The inner life of under-eye circles: holistic beauty expert and health advocate Kat James offers new strategies for vibrant living. (beautycare).

Of all the details you may notice while looking in the mirror, under-eye circles are perhaps the "crystal ball" of health messengers. They can tell you a lot about your sleep habits, hydration needs, allergies and food sensitivities--and your sweet tooth.

They can also provide warning signals of much more complex health issues such as stress, adrenal exhaustion or even sluggish kidney function.

Whatever the underlying cause, under-eye circles have one unfortunate universal effect: They make you look tired. Luckily, there's a lot you can do about them, and taking a holistic approach to this "superficial" issue can produce added benefits that will help make your whole body beautiful too.

sleep & stress

Sleep deprivation is probably the most prevalent reason for under-eye circles. Skin is healed during deep-wave sleep, thanks to increased circulation to the face. Without quality sleep, the face literally sags. However, if you sleep with your head on a downward angle, which allows fluid to drain to your face, your beauty sleep can turn into anything but. So sleeping with your head slightly elevated is the best idea.

Nicholas Perricone, MD, dermatologist and author of The Perricone Prescription, says lack of sleep results in an increase in stress hormones such as cortisol, which can lead not only to health problems, but also to the swelling that creates dreaded dark circles.

When your adrenal glands are exhausted--weakened by stress, caffeine, sugar and alcohol--the result can be edema-related facial puffiness.