Above, I briefly touched on the fact that my dark circles are a genetic trait, and for a huge number of fellow dark-circle sufferers (constantly being told we look exhausted means that we do suffer), the case is the same. Thinner skin around the eyes and higher levels of pigmentation mean that unfortunately, some of us are simply born with dark circles, and very little can be done about it.
However, this isn’t to say that the appearance of dark circles can’t be worsened. In fact, those that don’t have a genetic predisposition to dark circles may, from time to time, suffer from them as a result of certain lifestyle choices. Miss Elizabeth Hawkes, a consultant oculoplastic surgeon at Cadogan Clinic, says, “To help avoid dark circles, I advise you get enough sleep, stay hydrated, don’t smoke, use UV protection to improve the quality of skin, reduce salt intake, which causes puffiness, and be very careful when removing eye makeup as the skin around the eyes is very delicate.”