Retinol is now considered one of the most popular skin care ingredients, and it looks like this trend will only increase in the coming years. But as its popularity has grown, so has the amount of misinformation. Let's cover all things retinol to help you separate fact from fiction.
To recap, retinol is a vitamin A molecule that offers a variety of skin benefits, including treating acne, reversing signs of aging, and repairing sun damage.
“The molecule penetrates cells and stimulates their renewal. When skin cell turnover is at its maximum, they can function at optimal capacity and repair DNA damage caused by sun and environmental factors,” explains Dr. Nancy Samolitis, a board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of California boutique Facile Dermatology. “This restoration and normalization of cells, in turn, leads to improvements in signs of aging such as dullness, uneven complexion and wrinkles,” says Samolitis.
Myth 1. All retinols are the same
First of all, retinol and retinoid are not the same thing. "The term 'retinoid' is an umbrella term used for both synthetic and natural retinol derivatives," says Dr. Kelly Reed, a dermatologist at Westlake Dermatology in Austin. “Typically, retinols found in over-the-counter products are weaker compared to prescription-only retinoids (such as tretinoin),” says the dermatologist. “Topical retinol and retinaldehyde are precursors to retinoic acid, a more powerful version of prescription retinol,” she explains. "With over-the-counter retinols, it may take longer to achieve your goals because they have to go into their active form, but for some they are better tolerated and less irritating to the skin," says Dr. Reed. Then there are pro-retinols, the gentlest retinol derivative. “They cause the least amount of potential skin irritation, but are also the least effective,” says Dr. Samolitis.
The reason for the appearance of bruises under the eyes in girls
If a bruise appears under the right eye, the reason may lie in a banal injury to it the day before. But bilateral swelling and blueness are a reason to understand the problem. Teenagers often develop bruises under their eyes – the reasons may lie in:
- Skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis.
- Endocrine system and hormonal background. A young body is constantly growing and rebuilding, which is often accompanied by a real hormonal boom. Other reasons can also cause dark circles under the eyes of a teenager – hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. The first causes the appearance of brown and yellow circles, the second - darker, even purple and blue. Excessive or insufficient production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland can lead to disorders of various organs. If the issue is in the endocrine system, you cannot do without the help of an endocrinologist.
If parents notice that the child is pale and has bruises under the eyes, the reasons may lie in the habit of sitting at the computer for a long time or lack of sleep. Sometimes bad habits and poor lifestyle lead to this. If a bruise has formed under the left eye, the cause may lie in injury. In this case, you need to talk openly with the child and discuss his problems.
Myth 2: Retinol should not be used around the eyes.
Source here and below: Pexels
It is completely safe to use retinol around the eyes as long as you do so carefully. “It’s optimal to start using retinol only two to three days a week. Gradually increase the frequency as your skin becomes more resilient,” suggests Samolitis. “Just make sure you apply a generous amount of eye moisturizer right after your retinol. And be careful not to use too much at once or let it get into your eyes,” adds the skin-care expert.
How to get rid of bags under the eyes
It is recommended to limit the amount of salt and pickled foods, do exercises during the day to relieve eye strain, and normalize sleep. Cosmetological procedures have a good effect: contrast baths, rubbing the skin with ice, herbal lotions, draining massage and special face masks.
If swelling around the eyes is accompanied by changes in general health, signs of heart disease, kidney damage and other symptoms, you should consult a doctor. Treatment of the underlying disease will help cope with facial defects.
Regular consumption of alcoholic beverages leads to severe swelling, stagnation of venous blood, premature aging and sagging skin, which causes the appearance of bluish bags under the eyes.
Myth 3. You shouldn't use retinol during the day.
“Many people think that using retinol during the day is unsafe, and this is absolutely false. Retinols themselves are sensitive to sunlight, so if you apply retinol and immediately expose your skin to the sun, the component will be less effective, but there is little to no increased risk of sunburn,” says Dr. Samolitis. “There are also some newer retinol formulations that are not deactivated by sunlight at all,” says Dr. Reed. “If you're just starting to use retinol, your skin will be more sensitive as it adjusts to the new retinol product, which can make it more likely to burn. So don't forget to apply sunscreen before going outside.
Circles around the eyes: other causes
Other causes of circles and bruises around the eyes may be hyperpigmentation of the skin of the eyelids, which is observed in fairly rare diseases: dermatomyositis, adrenal insufficiency. In these cases, the symptoms of the underlying disease come first.
Darkening of the skin of the eyelids sometimes occurs with prolonged existence of urolithiasis, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular accident.
With exhaustion and dehydration (against the background of strict diets and excess exercise), the volume of orbital fiber decreases, which leads to the effect of sunken eyes.
The cause of bags under the eyes may be an allergy to cosmetics and certain beauty salon procedures. Allergies are usually accompanied by dry skin, itching and flaking.
Expert: Natalya Dolgopolova, general practitioner Author: Tamara Mutnovskaya
The material uses photographs belonging to shutterstock.com
Myth 5. Retinol makes skin thinner, which is bad.
“People think that retinol thins the skin, and this is true. However, it only thins out the topmost layer (the stratum corneum), which is made up of dead skin cells (also known as keratinocytes),” says Dr. Reed. Additionally, “retinol has been scientifically proven to help build and thicken the collagen layer in the dermis, resulting in stronger, healthier skin,” adds Dr. Samolitis.
Blue circles under the eyes. Why do blue circles appear under the eyes?
The appearance of blue areas under the eyes significantly worsens the appearance, making the face exhausted and exhausted.
Women react most strongly to such changes in appearance, trying to disguise the unpleasant symptom. However, without finding out the real reason for the appearance of bruises, it is impossible to get rid of them. To understand how to act correctly, you should know in what cases dark circles under the eyes form most often.
The disorder usually develops as a result of:
- Stressful situations. If you are regularly exposed to stress, the body becomes severely depleted, which is often accompanied by the appearance of areas under the eyes with a bluish tint.
- Lack of sleep and excessive fatigue. Modern man is forced to cope with a huge workload, and there is not enough time for sleep. Due to chronic lack of sleep, malfunctions occur in the functioning of internal organs. Against the background of pale skin, the circles are more pronounced.
- Unbalanced diet. If a person eats poorly, there is a lack of nutrients, which is reflected in the condition of the skin.
- Harmful addictions. Abuse of alcoholic beverages and smoking contribute to oxygen deficiency in tissues and the appearance of problems with blood circulation.
- Hereditary predisposition. In representatives of several generations, cyanosis may be caused by structural features of the eye sockets. The symptom usually occurs in people with deep-set eyes.
- Age-related changes. The defect becomes a consequence of thinning of the skin, as well as exacerbation of chronic ailments.
- Pathological disorders in the body. Bruises in the eye area may indicate, for example, kidney or cardiovascular pathologies.
Yellow circles
The banal reason is that you ate a lot of tangerines or carrots. She feels good, the whites of her eyes are white.
Yellowness under the eyes may indicate increased bilirubin levels. And this is a sign of a serious disease - viral hepatitis C. It is confirmed by yellowing of the sclera (outer membranes of the eyeball) and other mucous membranes. You urgently need to do a blood test for bilirubin. Perhaps this is how biliary tract problems are reflected on the face.
The cause may be bad habits and poor lifestyle: smoking, stress, lack of sleep, lack of fresh air (lack of walks, unventilated rooms), tanning without protective cream. Strict diets and fasting disrupt the functioning of organs and can cause yellowness under the eyes.
Find out how to remove wrinkles on your neck.
Reviews about non-surgical rhinoplasty: .
Here you can read about the reasons for the appearance of papillomas on the body.
Bruises under the eyes of a pregnant woman: causes
Often, in an interesting position, ladies experience not the most pleasant sensations. You may notice bruises under the eyes of pregnant women - the reasons may lie:
- Increased stress on the heart, kidneys, blood vessels.
- Accumulations of fluid in the body.
- Sleepless nights.
- Poor nutrition – constant consumption of fatty, spicy, salty, fried, sour foods.
- Constant tears that become a frequent companion of pregnant women.
To understand why bruises under the eyes occur, the doctor carefully studies the reasons. You can’t do without diagnostics and tests. Only after this can we talk about the root causes of the ailment, as well as make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment!
Dark bags and bruises
The first manifestation of many problems in the body are bruises and bags that appear under the eyes. Very often, problems of this kind are associated with internal organs, and if there are no other symptoms, then this is the only reason that there is a problem. It is easy to imagine an approximate list of reasons.
- Swelling and appearing bruises under the eyes can be caused by impaired venous and lymphatic drainage as a result of a stressful situation, chronic fatigue, insufficient sleep, eye strain, or simply as a result of a sedentary lifestyle.
- Eyes swell as a result of allergies; such a symptom can be a harbinger of bronchial asthma.
- Bruises, even in a child, are often the result of individual characteristics. The capillaries are located so superficially that bruises appear under the eyes.
- Edema occurs as a result of diseases of the internal organs, in particular, heart failure, pathology of the kidneys, stomach or gynecological problems, in which circles appear.
- Inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx.
- Bruises appear with conjunctivitis.
In the case where the cause is a disease, it is simply impossible to remove the circles themselves; they will disappear only after treatment of the underlying disease. Treatment in a child or adult should not be directed at the symptom itself, but rather at the cause. The color of the circles also matters; from them you can find out the reasons for their occurrence.
The color of the bruise will tell you what's wrong
Bruises, if they appear, have a characteristic color, by which you can understand what violation caused their appearance. An approximate list can be presented as follows.
- Dark bruises appear after insufficient or poor quality sleep. Such symptoms indicate the presence of dehydration and can occur in adults and children.
- When blood circulation is impaired, blue bruises appear.
- If the color has a gray tint, then perhaps it is time to visit a gynecologist and solve your problems.
- The red color of the circles indicates insufficient oxygen supply to the body, a possible allergic reaction or kidney-related diseases.
- Blue-red color indicates problems with the heart.
- Dark blue ones appear when there is a lack of blood circulation as a result of smoking.
- If the circle is yellow, then you should look for problems in the liver or gall bladder.
- Black color makes it clear that intestinal function is disrupted.
