Believe it or not, we get a ton of questions from men (and the ladies who love them) about how to better take care of the male eye area. Whether it’s dark bags, circles, that hangover-look or other, it seems as if folks are jonesing for additional info to help out the ole’ peepers. Those answers are what we’re here for and below are responses to the most common eye-quiries we get:
Q: WHY IS THE SKIN AROUND THE EYE AREA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE FACE?
A: The skin around eyes is thin and delicate and does not have sebaceous glands, the glands responsible for oil production (you knew that though). Without said oil production, skin around these areas can get extremely dry and worn out without proper care. All these factors make the eye area quite succeptable to the signs of damage, aging and wrinkling.
Q:WHAT CAUSES DARK CIRCLES AND HOW CAN THEY BE TREATED/PREVENTED?
A: Dark circles can be the result of being punched on the face… or more likely one of the following: lack of sleep, dehydration, smoking, heavy drinking or aging. While you can’t control the aging or hereditary factors, men can stave off these dark circles via: getting 8+ hours of sleep per night, drinking 7-8 glasses of water per day and avoiding smoking or smoke-infused areas. As for products to combat these circles/bags, look for products containing Vitamin K or Lexin.
Q: WHAT CAUSES PUFFY EYES AND HOW CAN THEY BE TREATED/PREVENTED?
A: Puffy eyes are usually the result of being punched in the face… but more likely come from: lack of sleep, allergic reactions or fluid retention/dehydration. Easy solutions to avoid such baggage include getting proper sleep (8+ hours), drinking lots of water or applying ice cubes wrapped in a towel to the area for 10-15 minutes daily. Products that do the trick for bags usually contain Chamomile, Cucumber Extract or Green Tea.
Q: HOW CAN A MAN PREVENT THE SIGNS OF AGING AROUND THE EYE AREA AND WHY IS THIS ZONE THE FIRST TO LOOK OLD?
A:As stated before, since this area is thin and delicate, it will show wear and tear well before other areas of the face. As a man ages, he produces less Collagen and Elastin, the stuff that keeps skin firm, tight and supple-looking. Wrinkles, etc. sprout from there.
So, what to do to combat this? The sleep and water stuff mentioned above can help, but it’s also helpful to regularly use products packed with Retinol/Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Antioxidants. If these don’t work and a guy’s got supreme security in his masculinity, Botox or Collagen injections are always an option.
Q: IS THERE A SPECIAL WAY TO APPLY EYE SOLUTION PRODUCTS?
A; Yes sir there is… and the recommended technique, while effective, isn’t going to win you any macho points. That said, because the skin in these areas is different from other areas, some TLC is required. Proper application of eye area products entails applying small amounts of the solution under and above the eye area using the ring finger, applying the gel/goo in a light, tapping motion. In addition to taking it easy on sensitive zones, this application method also ensures you don’t mistakenly put the stuff in your eye.
Greetings. We founded the Grooming Lounge more than 10 years ago with the goal of providing men with the ultimate destination for skin care products, services & advice..
September 18th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Re: dark circles q&a - I especially appreciate that, after listing all the causes, while addressing each of them with your recommendations, the “heavy drinking” factor was left unaddressed.
I can handle the sleep, water and avoiding smoking tips, but thank you for not telling me to stop drinking.
[tongue pressed firmly in cheek]
Thanks for another great post fellas. I live six hours from your Virginia store, but any opportunity I have to return, I make a point to stop in for a haircut and to say hello.
See you next week, in fact…