Staying up late often are the cause of dark circles, making people appear tired and too old. However, sometimes the appearance of dark circles is not only evidence of staying up late and sleeping late, but also a reflection of physical condition.
Dr. Liao Wanrong, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner from Yurong Chinese Medicine Clinic in Taiwan said that there are four types of dark circles under the eyes. She emphasized that for different types of dark circles, respective methods of health care should be used for relief.
Liao said that there are four types of dark circles under the eyes, namely stasis and swelling type, nasal disease type, chronic allergic type, and aging eye bag type.
The dark circles of the stasis and swelling type are mostly caused by the stasis and swelling of the veins of the lower eyelid, which are related to daily life and pressure; the nasal disease type is caused by nasal diseases, such as allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis. Chronic allergic type mostly occurs in patients with blood stasis physique, chronic conjunctivitis, allergies, and so on; aging eye bag type is the eye bag formed by fat sagging due to aging. Once the eye bags form, they will cause shadows as dark circles.
Liao emphasized that some dark circles also reflect other diseases in the body, such as liver cirrhosis, kidney failure, aplastic anemia, and so on.
TCM Treatment of Dark Circles
For the above four types of dark circles, Liao proposed various treatments.
- Stasis and swelling type: take TCM herbal medicines for soothing the liver and regulating qi (vital energy).
- Nasal disease type: first deal with the problem of nasal allergy.
- Chronic allergic-type: do not scratch it by hand, you can use a cold compress to relieve itching, and then use TCM medicine to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis.
- Aging eye bag type: take TCM which nourishes qi regularly, such as Astragalus, and Codonopsis, and apply alternating hot and cold compresses, and acupuncture massage which can help reduce eye bags.
Rescue dark circles 1: apply hot and cold compresses alternately
Applying hot and cold compresses alternately is the easiest way to rescue all four types of dark circles, especially those with stasis and swelling type. It not only improves blood and lymph circulation around the eyes but also eliminates edema and dark circles.
- Prepare a warm towel, about 38-40 degrees Celsius (100.4-104 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Put a wet towel in a plastic bag place it in the freezer the day before, and turn it into an ice towel
- Apply the warm towel for 1 minute and an ice towel for 1 minute on your eyes. If it is too cold at first, apply the ice towel for 30 seconds first.
- Alternate a hot compress and the cold compress about every 10 minutes.
P.S.: The skin around the eyes is sensitive. It is recommended to prepare gauze or a cotton handkerchief for children to cover the eyes, and then apply the hot compress and cold compress.
Rescue dark circles 2: acupuncture massage around the eyes
Massage on the acupuncture points around the eyes can improve the four types of dark circles, it is especially helpful for aging eye bags.
- Jingming Point: located in the depression in the inner corner of the eye.
- Chengqi Point: pupil of the eye looks straight ahead, located at the junction of the lower pupil and the lower orbit.
- Tongziliao Point: outer corner of the eye, extending from the horizontal line of the outer corner of the eye to the outer edge of the outer orbital bone.
- Yuyao Point: the ancients thought that the eyebrows were like fish, and the yuyao ( literally means fish waist) was in the middle of the eyebrows.
Another way to pick the acupoints is to look straight ahead with the pupil, and the pupil should go straight to the junction of the eye socket.
The four acupuncture points are pressed alternately with the left and right fingers, each point is pressed for 6 seconds, and the cycle is repeated 20-30 times, which can improve the blood around the eyes.
Jingming Point: it is located in the depression in the inner corner of the eye. Chengqi Point: the pupil of the eye looks straight ahead, located at the junction of the lower pupil and the lower orbit. (Shutterstock/The Epoch Times)
Rescue dark circles 3: massage the acupuncture points around the nose
If you have dark circles caused by nasal problems, you should also press the acupuncture points at each side of the nose, Yingxiang and Naitong.
- Yingxiang Point: draw a horizontal line from the wings of the nose, located at the junction of the horizontal line and the nasolabial folds.
- Bitong Point: located above Yingxiang Point, also known as Shangyingxiang Point, where the upper end of the nasolabial fold and the wings of the nose meet, it can stop nosebleeds.
The acupuncture points are pressed alternately with the left and right fingers, each point is pressed for 6 seconds, and the cycle is repeated 20-30 times to improve nasal problems.
Liao said that the formation of dark circles is related to blood circulation, and “cold” (in TCM’s concept) can easily cause blood coagulation. Therefore, iced drinks will affect blood circulation around the eyes, so people should drink as little as possible.
Rescue dark circles 4: two groups of food
To improve dark circles, Liao suggested that people should eat food rich in vitamin C and collagen.
1. Vitamin C reduces the precipitation of melanin
Vitamin C improves vascular permeability and helps to reduce pigmentation around the eyes. Liao said, “sweet peppers, cauliflower, and fruits such as guava are recommended. They are rich in vitamin C and non-cold food in TCM’s concept”
2. Collagen fights sagging eye bags
The aging eye bag type is related to the loss of collagen. People can eat more collagen-rich foods such as pig feet, skin, tendons, or duck wings.
If the elderly are worried about high cholesterol content and the increase in the possibility of cardiovascular disease, they can choose fish skin, sea cucumber, or food with high-quality protein such as fish, meat, eggs, milk, and beans, combined with vitamin C, which can help collagen hyperplasia.
3. Reminder for Using Tea Bags to Eliminate Dark Circles:
Green tea and black tea contain tannins, which can reduce swelling and are good astringents, but tea bags also have other ingredients that can irritate the thin and tender skin around the eyes easily. Liao reminded people when using hot and cold tea bags alternately:
- Cover eyes with gauze first, then apply the tea bag.
- The temperature of the tea bag for the hot compress should be 38-40 degrees Celsius (100.4-104 degrees Fahrenheit), and it should not be too hot.
- Put the iced tea bags in the refrigerator for one night only. Do not leave the tea bags for 2-3 nights to avoid getting moldy.
- Eliminate dark circles from daily routine.
Dark circles are not only an external problem but also reflect the condition of the internal organs. Liao emphasized that improving dark circles is not about applying eye cream or concealer, but internal conditioning.
“By having enough sleep, a regular lifestyle, and proper exercise, which can relieve stress, really can help you to achieve big bright eyes,” she said.
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