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Friday, January 8, 2010

White/Light Under Eye Circles
















Aestheticians and beauty workers have begun to report a new and commonly heard complaint from many of their clients in recent years. This complaint is about under eye circles and not the dark ones about which we are all so accustomed to hearing people mope. Nope, women and men are complaining about a type of under eye circle that is much lighter or described as whiter than the rest of the face. This white under eye circle gives an unhealthier look than its darker cousin, and also causes for a worn and tired appearance. Being that even skin tone is what most of us strive for, white under eyes that cause us to look like some prehistoric fish or bird on the run are the last thing we want on our faces.

So what is the culprit? Well, you could be one of the lucky people who simply has this due to wearing sunglasses in a sunny environment, which means you just need to stay out of the sun and wear a hat in addition to your glasses when outside. However, for many people with this affliction the culprit is most likely refined sugar, which causes not only white unhealthy looking under eyes but also Diabetes (a much more serious affliction).

Now you might want some scientific data on this, which I just do not have. I am writing about this, because, despite my high fiber and mostly organic diet, I developed these unhealthy white under eyes. I searched the web for help only to find a whole load of info on bags and dark circles. I did, however, come across a health forum where a nutritionist advised another person with this problem to cut her refined sugar. She stated that the white under eyes would fade more and more with time and a low sugar diet.

After reading, I thought about my own sugar intake. And, sure enough, I would certainly describe myself as someone with a sweet tooth and even a weakness for sugar. As hard as it was and with some doubt about the whole thing, I cut the refined sugar in my diet by about 75% along with other forms of sugar. Within about a month and a half, my white under eyes were gone and the even skin tone I was so used to returned! In addition, I have developed a little more self control when it comes to sugar, and my blood sugar is considered low.

If you have the problem of light/white under eye circles, I hope you will take an honest look at your diet and see if you could be taking in too much sugar. Being that the average American consumes a half pound of refined sugar a day*, you just may be!

*Info from Dr. Ann Louise Gittlemen (Taste For Life Magazine, November 09)
Photo by Olga Shelego at PhotoXpress.

19 comments:

  1. exellent advise well done

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  2. iv been looking for the answer to white under eye circles for years and never thought to cut down my sugar intake, im so glad you have brought it to my attention, im stopping the sugar straight away, many thanks and keep up the good advise

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  3. does this really work

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  4. I do hope this works as I hate my white under eyes(I never let any one see me without makeup as it looks terrible). So I suppose its any sugar(even honey)Mmm.. I'm willing to give it try.

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  5. Hi Kathy and Everyone who has commented on this post...
    Yes, cutting one's sugar certainly helps relieve or even completely remedy white under eye circles. They are most often a manifestation of high sugar intake. The thing is most people aren't willing to really make the changes needed to actually cause for healing and a return of even skin tone.
    For example, no refined or even unrefined cane sugar should be ingested for at least 6 weeks-this is white, brown, turbinado, succanat, and other sugars. One also needs to be sure to be subbing in brown rice for white, whole grain bread for white, etc. Soda and juice (even organic) should be eliminated with a substitute of water and whole, organic fruit. Beer and wine should only appear in a meal once or twice a week and that should be one or two servings not 3 or 8!
    All in all, it is a big change where one is watching all refined sugars along with even good carbs, so it is quite a change. The positive is that even skin tone is just the beginning of healing. More energy, less moodiness, better sleep, and other benefits will also be noticed if you make these changes. And all while losing your addiction to sugars.

    Oh, and honey can surely be eaten in small amounts, Kathy (smile)!

    I hope this helps all of you, and that you give a low sugar/healthy carb diet a try. It's delicious and makes you look and feel a lot better!!!

    Stella

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    1. How about organic amber agave nectar?

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  6. Hi, I am a 25 years old women. I've been having white circles under my eyes 9 month now. I dont eat sweets at all. Usually drink water, and eat healty. So what could be the cause than?

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  7. Hi 25 Year Old Anonymous,

    First, even people who don't eats sweets can have high sugar intake due to eating refined carbs at most meals. For example, does your average meal consist of white rice, white bread, white pasta, etc. instead of whole grain rice, organic whole grain bread (no a.p. flour at all), potatoes and other whole grains? Also, refined starches in combination with drinking beer, wine or hard liquor can certainly cause for the appearance of white under eyes due to high blood sugar & the damage that sugar and insulin do to the human body.
    If whole grains are your main starches and you don't drink often, then you may need to see your doctor. Certain medications can sometimes cause this look along with other health problems.

    If you really want to track your sugars, don't make any changes to your diet for a week. Write down everything you eat down to the crumb. Then show it to a nutritionist, or you can even send it to me if you like (my e-mail). I'd be happy to tell you if your diet is the type that might cause for this problem...

    Hope this helps,
    Stella

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    1. I am vegan, and a very healthy eater. I do not consume any white processed foods, for the most part. I always eat whole grains. My white circles have been around for a few years, but seem to look more prominent within the last year. I am 27. I eat beans every day, so I feel like I am getting enough iron. I do have a sweet tooth, but don't consume refined white sugar, almost ever. I do use small amounts of honey or agave, but not daily. I am wondering if it all comes down to alcohol.? I do consume a glass or two of wine, or a beer or two, almost daily. But I drink 80 oz of water daily as well. ?? I am lost!

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    2. OH....and also, could it be due to fruit sugar? I mean, I only eat the recommended daily servings of fruit though. Usually 5 servings a day.

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    3. Hi Lisa, sorry for such a late response. I've been pregnant and then not:-)

      For you and anyone else who reads this and might get help from it, the answer to 'could it all come down to alcohol consumption' is "YES!".

      Alcohol combined with even the good carbs that we eat (brown rice, truly whole grain bread, oats, potatoes, etc) along with things like honey and 1 sweet thing a day like a glass or two of sweet tea or a piece of even organic pie can add up! Alcoholics often have white under eyes and they don't eat a lot of starch or sweets. They don't need to or crave them, as they are already getting high sugar/carb intake from the alcohol.

      I'm not all stating that you are an alcoholic (only that they often have white under eyes!) but simply that 2-3 drinks daily combined with bread, rice, potatoes, fruit and something sweet could seriously be taking a toll on your body and most certainly your under eyes!

      I hope this helps. Stella Witch

      p.s. I kind of allow myself two days a week to drink up to 2 drinks each day. I don't pick an exact day. I just use 1 day when I want and then use the other. Once I've done that, no more drinking till the next week...

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  8. Hi Stella

    Thanks for the advice. I'm going to give this a try for the next few months to see how I get on. I've had this problem since I was 29 (now 31)...

    To help with this, is there any way you can post a note confirming which foods we should eat and avoid?

    Thanks again Stella.

    J

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  9. Thank you so much for this information!! I realize now that all the candy i have been stuffing in my mouth is the problem. Finally an answer that makes sense!!!

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  10. I have this problem also. However, it went away a time after i began using a filter jug to filter out the fluoride in the town water. The jug also added ,minerals to the water. I suspect this is to do with drinking fluoridated water.

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  11. Not enough shut eye, a poor diet, and dehydration are the third reason for these pesky circles. Any of these issues can cause dark circles.

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  12. hi, i also suffer from this problem. are you sure that the answer is as simple as this. i eat very little grains, just the odd bit of rice, and little sugars. i think it may be due to rosacea. where the blood vessels in the cheeks enlarge causing them to get red, hence the contrast gives uneven skin tone?
    why dont overweight people all suffer from this. most of them have a high intake of sugar and refined carbs! do you have any refrences about what your writing?

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  13. The white circles under my eyes show up mostly in photos - it is very unflattering and I hate being photographed. I'll try anything - not a big sugar person but I do eat a lot of Jasmine & Basmati rice... Cutting out all sugars and switching to all brown rice/bread, etc. Thanks for the tip!

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  14. I'm 16 and I was born with my under eyes and even eyelids being lighter than the rest of my face, so is it just genetics or what? My mother has a darker complexion than me and doesn't have any under eye circles but I'm not sure about my dad. My eyelids are so pale I can see my veins. I thought it could be lighter than the rest of my face maybe because it is thinner, more sensitive skin that doesn't tan as easily or something but searching it I can only find it as a sign of a health concern...

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  15. Hello, 16 year old Anonymous. There is no way for me to respond to your concern without seeing your condition. I do have 1 question though. Do you look in the mirror a lot (smile but seriously)? When I was 16, I did and I noticed every tiny little thing that was even slightly wrong with my face. The truth is though, I was beautiful and didn't know it. Most 16 year old people are!

    If you think this is not a case of the teenage 'looks' blues, send me a good, clear photo or two of the eye area and your entire face. If it's something serious, I may be able to see it.

    Hope this helps, Stella Witch

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