What's worse than having a bad hair day? Take a walk and peek into a mirror. Chances are, you'll agree that the worst thing that could happen is with respect to the areas between your eyes and your mouth. That's right, dark circles around the eyes and eye bags are an off-putting sight. It strikes disdain in the hearts of men and women alike (whether or not they actually tell you) and discounts the presence of those who have it. It fells every non-makeup-wearing person with one mighty swoop; sapping the confidence of every unfortunate soul who just might have happened to wake up with a pair in the morning.

Where did it come from?

Unfortunately for those who have it, eye bags and dark circles are mainly an inherited phenomenon. Our physical traits determine, to a large extent, the impact of eyebags and dark circles. The thinness of skin beneath our eyes, for example, determines the extent of the blue tinge - arising from the blood vessels underneath - showing through. As one grows older, the skin correspondingly becomes thinner, thus making the dark circles more obvious.

Eye bags and dark circles may also be triggered by various factors such as allergies or medications. Over-exposure to sunlight can also make worse the dark circles by making our skin produce more melanin on the skin surface, thus making the area look darker.

Pale skin is another cause for this. This may arise from various reasons such as having insufficient sleep, tiredness or illness, all of which would indirectly make the dark circles more visible through the skin.

Allergies are also to blame. Allergies could arise from, for example, airborne pollen or certain medications, which cause the release of histamine in our bodies. This causes the dilation of blood vessels which result in dark smudges appearing under the eyes. Allergies also tend to cause skin to itch, hence making the darkening worse for those who can't resist rubbing the eyes and area around it.

What can I do to reduce its effects?

The easiest way is to get plenty of sleep at night. 7 to 8 hours is the best for most adults. While sleeping, rest the head on a raised surface (e.g. a pillow) as this helps prevent fluids from collecting around the eyes during sleep.

Compressing cool water to the skin under the eyes for a few minutes can also alleviate the situation. This helps by shrinking the blood vessels, thus minimizing the bluish tinge on the skin surface.

Massage almond oil into the skin around the eyes before sleeping at night. Do this for 2 weeks and watch the improvement. This does wonders as almond is great food for the skin. For added effect, put hot and cold towels alternatively under the eyes for 10 minutes before applying the almond oil.