Are you bothered by dark circles under your eyes? Depending on what caused them, there are different ways to treat them. The color of your dark circles can also give you insight into where in your body the problem arises. TCM practitioner Yu Yawen from Royal Jade Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic in Taiwan introduces four practical ways to reduce those annoying dark circles.
Which Type of ‘Panda Eyes’ Do You Have?
Dark circles, or “panda eyes,” can be divided into three distinct categories according to how they are formed: vascular, hyperpigmented, and structural.1. Vascular (Allergies)
Oversleeping, staying up late, or overusing your eyes will result in poor blood circulation. Consequently, as the veins and blood vessels around the eyes expand, the tissue swells with fluid (edema), or capillaries may bleed. Moreover, as the skin around the eyes is thinner, when red blood cells accumulate in the dermis, they will appear purplish black through the refraction of light.Ms. Yu said that allergies are the most common cause of vascular dark circles because patients with allergies do not absorb enough oxygen, which may cause poor circulation around the eyes, resulting in dark circles.
2. Hyperpigmented
Bad habits, such as forgetting to remove makeup or pulling the skin too hard while removing makeup, can cause hyperpigmentation. Dark circles can even come from too much sun exposure or repeated inflammation around the eyes.3. Structural (Aging)
The hollows of the eyes deepen with age and fatigue, relaxing the skin around the eyes. This makes it thin and lose elasticity, causing dark circles.What Does the Color Mean?
Ms. Yu said that in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), she most often encounters vascular and pigmented dark circles. The color or quality of the dark circles can be used to determine which organ in the body has a problem. The following qualities indicate different issues:- Very dark or black: This indicates kidney deficiency. The kidney controls black and dark colors. If the color is particularly dark or the whole face is particularly gray, this is usually found in people with a cold constitution.
- Waxy: These are spleen-deficient types. With higher humidity in Taiwan, the spleen and stomach are most affected. Coupled with edema under the eyes, these purplish bags will make a person look older.
- Black and blue or bruisy: These types indicate liver deficiency. Black and blue are more liver-like colors. They mainly occur in people with liver qi stagnation due to staying up late, being anxious, and having unstable menstrual cycles. According to TCM, qi is a highly energetic and constantly moving substance in the human body. This basic substance constitutes the body and maintains all physiological activities. Some types of qi are kidney, spleen, liver, and stomach. When qi is lacking, the organ will be considered deficient.
