Camouflage: everything you need to know about dark circles under eyes. Viktoriia Kosareva

to opinion polls, only 20% of women and 11% of men in Russia consider themselves beautiful, while 40% of women and 37% of men are dissatisfied with themselves. At the same time, as many as 36% are dissatisfied with their skin to a certain extent [2].

      As for the international market, according to a survey by One Poll (an international market research agency specialising in PR surveys, consumer insights and opinion polls), in spring about half (49%) of women feel less confident than usual being unhappy with the condition of their skin after winter.

      Noticing a more or less objective (not far-fetched) flaw on their body, a person is embarrassed by themselves and tries to hide the “problem’ area in various ways such as clothing and cosmetic treatments, which causes a loss of self-confidence. Life would be so much easier if those flaws disappeared on their own. Which, naturally, does not happen. Despite the fact that most often other people either do not pay attention to the “flaw’ or consider it a distinctive feature, a person develops complexes, which cannot but affect the quality of life and self-perception. Perhaps it is for this reason that cosmetology, correction of appearance in particular, from wrinkles to scars, has become more popular lately, expanding the range of services.

      According to the research by Allergan company, in 2019 more than 73% of respondents confirmed their willingness to spend money on aesthetic medicine services. The analysis concludes that the vast majority of respondents (about 14,500 clients and 1,300 doctors from 18 countries, including Russia) believe that to look attractive is a must at any age, and that to get better looks one must use professional services. Also, the survey showed that respondents are ready to invest in beauty treatments, since they are value for money.

      At the same time, one of the most common and major aesthetic problems are dark circles and under eye bruises. Perhaps everybody has faced this blemish at least once. Moreover, many women and men constantly deal with this problem due to stress, fatigue, and lack of sleep. Some have dark circles under eyes all their lives, which is attributed to the individual body features: blood vessels are located close to each other or a lower eyelid is thin causing blueness. Some people don’t mind their dark circles and are not embarrassed by them. When the circles are congenital, they can even suit many people. Unfortunately, few are able to accept this feature; complexes appear, which significantly affects a mental state of a person.

      According to a sample in research published in the Annals of Dermatology journal, 68% of participants reported having this problem. Interestingly, the clinical visualization of dark circles was 97% [5].

      In connection with this, dark circles treatment is particularly sought-after. Thus, employees of various beauty salons and clinics providing similar services note that dark circles camouflage is one of the most popular services [6].

      Dark circles or bruises under eyes are a popular name. In science, this concept means a change in the shade of the epidermis in the area around eyes from flesh-coloured to grey, purple, bluish, or brown. It is impossible to hide dark circles with any foundation, powder or even a concealer. Therefore, the most effective, fastest and, perhaps, the only way to solve the problem would be aesthetic camouflage.

      Dark circles under eyes are not solely an aesthetic problem, it also affects the mental state of a person. Often getting rid of this defect leads to a whole avalanche of changes in a person’s life. Not only do they gain self-confidence and own their charm, but also many become more open-minded and sociable, which leads to major changes in life.

      I would say that over almost seven years in this job I have had some very curious cases. I once camouflaged under eyes circles of a client, and the result impressed her husband so much that he also approached me for the treatment. I am delighted when women bring their mothers and grandmothers to me, which is a very frequent case. This proves that camouflage is universal and can improve a person’s quality of life, regardless of their gender and age. I am sure that it is the future. The natural trend will always be relevant, and this is exactly the essence of camouflage.

      Chapter 2. DARK CIRCLES UNDER EYES

      Dark circles must not be mistaken for bags under eyes. The latter are caused by edema: due to subcutaneous fat being thinner and looser under eyes in comparison with other body parts, fluid accumulates faster and more actively, which is why swelling is observed when water is retained in the body. However, bags and circles sometimes occur simultaneously.

      The skin under eyes is very thin, delicate, and contains many small capillaries. When capillary permeability is disrupted, dark colour occurs. The thinner the skin under eyes is, the higher the likelihood of dark circles is.

      Dark circles have different causes, from banal lack of sleep to serious health problems. So before contacting an aesthetic medicine specialist for camouflage, you should understand the cause and try to deal with it yourself or with the help of specialists.

      Feedback:

      After the first treatment the circles under eyes became much lighter, did not completely go away. The skin looks great, no redness and flaking, crow’s feet around the eyes are smoothed out due to the soothing component. I don’t know what is added to the cocktail injected in the skin, but the look has become much better. Thanks! Anna

      Chapter 3. CAUSES OF DARK CIRCLES UNDER EYES

      Dark circles cannot be found anywhere except for under eyes. It is due to the skin here being very thin (about 6 times thinner than compared to the rest of the face), which is why the vessels located under eyes can be visible. But if such an explanation were the only one, literally everyone would have dark circles throughout their life.

      In reality, it is much more complicated. For some the blue under eyes is visible all the time, for others it occurs sometimes or rarely; in some cases it appears unexpectedly to remain. There is a long list of causes of this problem which can be divided into several large groups.

      According to the Federal State Budgetary Institution NMIC TPM [National Medical Research Centre of Therapy and Preventive Medicine] of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, thinning of the fat layer is the most common cause of dark circles. Skin of lower eyelids is separated from orbicularis oculi (a facial muscle situated just beneath the eyelid skin) and blood vessels by thin hypodermis. It gets thinner with age. Sometimes orbicularis oculi and blood vessels become visible even through the thickest skin. The muscle has a dark red colour, the vessels are more cherry-coloured. The colour of under eyes circles depends on what is more visible: vessels or orbicularis oculi [7].

      Genetics

      A person might live with dark circles under eyes almost since childhood. They may get enough sleep, exercise, eat healthily, avoid any bad habits, but the colour of the eye area still remains the same. If this happens, especially if their relatives also have darkening under eyes, then most likely it is a matter of genetics.

      Hereditary dark circles may be caused, firstly, by special face structure, skeleton, and muscles. For example, people with very deep eye sockets tend to have greyish eyelids, which is explained, among other factors, by light and shadows distribution on the face. Secondly, those whose facial skin is thin and/or light by nature encounter dark circles much more often, which is related to skin structure. The thinner it is, the more noticeable the vessels, capillaries, and vein walls are. It is also worth noting that people with dry skin type are also more likely to have dark circles, which is again due to skin structure and the fact that dehydrated skin often looks grey.

      Fatigue

      Tiredness, chronic lack of sleep and physical exhaustion are one of the most common causes of dark circles under eyes. Obviously, your skin (as well as the body) won’t be “grateful’ for overwork or lack of sleep; on the contrary, it will become pale, lifeless, dull, with an ill-looking shade from grey to swampy. Moreover, the bigger fatigue is, the more groggy look a person has, and it is the eyes that give out the problem first.

      The