Waking up early for the pre-dawn meal known as sahur is part and parcel of the fasting season.

However, it can be difficult to get enough sleep as you rise at four in the morning, especially when considering you have to pray late into the night and likely still have to work the next day.

Sleep deprivation can cause dark eye circles as your skin becomes duller and paler, allowing tissues and blood vessels beneath to show. It can also cause fluid to build underneath your eyes and cause them to appear puffy.

We know looking like a panda may not be the most flattering look, so we’ve compiled a list of ways to help reduce those pesky dark eye circles.

Sleep on your back

Fasting Dark Eye Circles Tips sleep on back

How you sleep can actually play a big factor in developing dark eye circles. For example, sleeping on your side or stomach can cause fluid to collect under your eyes.

By sleeping on your back and stacking more pillows to keep your head elevated, this can prevent the fluid from pooling, making your eyes look less puffy and swollen.

Curb that salt and drink more fluids

When your body is lacking water and containing too much salt, you can look puffy and feel bloated. Your eye area is especially vulnerable to dehydration.

So, it might be best to plan your meals properly and reduce your salt intake. If you’re going to have something salty, remember to counter it with plenty of fluids.

Eat more salmon

Fasting Dark Eye Circles Tips eat more salmon

Yeah, you read that correctly. It’s time to splurge on delicious salmon steaks or salmon sushi, as those contain omega-3s.

The fatty acids help improve blood flow, therefore moving blood out and away from your eyes and preventing pooling.

Use some ice cubes

Grab a clean cloth, use it to wrap some ice cubes, and apply it to your eyes for about 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can wet the cloth with cold water for the same effect.

The cold may reduce swelling and shrink dilated blood vessels, therefore reducing puffiness and dark eye circles.

Cool those cucumbers

Fasting Dark Eye Circles Tips cucumber eyes

Cucumbers over the eyes are a common relaxing method for television characters, and there is actually some truth to this as they have skin-lightening and mild astringent properties.

To harness those benefits, chop one into slices and refrigerate until cold. Leave on eyes for 10 minutes and rinse after.

Chill some tea bags

Soak some black or green tea bags in hot water for a few minutes before chilling them in the refrigerator until cold. Then, take them out and apply them to your eyes for 10 to 20 minutes.

Tea contains caffeine and antioxidants, which can shrink blood vessels and reduce liquid build up as well as stimulate blood circulation.

Potatoes work too

Rich in vitamin A and C, potatoes help to brighten and get rid of dark circles. This method requires a bit more effort though, as you’re going to need to juice them.

Soak some cotton pads in the potato juice and place them on your eyes for about 10 minutes before rinsing with water. You can also combine with some honey and apply it directly to your under eyes.

Apply eye cream

Fasting Dark Eye Circles Tips eye cream

The mileage on eye creams can vary from person to person, but they can truly work wonders to treat dark eye circles, as long as you know what ingredients to look for.

Vitamin C can boost collagen production for more radiant skin, while caffeine or vitamin K can treat underlying redness or puffiness.

If you’re lost on which eye cream you should get, check out our other article on the best eye creams for dark eye circles.

Invest in an eye massager

Eye massagers can stimulate acupuncture points to accelerate blood circulation, leading to firmer skin, reduced eye pressure, and less puffiness.

There are countless eye massagers to choose from, and here are our recommendations for the best eye massagers.

Conceal, don’t reveal

Concealer can be your best friend in hiding those panda eyes. By using a high-coverage concealer, you can really see those dark circles disappear.

Hear us out: consider picking up a white concealer. Curious how it might look like? We went ahead and tried this method for ourselves.

Featured image credit: PNW Production