My Dark Circles Blog Forum

[949krisr]

I just thought that I would share.  A few times I showed up for work without any makeup and the usual heavy concealer.  My boss gave me a sample packet of Hylexin (hint, hint!! - It couldn't have had anything to do with the 65+ hour work weeks).  That was the last straw, so I decided to step up my attempts to get rid of them.  Having already wasted lots of money on miracle eye creams, I opted for Dermactin-TS a generic version of the very pricey Hylexin.  After 2 months of use (twice a day), I have noticed only a slight improvement, but I have now discontinued use since it milia by the cream being too rich or me applying too much of the cream as to clog the pores.  

I researched further, and learned that the difference between the generic and the real Hylexin is the amount of Eyeliss (active ingredient) which can range from 4% to 9%.  Also, vitamin k along with Eyeliss can make it even more effective.  After researching, I have decided to make my own "Hylexin" eye cream with at least 9% Eyeliss + vitamin K.  I am ordering from Skin Actives online.  Check out their Bright I ready to use cream $17.50 or make your own eye cream by purchasing SAS Depuff (Eyeliss) $5.50, & Vitamin K $6.50.  I want a lot of Eyeliss & vitamin K in my eye cream.  The cool thing about this store is that you can purchase the Eyeliss &/or vitamin K for about $15 with shipping & handling and add them to your favorite eye cream!!  Please note that I am in no way affiliated with this store, but I found it after countless hours of researching online, so I wanted to share.  I thought it might be a great cost saving alternative for those interested in trying the pricey Hylexin.  Hope the below link & this info is helpful.

http://www.skinactives.com/products/brighti.htm

About me: I have horrible dark circles.  They appear to be the leaking vein type since they are dark blue / purple in color (not pigment related).  I have had them for years and they are only getting worse.  It is probably genetic for me, but wasn't helped by the fact that I suffer from allergies, used to be terribly anemic (vegetarian), and frequently don't get enough sleep.  It almost looks as though I got into a fight (black eye).  It doesn't seem to make a difference how much sleep I get the dark circles are still there.  I only have a little bit of puffiness under my left eye.

[ACCER]

With all your research, maybe you could help me out: does a lack of iron make them worse?

[949krisr]

The below info is from Wikipedia regarding the causes of under eye circles and it does list anemia (iron deficiency) as a cause.  I am also very fair skinned and it lists that the more transparent the skin the darker the circles appear.  If you are anemic (you need to have a blood test by your doctor) your doc will probably recommend iron supplements.  Due to side effects, you may want to make sure that you take Slow FE which is time released.  I was deathly anemic in my early twenties.  I took the iron supplements, and am no longer a vegetarian.  I am no longer anemic, but I still have the dark circles.  My dark circles did start in my early twenties when I was anemic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_circles#Anemia

Anemia
The lack of nutrients in the diet, or the lack of a balanced diet, can contribute to the discoloration of the area under the eyes. It is believed that lack of mineral iron can cause dark circles as well. Iron deficiency is the most common type of anemia and this condition is a sign that not enough oxygen is getting to the body tissues.[citation needed]

The skin can also become more pale during pregnancy and menstruation (due to lack of iron), which again allow the underlying veins under the eyes to become more visible.

[SageMother]

Skin Actives is one of the suppliers I use for kits for some of my new clients.  I don't have them on my new website yet but it is a great site!

[Anamarie]

That's interesting.  I've noticed that when I had my children, my dark circles got worse.  Lack of iron could have definitely been a cause.  Do you know of other pregnancy-related issues that could have made them worse?