I’m 25 years old and have had dark circles around my eyes since my teens. These dark circles get darker when I stay up too late, but take days of lots of sleep before they appear lighter. I am very bothered by this and was wondering if there are any laser treatments that can address this problem. How much would the treatment cost? What does the treatment involve and how long will the results last?
J.L.

Dear J.L.,
There are many causes for dark circles, ranging from vessel congestion, pigment formation to genetics. There is no scientific evidence that suggests lack of sleep causes or aggravates dark circles.

The best treatment is to use a skin lightening cream to reduce pigment formation. However, some of the deeper pigments can be removed with a pigment-specific laser. You will need many sessions of the treatment, as the aim is to destroy the pigments that are causing the dark circles.

The cost per laser treatment varies – usually a few hundred Singapore dollars per session, and you may need several sessions.

Before the laser treatment, your dermatologist will apply an anaesthetic cream to be left on for an hour. The laser treatment usually takes around five minutes to complete. Once the pigments are destroyed, the improvement is permanent.