Resolve Under-Eye Bags, Dark Circles or Hollows

Face Reading Shows Their Cause (Kidney Yin/Yang Imbalance) and Resolution

Take a close, and objective, look under your eyes. That’s the first step to resolve under-eye bags, dark circles and hollows. This area, according to Chinese Medicine, mirrors one’s kidney health, both yin and yang.

Our facial “imperfections” signal that there are underlying imbalances in one’s internal organs. They’re rather like road signs announcing an inner disharmony. 

Better Than a Movie

With Face Reading you can “read” these important clues and then support the underlying organ system with dietary and lifestyle shifts. (In this case, the Kidney System also includes the adrenals and bladder.) This restores your inner balance and complexion.

You’ll know it’s working because as your kidneys regroup, you feel better, plus your eye bags, discoloration and/or hollows diminish. It’s better than watching a movie!

Therefore, rather than bemoaning those Kidney System indicators, put them to work. Sleuth out their underlying causes and then you can fix them.

Identify your under-eye concern

1. Take your photo and enlarge it
2. Examine color variations
3. Examine tone–is an area sunken or swollen?
4. Compare left to right

Photos Show Inner Imbalances

The accompanying photos of under-eye indicators show yin or yang imbalances of the Kidney System. To best see these subtle indicators, magnify your screen. 

As the accompanying photos display, one eye can exhibit both yin and yang deficiencies. Additionally, if you have two or more of the indicators, their juxtaposition tends to exaggerate their overall appearance.

The younger you are, the more quickly you can reverse complexion problems. That’s because as we age, skin loses vibrancy, elasticity and tone.

1. Bags Under the Eyes (Deficient Yang)

When the under-eye skin loses tone and/or when there’s excess fat or fluid, the area puffs and bags form. It’s similar to a flabby (versus a well-toned) tummy. But because the skin surrounding the eyes is extraordinarily thin, it more quickly displays what’s going on below the horizon. For example, after a good cry or with fussy sinuses this area temporarily puffs out. If your bags persist, however, they’re a read-out of both decreased muscle tone and kidney health. 

2. Hollows and Discoloration (Deficient Kidney Yin)

Hollows — When the under-eye area curves inward, shadows are cast from the higher cheekbones and nose into that hollow. It’s rather like a mountain’s shadow darkening a valley floor, or a skyscraper shading the street below. If you have an under-eye hollow, no matter your skin pigmentation, this area is shaded and looks darker.

As one’s flesh naturally contracts over the years, physical hollows are associated with aging. But, sadly, we also see hollows in undernourished children and adults. Indeed, malnourishment can be from insufficient calories and from the inability to assimilate those calories. Although we’re not a culture of under eaters, an increasing number of people are not well digesting their meals.

Discoloration — No matter the hue of our genetic skin pigmentation, at birth, our faces are a uniform color. As inner imbalances occur, subtle tints develop. Under eye facial discoloration correlates to kidney yin deficiency.

A shot of whisky or bout of flu makes transitory facial color changes. But if that’s multiple whiskies over the years, the kidneys are deeply impacted and the skin under the eyes increasingly darkens.

In people with fair complexions, under-eye discoloration typically starts as pale blue or violet but can progress to dark brown or blue-black. Brown-black tones occur in people with more melanin. When colored red or pink, this suggests inflammation.

The Cause of Under-Eye Facial Irregularities

Stress to the Kidney System causes under-eye discoloration, bags and hollows in all ages and races. What does this include? Emotional, mental and physical stress. With more intense and/or chronic stress, the corresponding facial indicators become more pronounced. To resolve, adjust your diet and lifestyle.

Kidney System—Our Foundational Roots

A person with good kidney health is gifted with willpower and creativity, but she is also gentle and calm and handles stress well. The kidneys are regarded as the root and foundation of the body in Chinese medicine. They enable us to renew, regroup and regenerate.

Energetically, the kidneys store and consolidate the life essence and energy that governs our lives from birth to death. This underlies not only our reproductive functions but also our “internal thermostat,” as it were, or our ability to maintain and/or adjust our temperature. 

To reverse kidney deficiencies, learn to relax or meditate. Take a break from the stimulation of social media and movies, magazines, radio, TV and movies. At the least, seriously reduce them. Get adequate sleep. Don’t work to exhaustion, and always keep an energy reserve. Nurture yourself with easy to digest, freshly prepared, quality foods. Avoid temperature extremes and keep yourself warm, especially in the winter. Spend time in nature without technology. Enjoy a calming lifestyle with regular “early to bed” sleep patterns. Avoid tobacco, alcohol and all recreational drugs.

Kidney Yang Deficiency

Kidney Yang is likened to a fire that enkindles the spirit and our passion for life. When this fire is lacking, you feel weak and cold; your libido declines. Your ability to assimilate nutrients diminishes. Excess fluid accumulates in your bodily tissues. Kidney Yang governs the functions of the organs and tissues.

Kidney Yin Deficiency 

Kidney Yin nourishes the actual organs and tissues themselves. When Kidney Yin is lacking, one tends to be dry, have hot extremities and be abnormally thin or weak. This can result from illness or being undernourished. Note: Some people eat adequate calories, but if their GI system isn’t fully absorbing those nutrients, they’ll have Kidney Yin deficient symptoms. Most people can better absorb their meals by favoring whole (versus highly refined) foods and taking digestive supplements as needed.

‘Head Bone Connected From Your Neck Bone…”

Study the Kidney Symptom Chart below to see how your facial signs correlate with other symptoms. Multiple causes lie behind your concern starting with genetics and including your inner health. Yes, our physical and emotional health plus our appearance are interrelated. Thus, it’s not only bladder control and sexuality that the kidney system “governs” but also emotions like fear and paranoia. 

To reduce imbalances, make appropriate diet shifts as per the Kidney Food Chart that follows the Symptom Chart. Yes, this takes discipline. But what are your options? While a surgeon’s scalpel would temporarily tidy up under-eye bags, unless you change what caused them, they’ll be back!

Also consider a Face Reading consultation via email for targeted help and coaching.

KIDNEY SYMPTOM CHART

The power and magic of traditional Face Reading is that one symptom reflects a whole organ system as well as your emotions. This chart shows the interrelatedness of Kidney Systems symptoms. Don’t expect to have each symptom listed in the chart. And note that the longer you’ve had kidney indicators, the more associated symptoms you’re apt to have and the more chronic they will be.

Kidney Yin—moistens and nourishes the tissues and organs	Kidney Yang—the spark that promotes functioning of the tissues and organs
Symptoms may include:	Symptoms may include:
Dark under-eye circles and/or hollows	Puffy under the eyes, eye bags
Low back and knees—sore/weak	Low back and knees—cold/sore
Energy—tired and fatigued	Energy—weakness and fatigued
Emotions—irritable	Emotions—apathetic, disheartened, lack enthusiasm
Dizziness	Aversion to cold
Hearing problems	Cold extremities
Tinnitus	Edema, overweight, swelling
Dry mouth, throat and/or skin	Frequent urine. Urine dribbles. Incontinence
Hot palms, soles and/or chest	Bedwetting in children
Constipation	Low libido (in extreme cases infertility or impotence)
Restlessness, anxiety	Pale complexion
Insomnia	Loose stools
Thirst
Spontaneous sweating
Seminal emission
Hair prematurely graying or balding
Note: With the less common Kidney Yin Essence Deficiency you may experience the above symptoms but not have hot palms, soles or chest.	Note: With the less common Kidney Yang Qi Deficiency you may experience the above symptoms but not be cold or have frequent urination.

KIDNEY DIET CHART

To the best of your ability, favor whole foods that are freshly prepared. To prevent overconsumption of carbohydrates, make sure that each meal has adequate protein and fat. This chart lists the foods that best support the restoration of both Kidney Yin and Kidney Yang.

Use this chart as a guideline. For example, if you want a less warming diet to build your Kidney Yin but like cooking with onions, then use leeks or scallions over the more heat-producing garlic and onions or favor a purple onion (which is less hot than a yellow onion). Or if you hanker cinnamon on your oatmeal, enjoy a dash of it occasionally rather than a generous dousing as a matter of course. 

	Foods That Help Restore  Kidney Yin	Foods That Help Restore Kidney Yang
Grains	Rice, oats, millet, barley, teff, quinoa, amaranth	Rice, oats, barley
Vegetables	All vegetables except onion family. Especially squash, sweet potatoes, beets, zucchini, seaweed, mushrooms, artichokes	Carrots, parsnips, peas, turnips, sweet potatoes, yams, leeks, onions
Meat and poultry	Beef, poultry, bone stock	Beef, lamb, poultry, bone stock, game and especially lamb or beef kidneys
Fish	Fish, clams, abalone, oysters, sardines	Mackerel, tuna, anchovies, shrimp, salmon, muscles
Eggs and dairy	Eggs; milk, if tolerated	No dairy except for hard cheese, if tolerated
Beans	All dried legumes and fresh green beans and peas	Legumes—especially black beans and chickpeas
Nuts and seeds	All nuts and seeds in moderation, especially black sesame seeds	Chestnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts
Fruits	Apples, bananas, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, mulberries, mango, coconut, melon	Cherries, peaches and all berries, especially raspberries
Spices and herbs	Borage, cilantro, mint	Basil, black pepper, chiles, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, peppermint, spearmint, turmeric, thyme, wasabi

Foods that compromise Kidney Yin—avoid or minimize foods that are considered inherently hot and drying, such as:  Alcohol, caffeine, sugar, lamb, shrimp, prawns, veal, game birds, chiles, cinnamon, ginger, onions, shallots, leeks, basil, wasabi, garlic. 

Foods that compromise Kidney Yang—avoid or minimize foods that exacerbate inner cold, such as: Raw fruits, vegetables, sprouts and salads; all cold foods and chilled drinks; melon and watermelon; soy products, brown rice; refined foods, especially sugar.