Sleeping off your skin concerns

 I have been through a few weeks of heavy work and didn’t get enough sleep due to the stress. My skin has aged much over the past month and I’ve developed wrinkly dark circles under my eyes. How do I improve my skin?
A few nights’ missed sleep can result in temporarily puffy eyes, dark circles and sallow skin, but when skipping sleep becomes a habit, the damage can be much worse. Chronic sleep-loss can lead to lacklustre skin, fine lines and, as you mentioned, evident dark circles under the eyes.
When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases more cortisol, the stress hormone that can break down skin collagen, zapping the plumpness and radiance out of your skin. Also released during deep sleep is a growth hormone that contributes to stronger skin and tissue repair.
So, without enough sleep, your skin doesn’t have the “tools” to fix what’s broken. The first way to solve sleep-deprived unhealthy skin is to change your sleeping habits. It’s not just the hours that count, although one should always aim for about eight hours a night. The timing of your sleep matters just as much. Taking catnaps here and there can’t beat one uninterrupted sleep.
As for under-eye circles, there are actually many causes, from genetic and allergies to habit. To easily categorise the cause, there are three main causes – hyper-pigmentation, more visible blood vessels, and collagen loss around the eye socket. You might also want to try creams containing lightening agents such as retinol, hydroquinone, green tea, Vitamin C and soy to brighten up the dark circles.
No matter what the cause, dark circles are easily treated. In mild cases a good eye cream, coupled with healthy sleeping habits, should do the trick. Short-pulsed lasers, including the Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 1064nm should be equally effective for treating hyper-pigmentation around the eyes, and a Dual Yellow laser producing 511 and 578nm can also address a wide range of pigmentation problems.
Dark circles under the eyes caused by thin skin and visible blood vessels can be treated with a V-Beam laser, which delivers a gentle burst of energy to the skin. The light is specifically absorbed by the blood vessels, improving the look of the dark veins. Skincare products containing Vitamin K might also help.
If the circles are caused by collagen loss, fillers can help, but they have to be applied with great expertise and caution since the area is very delicate.
Injecting an unbalanced amount can cause lumpiness that could be difficult to fix. Some filler substances are more suitable than others, so make sure you consult your doctor about the available options.
For wrinkles, Ulthera treatment with a special tip for the eye area could tighten and lift the skin. Thermage is also a good option to tighten.
But, at the end of the day, if you don’t get enough sleep, your hormones will lose balance and your skin will experience many problems, as well as your health. Determine what the actual problem is – no time to sleep, can’t sleep, or don’t sleep well enough. Treating your skin concerns is easy, but not as effective in the long run as changing your lifestyle.