Shecky’s

Marcella Holley asked: I have dark circles under my eyes. How can I fix them?

Good news, Marcella!

You CAN get rid of dark circles. Since this is such a common question, I phoned up Dr. Dima Ali. Owner of both the WellMedica Anti-Aging and Wellness Medical Spa and beauty line Cosminology, Dr. Dima is an expert on dark circles.

Sculptra was originally used for H.I.V. patients. It showed remarkable results in getting rid of any sunken gauntness in the face and it worked beautifully to restore thin skin. When Sculptra was just being whispered about as the new miracle filler, Dr. Dima was a pioneer exploring the many ways Sculptra could help her patients who were suffering from dark circles.

The great news is that this condition is treatable. Dr. Dima says, “Dark circles, Periorbital Discoloration or Darkness” is 100% hereditary. I also asked Dr. Dima, “How can it get worse?” Dr. Dima didn’t skip a beat before she shot back, “Well, too much sun will thin the undereye skin out even more, and lack of sleep or being dehydrated [does the same].” Sculptra is her filler of choice to stop this problem in its tracks. It’s one of the most potent collagen stimulators on the market. Three treatments, six weeks apart, and it will last a minimum of two years.

If you’re too shy or your wallet is feeling too thin for Sculptra, Dr. Dima has a great prescription grade topical cream. She says, “The after pic is two-three weeks after using my Big Bang Twilight DNA Repair and Lightening Cream. An over-the-counter formula is available by calling the office. Ingredients include botanical extracts, like tyrosinase inhibitors to help reduce the melanin production. In the above example, if it didn’t go away, I would’ve done some chemical peels as an adjunct.” The cream is heavy in topicals like vitamin K, extract bilberry, licorice root and retinal hydroninal. Look for these ingredients before you buy an under-eye dark circle cream.

And if you need a quick, instant remedy? I know from my makeup training that you always want to use a concealer a little lighter then you normally would when hiding a discoloration. If you use a concealer that is too dark, you are only going to aggravate the area. Dr. Dima has taken her knowledge of under-eye discoloration and come up with a dark circle base that is specially formulated: AstroGuise ($22), an under-eye neutralizer with a yellow base for use before your concealer. After applying AstroGuise, Dr. Dima recommends you use her AstroKoncealer ($22).

Lightening up the inside of the eye with highlighters can also help. Good luck with banishing your under-eye dark circles, Marcella! And thank you to our expert dark circle eraser, Dr. Dima Ali.

-Megan O’Brien of MegsMakeup.com

Megan O’Brien runs Megsmakeup.com. Meg is a beauty expert and makeup artist who frequently guest stars on national television. Megsmakeup.com is her baby, where she believes, “Always remember, true beauty comes from within…From within bottles, jars, compacts and tubes!”

GIRL TALK TIME: How do you prevent under-eye circles? Have you used any of these treatments? What makeup question do you have for Meg? Comment with a problem below and she could choose YOUR question to answer next time around!