We’ve all experienced a night’s sleep that wasn’t exactly “heavenly peace”. Perhaps the stress of your new job kept you tossing and turning all night. Maybe your allergies finally got the best of you, leaving you restless despite the nine hours you spent in bed. Either way you’re left with the same result: tired, puffy eyes and deep, dark under eye circles that seem impossible to mask.

Any old concealer won’t be enough to disguise those pesky eye problems. You need a simple but effective way to cover those dark circles and better yet, get rid of them once and for all. Lucky for you, we’ve got your three-step plan to brighter, younger-looking eyes: prep, conceal, and treat.

Prep

Prepping your eye area with an eye mask or a soothing eye gel can reduce swelling, instantly making your eyes appear brighter. Opt for products with ingredients like cucumber and aloe vera, like Estee Lauder Stress Relief Eye Masks, for an extra surge of healing power. Apply these pre-moistened, hydrating pads under each eye after washing your face, go about your normal morning routine, and remove the pads before you apply your makeup. Now your concealer will only have to do half the work.

Conceal

While an eye mask can work wonders, chances are your dark circles are still noticeable. Tilt your head down slightly and find the exact locations of your dark circles. Do you have dark spots that extend down your face? Are the inner corners of your eyes especially dark? Using your ring finger or a small brush, apply a yellow-based concealer where you need it. Try a concealer like the Philosophy ‘Miracle Worker’ if your eyes look particularly tired. This corrector-concealer duo comes with a correcting color that will brighten and disguise lines and dark marks and a concealer that will blur any discoloration.

Need a drugstore option that won’t break the bank? Give the Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller a try. The caffeine gel formula stimulates the eye area while providing a sheer tint of color to reduce the appearance of dark circles. Keep this baby in your purse for those days when you don’t have time to apply a full face of makeup but need an eye-brightening boost.

Treat

Taking care of the delicate skin around your eyes is an important part of your daily skincare routine. Try applying cult favorite Lancome ‘Genifique Yeux’ Youth Activating Eye Cream morning and night. Its gel-like formula is easy-to-apply and makes your eyes look more youthful by brightening the eye area and fighting wrinkles.

Have sensitive skin that breaks out when you apply a potent product? Give Roc Retinol Correxion Sensitive Eye Cream a try. This cream contains retinol, a powerful wrinkle-fighter, but the formula is mild enough for people who are sensitive to retinol or have never used an eye cream. Use this product under your makeup and with sunscreen.

The post How to Look Wide Awake on No Sleep appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Occasionally we look in the mirror and don’t recognize the eyes staring back at us. It is unavoidable that as we age our eyes are often the first things to reflect that. Sometimes even after the wrinkle creams and layers of the latest and greatest make up we still aren’t experiencing the results that we want. Although one option is to embrace each line for the life experience that it represents, for some people that is easier said than done. If you find yourself too busy worrying about your tired eyes to enjoy life or are hiding behind sunglasses at all times, you do have some other options. AKA Mom sat down with Dr. Mark A. Clymer to discuss some of them.

Dr. Clymer, who practices out of Nashville, TN, is a board certified facial plastic surgeon who offers both invasive and non-invasive solutions to a variety of different cosmetic issues. Since Dr. Clymer specializes in treatments that appear so natural that no one would ever guess that you had any procedures done, we thought he would be the perfect person to talk to about one of women’s biggest complaints, their tired eyes. “It is not a one-solution-fits-all type of problem, Dr. Clymer explains, “there are a wide range of causes and six different physical scenarios that can be happening to create what people think of as old or tired eyes. Two of the most common, and easily fixed, are a loss of volume around the eyes that creates a sallow look and wrinkles or lines around your eyes”. These conditions are often caused by excessive sun exposure, stress, heredity and aging.

The first procedure that we discussed was Restylane™. According to Dr. Clymer, a good candidate for Restylane™ is someone who has, over time, seen a loss of volume beneath their skin. Often these patients report being regularly asked if they are tired when they are not. “Restylane is a simple injection procedure that takes less than a day to recover from, Dr. Clymer says, you will be ready to return to work the next morning”. Although you will see some results immediately, the full effect is seen after about two days and last for as long as a year. Your coworkers will have no idea, but don’t be surprised if they ask how you got such a great nights sleep! Results include fuller, awake-looking eyes and a lot of compliments!

Before Restylane™ and Dysport™                  After Restylane™ and Dysport™

The second procedure, Dysport™, can treat your wrinkles over your lunch break. Talk about a power lunch!  For the women who fret over the fine lines and “crows feet” Dr. Clymer recommends this procedure. This is another injection type procedure but instead of a filler, like Restylane, it is a muscle relaxant. Dr. Clymer explains that with only one treatment of Dysport you will see dramatic results almost immediately that last 3-6 months, with virtually no recovery time needed. This is a great next step for women who feel that creams aren’t cutting it, but they aren’t ready for anything invasive. 

As parting advice to anyone who may be considering a cosmetic procedure, be sure to find a reputable doctor that specializes in producing natural looking results. Dr. Clymer advised it best when he said that he is in the business of putting himself out of business since no one can ever tell that his clients have had procedures done, they just look like they went on a fabulously relaxing vacation!  

Dr. Mark A. Clymer 

1800 Mallory Ln, Brentwood, TN 37027 

(615) 661-4005

www.clymermd.com

The post The Next Step for Tired Eyes appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.