Frustrated , what to try for dark circles

skinyouth7 · Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 105

I am an asian women with brown skin tone. I do not know or could not determine what is the cause of my dark circle though there were few methods suggested in this forum. I have a very healthy lifestyle with three days of cardio workout and 3 days of strength training and resting on seventh day. I also follow SBDiet plan .
I also started cleansing , toning and moisturising. But my under eye skin is thin and dark , which product should i start using to clear up my very fine line , dark circle and enrich the skin under my eyes so that they don;t look droopy.

In the product reviews section , I found this Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm , will this work , anyone tried .
Please suggest something , am ready to take even the DIY route , but I need to see my dark circles go away . Can I go to a dermatologist or should I go for laser?

an early reply will be highly helpful.
thanks

orangehrzn · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 1005

MultiVitamin Power Firm for Eye and Lip Area by Dermalogica:

Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone Crossploymer, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Polyethylene, Tocopheryl Acetate, Di-C12-15 Alkyl Fumarate, Retinyl Palmitate,Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Ascorbic Acid,Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Boron Nitride, Flavor.

Bottom line: overpriced vitamins in silicone + polymer base. Most probably the reviews that 'it works' floating around are just describing makeup effect due to silicones. Again product is evaluated when it is washed off not when its on - for most consumers that idea is too 'advanced' ...

Just go to dermatologist (hopefully a good one) - tell him/her to determine the cause of dark circles - either capilaries or melanin. If it's melaning he/she must be able to suggest a product to treat it. If it's capilaries go directly for laser - all topicals are waste of time in this case. Carefull with the laser - it may have hypo pigmentation effects i.e. to bleach the skin too much.

Mike · Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 121

If the dark circles under the eyes are in part due to thinning of the skin, would it make sense to try to treat the skin under the eyes with a cream containing the tetrahexyldecyl form of vitamin C? Is it reasonable that over time such a treatment could increase the thickness of the skin and reduce the transparency thus reducing the dark appearance?
Thanks!
Mike

drtodorov · Site Admin Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Posts: 3177

Perhaps. It is a relatively long shot but should be safe to try. But you may have a better chance trying to strengthen caplillaries (if your circles are vascular). Same agents that work for venous insufficiency may work for that too -- it has been discussed on this forum.

newskinoasis · Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 48

To SkinYouth7, NeoStrata recently came out with a product I've been using and am very pleased with it. It's NeoStrata Bionic Eye Cream. I've tried several others and paid twice as much but so far, NeoStrata has them all beat.

Brenda Pitts, Esthetician
newskinoasis.com

newskinoasis · Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 48

Mike, part of the problem with so-called dark circles, especially as we age, is loss of collagen in the underlying delicate tissue under the eyes. This results in so-called "ditches" which create a shadow. I've found that what helps the most is a product that decreases puffiness, thereby minimizing the ditches. The best so far--and I've tried many--is NeoStrata Bionic Eye Cream, recently introduced.

Of course you can get Sculpta (or Sculptra) injections from a dermatologist or plastic surgeon that work wonders but cost $1,000 a pop.

Brenda Pitts, Esthetician
newskinoasis.com

Mike · Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 121

What are the active ingredients in NeoStrata Bionic Eye Cream?

Also, for the record, Sculptra does not cost nearly that much. A vial that has been prepared makes about 5cc, and costs the doctor less than $400. Now the doc can charge whatever they want, but if the only area being treated is the tiny area under the eyes, $1000 would be, in my humble opinion, too much to charge. Treatment for this indication is strictly off label (Not FDA approved), but it may work. The results (good or bad) will likely last for 2-5 years.

Mike

newskinoasis · Joined: 09 Sep 2006 Posts: 48

Mike,

I couldn't agree with you more--$1,000 a pop is way too high. That's what it costs in my area (coastal South Carolina) and usually at least two injections are necessary, so that adds up to $2,000. I'm sure it pays to shop around. I had one treatment and noticed an appreciable difference, enough to satisfy me, anyway. I'm going to wait out the results. If it lasts 4-5 years, I might consider another round. I'm 62, by the way, which makes a big difference, too. I can't imagine that anyone under 45 would benefit that much from a collagen restoring treatment.

Brenda Pitts, Esthetician
newskinoasis.com

Mike · Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 121

Sculpta is actually indicated for facial lipoatrophy due to HIV (AIDS). Those patients can be quite young. As an off label use, it can be used in place of other fillers to give long lasting results that seem more "natural".

The dark circles under the eyes are a very difficult problem to treat. I just returned from a conferece where the option of stimulating the collagen using a device that is intended for fractional resurfacing maybe useful. If it works, the results should last for years. New technology is quite expensive. If it works, I will post some before and after pictures. I would still prefer to treat the problem earlier with a topical medication if I can find something that acutally works (documented proof). In the meantime, I'll pass along the NeoStrata Bionic Eye Cream name and see what others have to say.

orthomolecular · Joined: 12 May 2006 Posts: 28

There are two types of dark circles. Fair skin people don't get pigment there. Fair skin people get dark circles from many different things like anemia, allergies, things like that. You have to treat the cause of the problem really.

But dark skin people will get pigment there. They need to avoid exposure to the sun which may increase that pigment. If it is the pigment, because you are asian, then you can go to a derm for some treatment that will lighten that pigment.

Custard · Joined: 23 Sep 2006 Posts: 4

I have the same problem although I am asian I have fair skin and the dark circles around my eyes stand out like there is no tomorrow.

I have tried to get the right hours of sleep, drink plenty of water etc

I have used various eyecreams, most recently - Eyerix (this didnt help) Pharmaclinix Eyerix cream ( im using this at the moment)

I have heard that Benefit Eyecon is useful ? Anyone tried this? or is there anything else out there???

Thanks