The appearance of under eye circles is rather common during pregnancy. These are sometimes accompanied by sagging skin around the eyes, which gives them a baggy appearance. The most common causes of under eye circles during pregnancy are hyperpigmentation, stress, weariness, and lack of sleep.
A woman’s body goes through a lot of hormonal changes during pregnancy. This can cause the skin to lose its original firmness and make the blood vessels beneath your skin appear more visible, thus magnifying dark circles. Apart from this, low blood circulation around your eye can also be a major contributor to baggy eyes.
But worry not, there are many go-to remedies that can help banish the appearance of dark circles. Before we look at ways to get rid of under eye circles, let’s have a look at some of the causes of puffy eyes during pregnancy.
What Causes Dark Circles Under The Eyes During Pregnancy
Here are some of the common causes of dark circles during pregnancy:
- Fatigue: Due to your growing belly, you might find it difficult to get enough sleep while pregnant. This can lead to fatigue, which in turn can cause dark circles under the eyes. Sleep deprivation can cause your skin to look pale and your eyes puffy.
- Allergies: Seasonal allergies and nasal congestion can contribute to poor circulation in the lower eyelid, leading to dilated veins. When the veins under the eyes dilate, they become bigger and darker.
- Dehydration: Inadequate hydration can give your eyes a sunken appearance. This causes the surrounding skin area to appear darker.
- Straining your eyes: Strain on your eyes due to long hours of using computer screens or mobile phones can enlarge the blood vessels around your eyes, thus, causing dark circles.
- Exposure to the sun: Exposing your skin to the sun for long hours can lead to an overproduction of melanin. This can lead to pigmentation on the skin and around the eyes.
How To Get Rid Of Under Eye Circles
Here are some helpful tips to minimise the appearance of dark circles during pregnancy. Although these won’t get rid of your baggy eyes immediately, following these tips regularly will help prevent puffy eyes.
Improve Your Diet
Your quest to get rid of dark circles should begin with a thorough assessment of your diet. While there aren’t any fast dietary fixes for dark circles, maintaining a nutritious and anti-inflammatory diet packed with fresh veggies, fruits, lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fats can bring about visible improvements to your body, including the eye area.
You can even load up on specific fruits and veggies that help remove pesky dark circles. For instance tomatoes, beetroot, blueberries, and watermelon. These food items contain antioxidants that boost blood circulation and protect blood vessels.
Add An Under Eye Cream to Your Routine
The skincare world is filled with a variety of lotions and potions to help tackle puffy eyes. But during pregnancy, you should only use products formulated with safe and plant-based ingredients. Look for a natural eye cream that contains coffee oil and moisture-locking vitamins such as Vitamin B3 and E. These ingredients will plump the skin and decrease the transparency of your dark circles.
You can also include anti-ageing and antioxidant under eye creams rich in hyaluronic acid, and plant-based ingredients such as bakuchiol. It will help support collagen production and prevent skin cell damage.
Get Rest
Inadequate sleep doesn’t cause dark circles, rather it exaggerates their appearance. Therefore, even if you feel uncomfortable, make sure to get seven to nine hours of sleep at night. This is ample to avoid looking pale or sleepless the following morning.
You can also try using a sleep mask to cover your eyes to avoid any distractions. Also, remember to put your phone in the night mode setting to avoid exposure to blue light, as it can disrupt your natural sleep cycle.
Stay Hydrated
Typically, fluid retention is more to blame for under eye puffiness, but even dehydration plays a role. Dehydration can make your eyes look even worse by amplifying the effects of poor sleep or consumption of excess salt.
Maintaining proper hydration can enhance circulation and remove excess fluid from the eye area. If you are someone who forgets to drink water, try keeping a water bottle on your work desk and set a goal of refilling it several times throughout the day.
Wear Sunscreen Daily
Daily sunscreen is a must-have to avoid hyperpigmentation of your skin. Use a broad-spectrum and a mineral-based sunscreen on your skin before stepping outdoors. Carry the sunscreen in your bag and remember to reapply every 2-3 hours to prevent any kind of sun damage. You can also use an eye concealer on top of the sunscreen to brighten your eyes.
Natural Ways To Minimise Dark Circles Under Eyes
Apart from the aforementioned tips, you can also try the following home remedies to reduce the appearance of under eye circles.
Cucumber
Cucumbers contain vitamins and bioactive compounds that exhibit tyrosinase activity. This helps reduce pigmentation around the eyes. In a bowl add one cucumber and one teaspoon of aloe vera gel. Blend it to make a thick paste. Apply this paste under your eyes and leave it for 15 minutes. ARinse with plain water and pat dry.
Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera gel contains aloesin that helps prevent excess pigmentation on the skin. It also hydrates the skin deeply and makes it supple. All you need to do is take some natural aloe vera gel and apply it under your eyes before going to bed. Leave it overnight and rinse the following morning. Repeat until the dark circles diminish.
Rosehip Oil
Rosehip oil is another ingredient that effectively reduces dark circles under the eyes. Take a few drops of rosehip oil and dilute it with coconut oil. Now dab the mixture into your dark circles with a cotton pad. Leave it overnight and wash your skin in the morning. You can repeat this remedy every day.
Yogurt
Applying yogurt can improve blood circulation around your eyes and also prevent dark circles. Mix two teaspoons of yogurt and one teaspoon of lemon juice. Apply this mixture under your eyes and wait for 15 minutes. Rinse with water and apply your under eye cream right after.
Dark circles can seem like an annoying concern. But fret not. It’s temporary and not a cause of concern. Make sure you follow the helpful tips and remedies we listed to get rid of puffy or baggy eyes and maximise your pregnancy glow.
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