If your eyes appear dark, sunken or hollow then, this problem is generally referred to as sunken eyes.
Here discover how you can get rid of sunken eyes using home remedies.
There are various causes behind sunken eyes. It can be the cause of lack of sleep, aging, excess dehydration or any potential underlying health condition.
Learn causes and potential medical condition and how you can use home remedies to get rid of sunken eyes.
Table of Contents
Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Sunken Eyes
Having sunken eyes is not that big a deal. Thus, if they are worked upon, sunken eyes won’t even affect you. Some of the most effective home remedies are mentioned herein:
1. Coconut Oil
It keeps the skin hydrated and nourished. The antioxidants in it heal the dull and damaged skin cells under the eyes. Thus, it gives the under-eye area a natural glow and thus is a full proof natural remedy for sunken eye.
You Will Need
a) Extra virgin coconut oil
What You Have To Do?
a) Clean the under-eye area.
b) Take the coconut oil on your fingertips and massage it around your eyes.
c) Do this every night before you go to bed.
2. Castor Oil
This oil conditions the skin and keeps it healthy. The antioxidants eliminate the free radicals that make your under-eye area dull and dark. You should be careful not to get any oil in your eyes, as castor oil may sting a bit.
You Will Need
a) Organic castor oil
What You Have To Do?
a) Take a few drops of the oil and massage it on the affected area for 2-3 minutes.
b) Once you have massaged, wash it with clean water or a washcloth.
c) Apply this every night for about 2-3 weeks.
3. Cucumber
Dark circles are the results of tiredness and fatigue. If you place cucumbers on that area, they soothe and rejuvenate the skin and also treat the sunken eyes. Further, it improves complexion and renders a glow to the skin. This is one of simple home remedies you can use for sunken eyes.
You Will Need
a) Cucumber
What You Have To Do?
a) Slice the cucumber and keep the slices in the fridge for some time.
b) Lie down and place a slice each on your eyes.
c) Then just relax for a couple of minutes.
4. Olive Oil
The benefits of olive oil are immense. Its high antioxidant content makes it a wonderful remedy for sunken eye problem. It contains oleuropein, which protects the skin in many ways.
You Will Need
a) Extra virgin olive oil
What You Have To Do?
a) Take half a teaspoon of olive oil and massage it under your eyes.
b) Do this every night for a month for improvement.
5. Fish Oil
As fish oil is rich in omega fatty acids, it is an excellent remedy for sunken eyes. These fatty acids maintain the finest health of the skin layers. Further, they are anti-inflammatory and promote healing of the damaged cells.
You Will Need
a) Fish oil capsules
What You Have To Do?
a) Open the capsule and apply the fish oil under your eyes.
b) You should do this every night for a few weeks.
6. Almond Oil
This oil is gentle on the skin and therefore, it nourishes the skin. Further, it improves the complexion and skin tone. This is because of its emollient and sclerosant properties. Moreover, it reduces scarring as it possesses skin renewal properties
You Will Need
a) Almond oil
What You Have To Do?
a) Use pure almond oil and massage it under your eyes.
b) Do not wipe away the oil.
c) Apply this as many times as you want during the day.
7. Vitamin K
The intake of this vitamin helps to lighten the under-eye area. It improves blood flow to the area and helps to lighten the darkened skin.
Foods such as broccoli, cabbage, carrots, spinach, and strawberries are rich in vitamin K. Try to include these in your daily diet to avoid sunken eyes.
8. Avocado Oil
The eminent fatty acids present in avocado oil helps to thicken and nourish the skin. This oil enhances the collagen production and healing processes of the body. Thus, the under-eye area becomes supple, healthy, and glowing.
You Will Need
a) Avocado oil
What You Have To Do?
Apply a few drops of the oil under your eyes and leave it on overnight. Repeat this for some weeks and see the dark circles fade away.
9. Potato
It refreshes the tired and dull skin around the eye. It further prevents skin aging and makes it beautiful by hydrating it. Thus, altogether it can help get you rid of sunken eyes.
You Will Need
a) Raw potato
What You Have To Do?
a) Cut the potato into thin slices.
b) Place a slice on each eye for about 20 to 30 minutes.
c) Repeat this process twice a day.
10. Vaseline
This hydrates the skin and keeps it healthy. It also eliminates fine lines and prevents wrinkles. This is definitely worth a shot.
You Will Need
a) Vaseline petroleum jelly
What You Have To Do?
a) Apply a thin layer of Vaseline around your eyes.
b) Leave it on overnight.
11. Tea Bags
They can be really effective for healing sunken eyes. Keep warm or cold teabags on your eyes for few minutes. They help you to relax and also improve blood circulation. It thereby reduces pigmentation and dark circles. You can call it the quickest remedy to treat sunken eyes.
12. Lemon Juice
It is considered natural Apply fresh lemon juice around the eyes, as it helps in removing dead skin cells around the eyes. Just be assured, that before applying, dilute lemon juice with some water. Otherwise, it may sting a bit.
13. Sandalwood
It also helps to nourish the skin and improves its appearance within a short span of time. It also helps to better the complexion of the skin and adds radiance and shine to the skin below your eyes. This is more off an ayurvedic treatment for sunken eyes.
You Will Need
a) Sandalwood Paste
b) Essential oils
What To Do?
a) Mix the sandalwood powder along with the essential oils. Keep churning, till the time a chick paste has been formed.
b) Apply it at the affected area and let it sit for 15-20 minutes or until it dries out.
c) Wash with cold water.
d) Repeat this at least 2-3 times a day for best results.
14. Cold Water
Another trick to lessen or prevent sunken eyes is if you keep splashing cold water onto your face. This will help in blood circulation and improve the hollow eyes. This also helps to freshen up your skin.
Exercises To Uplift Under Eye Hollows
The problem of sunken eyes can also be cured by some eye exercises. These sunken hollow eye exercises are very easy to follow. Thus, you do not need a trainer to help you do the following exercises:
1. Dancing Eyes
Hold your head erect and still. Start moving your eyeballs from the left to the center and then to right. After that, go back to the center. Repeat this 10 times.
2. Eye Squeeze
Shut your eyelids and squeeze your eyes for 5 seconds. After that, pop your eyes open and dart your eyeballs from left to right. Repeat this 10 times.
3. Closed Eye Squeeze
Place your fingertips of both hands under your eyes. Rotate them in a semicircle. Tightly close your eyelids for about 5-6 seconds. Rotate till you feel the eye muscles working under your fingertips. Repeat this 7-10 times a day.
4. Rotating Eyes
Do this exercise once you are done with the other ones. In this, try rotating your eyes in every direction. It is advised that you should do this very slowly so that there aren’t any unnecessary jerks.
Prevent Sunken Eyes Or Hollow Eyes
Sunken eyes cannot be really prevented per se. Yet, there are certain lifestyle changes which can be brought in one’s life which would help you resolve the issue of sunken eyes.
Some of the basic ones are mentioned herein:
- Apply some topical treatments that contain vitamins C, E, and K. They will improve the sunken look on the face and help you recover from the under-eye hollowness.
- Start paying attention to your sleep schedule. Sleep deprivation is a major cause of dark eye circles. Adults need a minimum of 7-9 hours of sleep each day.
- Elevate your pillows. While sleeping, fluids may accumulate under the eye area. This is what causes sunken eye. You may use extra pillows to avoid fluid pooling under the eyes at night.
- Apply cold compresses to the eyes. Use a wet washcloth and apply it to the eyes. You may also wrap a cold pack with a thin towel and then set it on the eyes. This is done because when the skin is cold, blood vessels dilate. As a result, sunken eyes may improve.
- Use sunscreen under the eyes. Usually, the skin under the eyes is thin and prone to damage. Further, sun exposure increases under-eye pigment.
- This results in a dark appearance. There are some under-eye creams which have sun protection in them. You may also purchase a sunscreen designed for the face which has an SPF 30 or higher.
- Drink sufficient amounts of water as this will help your skin to remain hydrated.
- Try to avoid too much caffeine as it damages the skin severely.
- Take care when applying makeup. Before you apply makeup, use a moisturizer to hydrate the skin. This will further ensure that your makeup sticks.
- Further, you can also try to hide your sunken eyes by putting up a quality concealer, which will help you hide the black hollows underneath the eyes and make you look glamorous. But, obviously, this is only a time-bound technique.
What Causes Sunken Eyes?
Sunken eyes have a number of causes. Usually, it is very difficult to guess the cause behind your sunken eyes. However, if diagnosed properly, the cause behind your sunken eyes may be one of the following causes:
1. Aging
As we age, all of us tend to lose fat from our faces. The bone density around the facial muscles declines and our faces tend to shag away. Due to increase in age, there is an obvious decline in the supporting structures in the face.
The skin starts to lose collagen and becomes thinner. Therefore, hollowing of the face around the eyes becomes part of the process.
2. Dramatic Weight Loss
When you lose a ton of weight, the fat loss affects all areas of the body, including the face. A theatrical loss of fat from the face may also make the blood vessels surrounding your eyes more noticeable and transparent.
3. Genetics
The position of the eyes also depends on your genetics. If there are other members of your family who have sunken or darkened eyes, it could just be part of your DNA.
4. Lack Of Sleep
Poor-quality sleep is a common problem in today’s society. Getting less than seven hours of restful sleep may take a toll on your appearance. This is because lack of sleep causes the skin under the eyes to sag.
5. Dehydration
If you are outdoors for an extended period of time, you may suffer from dehydration. This happens when the weather is very hot or humid.
It may also happen when you perspire so much that you lose a significant amount of the body’s water content. One of the major symptoms of dehydration is sunken eyes.
6. Sun Exposure
Sun exposure causes the body to produce melanin, which darkens our skin. Thus, if you already have darker skin under your eyes, sun exposure can worsen the situation.
These darkened circles under the eyes might look like shadows under the eyes, which may cause the appearance of hollowed-out eyes.
7. Allergies
Allergic rhinitis, also called hay fever, can cause dark circles formation under the eyes. This gives them a sunken look. This is often referred to as “allergic shiners.”
If you have this allergy, you may rub or scratch the skin around the eyes leading to irritation. This causes the eyes to sag making them look sunken.
8. Sinus Infections
Inflammation of the sinuses or the infection called sinusitis may make your eyes appear sunken. Thus, you should see your doctor if you think you have a sinus infection.
9. Smoking
This act degrades the collagen in the body. Further, it removes the elasticity in the body. Due to excessive smoking, the eyes tend to sag and start to look sunken.
What Are The Symptoms Of Sunken Eyes?
These were some of the major visible causes of sunken eyes. Yet, what is more, important is, to know whether you are suffering from this problem or not.
Some of the symptoms of sunken eyes are mentioned here in:
- a hollowing under the eyes
- a dark shadow over the lower eyelid
- dark circles underneath the eyes
- the thin-looking skin under the eyes
- an overall tired or fatigued look in the face
- Sore or burning eyes
- The sudden change in vision or if you have red (bloodshot) eyes
- Excess of discharge in the eyes. This suggests that your eyes are getting tired.
- Your eyes become sensitive to light.
- If you face jerky eye movements.
- If there is any discoloration above and below the eyes, then refer this problem to the doctor.
Sunken eyes are also referred to as “tear trough hollows” or “under-eye hollows.” As dark circles are commonly a result of aging, people usually begin to notice sunken and hollow eyes by their late 30s and early 40s.
FAQ’s
Once you have been through this article, it is obvious that you may have some questions. The following are mentioned some frequently asked questions by people on this issue. They are enumerated below:
1. What Are Some Of The Common Reasons For Sunken Eyes?
This article has already pointed out some of the causes of sunken eyes. However, to give a gist of the same, some of the common reasons are:
a) Bad food habits and indigestion
b) Internal weakness or stomach problems
c) Lack of sleep
d) Stress and tension
e) Lack of hydration in the body
f) Lack of timely and proper treatment of dark circle
g) Too much caffeine intake or smoking.
2. Is There A Diet To Remove Sunken Eyes?
A healthy diet contains foods rich in vitamin Kand antioxidants. It will ensure that your skin is perpetually healthy and glowing.
It is suggested that you eat 4-5 portions of fruits and vegetables every day. This helps to provide all the necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to your skin.
3. What Is The Outlook For Someone With Sunken Eyes?
For most people, sunken eyes are a normal part of the aging process. Thus, the only concern is related to your physical appearance.
Fortunately, there are many non-invasive treatments to help minimize the appearance of sunken eyes. Yet, if you still find yourself suffering from sunken eyes, then you should see your doctor.
4. Can Sunken Eyes Cause Other Conditions?
Having sunken eyes due to aging or genetics is not dangerous. This is because it does not cause any serious problems.
Yet, negative changes to someone’s appearance may trigger emotional reactions. It may also result in poor self-esteem and reduced confidence. This eventually leads to depression or anxiety.
Thus, we hope that this article has helped you solve all the issue pertaining to sunken eyes. Preventing or reducing sunken eyes is imperative and this article will help you thoroughly in doing the same.
Further, if you have been experiencing sunken eyes for a long time, then you should rush to a dermatologist. He will surely help you in deciphering the problem and help you provide remedies for the same also.
