Raccoon eyes :(

[Ridge4120]

I need some help here. I have horrible dark circles around my eyes - I look like a raccoon. I bought this "Anti-puff eye roller" from Garnier, but it's not doing anything. Does anyone have any tips on how to get my dark circles to go away, or just not be so dark?

I try makeup, but it looks cakey and then I get creases under my eyes and you can tell that I have makeup under my eyes and it looks bad.

I'll take all the help I can get.

[gecko...]

You can get a concealor that is yellow-based - the yellow neutralizes the black discolouration so you use less of it for the same effect, rather than having to cake on the makeup.

Other than that I would also be interested in some strategies to cure dark eye circles. My 8 month old son has never slept more than 3 hours straight in his lifetime - its getting to me

[jsmircich]

Originally Posted by spark84

You can get a concealor that is yellow-based - the yellow neutralizes the black discolouration so you use less of it for the same effect, rather than having to cake on the makeup.

Other than that I would also be interested in some strategies to cure dark eye circles. My 8 month old son has never slept more than 3 hours straight in his lifetime - its getting to me

That's what I use, my dark circles are genetic and the yellow concealer is the only way I've been able to cover them up at all.

[kimm4]

Couple things:

7-9 hrs sleep
Vitamin B6 to help the adrenal glands
Calcium and Magnesium (which you can get from milk or a mineral supplement)

[GBLynden]

Originally Posted by kimm4

Couple things:

7-9 hrs sleep
Vitamin B6 to help the adrenal glands
Calcium and Magnesium (which you can get from milk or a mineral supplement)

You are wise!

[meathead666]

You're a girl. I find those kind of eyes attractive.

[Amanda76]

Do you get enough iron in your diet (found in red meat and leafy greens)? Dark circles can be a sign of being a bit anemic.

One of my daughter's friends has hyperthyroidism and had horrible dark circles under her eyes until she was on medication and looking a bit more nourished.

[paulytosway]

I found this online...take it for what it's worth...


Puffy Eyes: Does Hemorrhoid Cream Work?
Jul 25 02:05pm

Some of you may have read this title and balked. But you'd be amazed at how often my patients ask me this very question! It's a home remedy that's been circulating for years: Just as hemorrhoid creams can shrink blood vessels in the delicate area they're designed to treat, the theory is that they can constrict inflamed vessels under the eyes, too.
So is this truth or beauty myth? Well, there is actually some truth here: Hemorrhoid cream can help shrink blood vessels around the eyes to temporarily decreasing swelling and redness (as a result of crying or fatigue, for example).

But use extreme caution! This is, of course, an "off-label" use for these products - meaning that they are absolutely not tested or approved for under-eye use. The risk of serious problems is minimal when you apply these creams to a small surface area. (When hemorrhoid creams are applied to a large area, however, the danger of risky complications like high blood pressure is much greater - and that's just what some bodybuilders and club-goers have been doing in an attempt to appear lean. Not a good idea!)

You are, though, putting yourself at risk for temporary but annoying allergic reactions: A friend of mine tried hemorrhoid cream under her eyes shortly before her wedding and got a terrible rash! It took steroid pills to get rid of the redness and irritation (and put quite a damper on the wedding prep, as you might imagine). So if you are curious about this trick, try it a week or so before a big event to make sure you're not allergic to hemorrhoid cream's active ingredients.

In my experience, though, putting hemorrhoid creams near the eyes just isn't worth the risk of allergic reaction - particularly because there are highly effective alternatives. Caffeinated tea bags on the eyes, or dabbing Afrin on with a cotton ball for example, also constricts blood vessels with no risk of a visit to the dermatologist for steroids!) If your puffy eyes are chronic (and not just the result of crying, for example), cutting back on salt, drinking more water, exercising frequently with deep breathing and sleeping with your head elevated can also help enormously.

Wishing you great skin!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dr. Baumann is author of the best-selling book, "The Skin Type Solution." To learn more about her revolutionary skin typing system, visit her Web site, SkinTypeSolutions.com.

[Ridge4120]

Originally Posted by Amanda76

Do you get enough iron in your diet (found in red meat and leafy greens)? Dark circles can be a sign of being a bit anemic.

One of my daughter's friends has hyperthyroidism and had horrible dark circles under her eyes until she was on medication and looking a bit more nourished.

Actually, I have a huge iron deficiency. I can't even donate blood. I had no idea that could contribute to it. I'm not sure what to do about my iron deficiency. I'm a full time worker and full time student, so I don't have time to be cooking meat, and I don't really like any meat other than chicken. Are iron supplements safe?

[Ridge4120]

Thank you all very much for your help! I really, really appreciate it. I will look into all of these ideas.

[cactusflower]

Originally Posted by Ridge4120

Actually, I have a huge iron deficiency. I can't even donate blood. I had no idea that could contribute to it. I'm not sure what to do about my iron deficiency. I'm a full time worker and full time student, so I don't have time to be cooking meat, and I don't really like any meat other than chicken. Are iron supplements safe?

Wholly crap hasn't your doctor told you to take Iron? I am prone to anemia and i was taking ferrous gluconate (pure iron) to get mylevels back up. YOu should see your doc before though so she/he can find out how low your iron really is. If it's really low, you might get injections (i used to).

[cactusflower]

Originally Posted by Ridge4120

Actually, I have a huge iron deficiency. I can't even donate blood. I had no idea that could contribute to it. I'm not sure what to do about my iron deficiency. I'm a full time worker and full time student, so I don't have time to be cooking meat, and I don't really like any meat other than chicken. Are iron supplements safe?

Wholly crap hasn't your doctor told you to take Iron? I am prone to anemia and i was taking ferrous gluconate (pure iron) to get my levels back up. YOu should see your doc before though so she/he can find out how low your iron really is. If it's really low, you might get injections (i used to).

[*dwest*]

Stop doing drugs.

[gecko...]

I had to get iron injections after I haemorraged during the birth of my daughter. They bloody hurt!

Liquid iron supplement is usually easier to take if the tablets tend to make you constipated (really common side effect)

[Midge]

Originally Posted by Ridge4120

Actually, I have a huge iron deficiency. I can't even donate blood. I had no idea that could contribute to it. I'm not sure what to do about my iron deficiency. I'm a full time worker and full time student, so I don't have time to be cooking meat, and I don't really like any meat other than chicken. Are iron supplements safe?

i'd make an appointment with your doctor. they can prescribe you iron tablets that can take care of this.

[Amanda76]

Originally Posted by Ridge4120

Actually, I have a huge iron deficiency. I can't even donate blood. I had no idea that could contribute to it. I'm not sure what to do about my iron deficiency. I'm a full time worker and full time student, so I don't have time to be cooking meat, and I don't really like any meat other than chicken. Are iron supplements safe?

Don't overdo the iron supplementation and you should be fine, especially if you're anemic! My daughter started getting really sick (just lifeless and pale with dark circles under her eyes...she'd sleep pretty much a straight couple of days) around her TOM and I started giving her my liver supplement (Beverly's Ultra 40) when she starts getting symptoms. She doesn't have to stay home from school and freak me out anymore. LOL

Do you take a daily multivitamin with iron? You may want to start there. If you haven't been eating well, you may be deficient in all kinds of nutrition. Not that a multi will make up for not taking care of your body, but it will help as you learn how to do a better job of that.

Leafy greens don't take any cooking, btw. Just pack them in a cooler and take them to work with you. I've pre-planned meals while working 3 jobs and going to school full time. If you make your health a priority, you'd be surprised what you can squeeze into your schedule.

[Tikibeast]

Originally Posted by Ridge4120

Actually, I have a huge iron deficiency. I can't even donate blood. I had no idea that could contribute to it. I'm not sure what to do about my iron deficiency. I'm a full time worker and full time student, so I don't have time to be cooking meat, and I don't really like any meat other than chicken. Are iron supplements safe?

Personally I had an unexpected injury right around new years that had me bleeding like mad, (I'll spare the details but the short version is it was a very large kidney stone that didn't go peacefully) and I had to take high doses of iron for almost a month to get the bleeding to finally stop...I'd say they're safe, I still take them off an on though in far lower doses.

[melyna]

to take care of dark circles superficially, i use a cream concealer first (i use "prescriptives" but im sure any would be ok) and i blot it until it blended in, than i use bareminerals "well rested" or something like that. its a very small, light powder (in color and weight) and i put a fair amount on the brush and make sure its even. it works like a charm for me.

[BIEN_DIESEL]

Originally Posted by Ridge4120

I need some help here. I have horrible dark circles around my eyes - I look like a raccoon. I bought this "Anti-puff eye roller" from Garnier, but it's not doing anything. Does anyone have any tips on how to get my dark circles to go away, or just not be so dark?

I try makeup, but it looks cakey and then I get creases under my eyes and you can tell that I have makeup under my eyes and it looks bad.

I'll take all the help I can get.

get off this site and get some sleep

[Tikibeast]

Originally Posted by BIEN_DIESEL

get off this site and get some sleep

Lol she doesn't sleep nearly enough and she knows it...

[BIEN_DIESEL]

Originally Posted by Ridge4120

Actually, I have a huge iron deficiency. I can't even donate blood. I had no idea that could contribute to it. I'm not sure what to do about my iron deficiency. I'm a full time worker and full time student, so I don't have time to be cooking meat, and I don't really like any meat other than chicken. Are iron supplements safe?

a brother gf neice just passed away a year ago from iron defienciency , when thats pretty low or giving birth to a child with low iron, they will end up having breathing problems, lung failure and so on with ratcoon eyes and weird finger nails looking liek aliens, eventually u gotta take steroids to keep ur lungs stronger, she missed it and died right there, she ate so much but lacked meat and she end up dropping to liek 60lbs, all bones

[Jmh80]

Ridge - let me let you in on something if you are thinking of this relative to guys: straight dudes don't notice a whole lot and the area around your eyes isn't one of them.

Fool around with whatever for your health or for what you want, but don't do it because some dude might find it un-attractive (because if he does he's (A) not worth it or (B) perhaps teh homo).

[Tikibeast]

Originally Posted by Jmh80

Ridge - let me let you in on something if you are thinking of this relative to guys: straight dudes don't notice a whole lot and the area around your eyes isn't one of them.

Fool around with whatever for your health or for what you want, but don't do it because some dude might find it un-attractive (because if he does he's (A) not worth it or (B) perhaps teh homo).

I think she's more concerned with personal appearance than impressing the world...but dark circles under the eyes could come off as a partier or a drug addict to an employer/professor...for professional reasons alone she might be concerned. Don't automatically assume she's concerned about what men think of her so greatly.

[bambifox]

Ridge - talked to my mom the other day about the "racoon eyes" thing (she's a retired Registered Nurse). She agrees with Amanda on the low-iron/anemia thing. She told me that you would need to be very careful about iron supplementation and should go to see a doctor for correct dosing instructions. My oldest daughter (now 22), had chronic anemia when she was a toddler for years. The doctors gave her iron supps and all kinds of test. They couldn't figure out what was causing it and the iron supps didn't help at all. Eventually at around age 9 she grew out of it. My point is that "anemia" can be serious so please make time and go see a doctor.

As far as looks...that's not nearly concerning as the potential health ramifications so whatever your "concerns" are...don't treat the symptoms, treat the cause IMHO. Take care.

[bobmuscle]

Originally Posted by spark84

You can get a concealor that is yellow-based - the yellow neutralizes the black discolouration so you use less of it for the same effect, rather than having to cake on the makeup.

Other than that I would also be interested in some strategies to cure dark eye circles. My 8 month old son has never slept more than 3 hours straight in his lifetime - its getting to me

melatonin

[Ridge4120]

I read all of your responses, and I'm just going to do one big response here instead of quoting all of you. Thank you all for the advice! I'm concerned about my health and I just personally don't like the way that they look. I don't like looking in the mirror and feeling like I look bad, or tired. I work full time in a very professional setting (law firm) and I don't like to look like I'm not "on the ball", because I am.

I'll try the yellow concealer, and for the iron I've scheduled a doctor's appointment. I'm going to meet with her in the beginning of November (the first time she can see me.) Thank you for the advice on the iron, I really appreciate it. I'm strongly unaware, and I want to make sure that I'm not harming my body in any way.

Thank you all very much!!!!!!!!

[freebirdmac]

When you apply the concealer, let it soak in for a few minutes before blending. Then take a small bit of good eye cream and dab the area. That takes out the dry, caked look. But above all, deal with the cause I have them from my pseudo allergies and hypothyroidism.

[TDE]

Originally Posted by Ridge4120

I need some help here. I have horrible dark circles around my eyes - I look like a raccoon. I bought this "Anti-puff eye roller" from Garnier, but it's not doing anything. Does anyone have any tips on how to get my dark circles to go away, or just not be so dark?

I try makeup, but it looks cakey and then I get creases under my eyes and you can tell that I have makeup under my eyes and it looks bad.

I'll take all the help I can get.

Are you Pakistani?

[JAWS22]

Heheheh to the police stop you and ask "Hey there coon... .where you goin gal"?

[Jmh80]

Looking at your pics - I don't see a whole lot. In one of them I sorta see what you are talking about, but I honestly was more observant of your eyes. Love the shade of blue.

I had to look twice to see what you were talking about.

If you want my opinion as a good looking dude - don't worry about it.
(BTW - like the glasses look. )