Periorbital hyperpigmentation a.k.a. under eye shadows: how to avoid them

There are several components to this “problem” and you may be able to control on some of them.

But first: you have no control on who your ancestors were, so forget about under eye shadows if everybody in your family has them. The shape of the face may cause the light to play a trick.  In my case, I am happy to look the way my mum and grandmother looked. Or brown hyperpigmentation of the lower eyelid skin along the shape of the orbital rim. A hint of makeup will fix this “problem”.

About the other possible components:

1. Keep away from prostaglandin analogs used by some skin care companies to enhance eyelashes (don’t they know about keratinocyte growth factor?). These products are likely to darken your eye color and/or increase periorbital eye hyperpigmentation (plus other unwanted side effects). These effects may not go away if you stop using the product. In short, if you want longer eyelashes but don’t want changes in your eye color etc., go for Skin Actives eyelash serum, and avoid eyelash products containing prostaglandin analogs.
2. Sleep well at night, the 8 hours are important for so many reasons! If you have problems snoring, consult your doctor regarding sleep apnea, it is more common than people think and has some other nasty side effects besides making you look (because you are) tired. In fact, more than 25 percent of adults between the ages of 30 and 70 years in the U.S.A. have sleep apnea (sleep apnea may cause under eye shadows and depression and will shorten your life).
3. See whether Skin Actives Triple correction eye cream helps. It addresses all causes of under eye shadows (except for the shape of your face!).
4. Try Skin Actives capillary health cream around the eye area. The “shadows” may be cause by dilated or prominent capillaries that can be seen through the thin skin around the eyes, or even produced by some blood leaking from blood vessels that are too permeable.
5. . Pigmentation may be caused by too much melanin, and in this case using Skin Actives Brightening cream will do the trick.
6.  Inflammation, for any reason (like allergies, contact dermatitis) may be followed by hyperpigmentation.
7. Other contributors to under eye shadows (ignore some, others ignore at your own peril): skin laxity, dry skin, hormonal disturbances, nutritional deficiencies, and chronic illnesses.

And, finally, complain to Hollywood: baddies in movies tend to have periorbital hyperpigmentation.  If you don’t believe me, read “Dermatologic Features of Classic Movie Villains The Face of Evil” (JAMA Dermatology, 153: 559-564).  And yes, movie baddies also have warts and hair loss.

DISCLAIMER: These claims have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.