It happens to all of us when we haven’t gotten enough sleep-those dark circles under our eyes. For some, these black shadows are a result of allergies, or heredity. Despite the cause, no one wants to look tired. Don’t fret for a minute because you can take a lot of steps to eliminate these shadows.

In order to determine why you have dark circles under your eyes, if you get them all of the time, is to make an appointment with a Medical Doctor. The doctor may discover that you have allergies, and if this is the case, many medications and treatment options are available. After a few weeks of being on medication, you should notice a decrease in your dark circles. If this still doesn’t work, you can take other steps to get rid of them.

The quickest cover-up for women is makeup. Peach and yellow-toned concealer will cancel out red, purple, black, and brown skin colors. You should apply this makeup with a brush or sponge, and then set it with a yellow-toned powder. It is best to avoid any pink or red colored eyeshadow because these colors will make your circles appear worse, instead of better.

Dark circles can also be greatly reduced by taking a multi-vitamin, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding salt. A healthier lifestyle will result in healthier, more radiant looking skin. Studies have shown that people who are deficient in B6, B12, Vitamin K, and folic acid usually get dark circles, so the multi-vitamin will help. Water is essential to stay hydrated, and to help circulation in your body. Green tea or other diuretics can also decrease fluid build-up, which can help to decrease under-eye shadows.

Teabags can be a great eye healer when placed on closed eyes. The tannins in caffeinated teabags reduce swelling, redness, and improve the overall appearance around the eyes. Placing cool teabags or even slices of cold cucumber on your eyes for fifteen minutes will reduce dark circles.

Surprisingly, exercise has also shown to reduce circles. A simple routine of walking for twenty minutes a day will improve your circulation. Improved circulation will aid in eliminating toxins from your body, and thus will make your skin look more radiant.

The most obvious solution to reduce dark circles is to get into a good sleep schedule. The optimal night sleep for most people is seven to eight hours. If you are having problems sleeping, you may want to see a doctor. When people do not sleep enough, their skin tends to appear paler, which makes circles under your eyes look even worse. Avoiding caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol near bedtime will also help in improving sleep. While you are sleeping, you can place a cold washcloth over your eyes to reduce swelling. You can also purchase an overnight eye cream. Many products on the market claim to reduce dark circles so you can try them as well.

Before taking any of these steps to reduce eye swelling, it is most important that you see a doctor to determine if you have a health condition.