Causes and Prevention

Under eye circles and baggy eyes may be caused by lack of sleep, genetics, allergies, visible blood vessels under the skin, sun damage and even some medications. You may see dark, purple-red circles or puffiness.

You can prevent them by reducing your stress and getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night. If you notice under eye problems after starting a new medication, talk to your doctor about an alternative if possible.

Always use a facial moisturizer with SPF before going outside to avoid sun damage. We suggest our Photodynamic Therapy 3-in-1 facial lotion with broad spectrum spf 30. It provides long lasting protection, while improving skin radiance and brightness.

Conceal

Once you have under eye circles, you can't instantly make them disappear. Luckily, you can conceal them easily with the right products and tools. Don't just apply a ton of concealer or you'll actually highlight the bags instead of covering them. Before you get started, you'll need:

•    Eye cream
•    Concealer brush
•    Yellow or highlighting concealer
•    Normal concealer
•    Translucent powder

Start by applying a light amount of eye cream under each eye. We recommend our Wrinkle Revenge rescue & protect eye balm formulated with the latest advances in amino acid peptide technology to offer immediate, visible improvement of puffiness and dark circles. This eye balm also firms skin and helps fade lines with continued use.

Next, use the concealer brush to apply a yellow-based or highlighting concealer that's a shade lighter than your natural skin tone. Apply the concealer in a triangle shape that comes to a point just under your cheekbone. The concealer should cover your under eye area to the edge of your lash line.

Never use your fingers to blend the first layer of concealer. This can make the circles worse. Blend carefully with the brush to fill in wrinkles and achieve optimal coverage. Next, apply a layer of your normal concealer using your ring or pinkie finger. You can also use a blending sponge instead. Finally, set the concealer with a translucent powder that not only covers, but also brightens and makes your eyes look more awake.

Cause a Distraction

You can make your eyes appear more open and further reduce the look of puffy eyes by lining the upper and lower lash line with a dark brown pencil. Keep the line thin. To disguise red eyes, try lining with a white eye pencil. For an added distraction, apply blue liner on your upper lid over the brown liner. Only line the outer third of the lash line. Apply mascara to the upper lashes only to further draw attention away from your dark circles or bags.

Remember, everyone wakes up with tired, puffy eyes and under eye circles at some point. Follow these steps to deduce their cause and minimize their appearance. Your face will look fresh and awake and no one will be the wiser that you could use a few more hours of beauty sleep!

By Jen Mathews
DERMAdoctor Staff Writer

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