darken. Protecting your skin against the sun’s rays can help with a number of dermatological issues and sunscreen may also help with your under-eye bags and dark circles. It is recommended you apply a physical sunscreen providing powerful broad-spectrum protection against harmful UVA and UVB rays, SPF 40 and above, every.single.day!

Allergies

When small particles of dust, pollen or animal hair come into contact with the eyes, your body releases histamines as a response to harmful bacteria. Other than causing uncomfortable symptoms, such as itchiness, redness, and puffy eyes, histamines also cause your blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood flow and causing inflammation. Allergies can also increase your urge to rub and scratch the itchy skin around your eyes. These actions can worsen your symptoms, causing inflammation, swelling, and broken blood vessels. This can result in dark shadows beneath your eyes. Do you feel your under-eye bags might be allergy related? Here’s a few tips;

• If you’re having trouble identifying the cause, consider keeping a diary to see whether it could be skincare products, foods or environmental factors causing the most reaction.
• Ask your doctor about taking over-the-counter allergy medications.
• If this continues to be a problem, talk to your doctor about allergy testing.

Eyestrain

Since working-from-home and endless zoom meetings became ‘the new norm’ in 2020, it’s no surprise that treatment for tired looking eyes has become a huge request. Squinting or straining to see objects far away or over a computer screen can put excess tension on your eyes, dilating the blood vessels, leading to dark circles and puffiness. Top Tip: Take a break from your computer screen after 30 minutes (easier said than done) but even if that’s to pop and get another glass of water – two birds, one stone.

Genetics

Yep, some of us are just simply blessed with hereditary dark circles. You may have a genetic predisposition to forming dark circles under the eyes, which are often present as early as childhood. This may be a result of the contour of your skull and how your skin and the fat underneath interact with it. A deep tear trough can create a noticeable semi-circle under the eye. Some people have eye sockets that are further sunken in, and the shadow of their bone structure makes it appear as though their dark circles are worse. Although genetic and unpreventable, through good skincare and minimally-invasive treatments you can prevent worsening of the pigment.

In-Clinic Treatments

For a more effective and permanent solution, it is well worth investing in the medical aesthetic treatments available. From minimally invasive advanced skin rejuvenation treatments, such as chemical peels which will reduce pigmentation and microneedling perfect for increasing blood flow and increasing collagen, to non-surgical hyaluronic dermal fillers used to restore volume loss and reduce the appearance of dark circles.

At-Home Treatments

There are many home remedies readily available online, from soggy tea bags to sleeping upright. As much as I’d love to say some or all of these will banish your dark circles and tired looking eyes, unfortunately they are only short term, minimally - if at all - effective solutions. In conjunction with in-clinic treatments, Nurse Lucy recommends products from the AlumierMD Medical Grade Skincare brand, designed specifically for the sensitive eye area. Let’s change that “Ooh, you do look tired” to “Ooh, you do look well – what’s your secret?”.

AlumierMD 0.1% Retinol Eye Gel, £57.50: An innovative microencapsulated (meaning gentle, slow release) eye gel that dramatically improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and firms the skin. Effectively hydrates the delicate skin around the eyes, increasing firmness and elasticity. Only available for purchase through the AlumierMD portal, contact Aesthetics Nurse Lucy if you wish to set up your personalised portal.

AlumierMD AluminEye, £54: With peptide rich ingredients, antioxidants including Vitamin E, B3, and hyaluronic rich tremella mushroom extract. This medical grade anti-ageing eye cream significantly improves the appearance of dark circles, fine lines and puffiness, increasing skin firmness and elasticity. Only available for purchase through the AlumierMD portal, contact Aesthetics Nurse Lucy if you wish to set up your personalised portal.

AlumierMD Eye Rescue Pads, £25 for pack of 4:A lovely addition to your eye care regime. These refreshing gel pads help reduce puffiness and fine lines around the delicate eye area. Moisturising and anti-ageing ingredients, a trio of vitamins B3, B5 and E and MATRIXYL® Synthe'6® shield skin against moisture loss while helping to reduce blotchiness and even out skin tone. Top tip: Pop in the fridge 20 minutes before use to enhance the cooling experience. Only available for purchase through the AlumierMD portal, contact Aesthetics Nurse Lucy if you wish to set up your personalised portal.