I have been wearing spectacles for a while and they’ve left dark marks near my eyes and nose. I don’t know how to get rid of them as I cannot stop wearing glasses. Please suggest some tips.

The marks are a result of sporting glasses which are too tight i.e. small for your face. You need to select a frame which fits well. It may seem inconsequential but nose pads play an important role in making your glass wearing experience comfortable. They should ideally be made of soft plastic and rest comfortably on the nose. They should not be too tight or too loose and not press down on the nose. An indication that either the nose pads are too tight or that the glasses are too heavy is the formation of a mark on either side of the bridge of the nose.

Heavy frames tend to cause headaches or fatigue of the eyes and increase the occurrence of dark marks. Consider the distance between your eyes and the thickness of the bridge of your nose. These factors are important since glasses that don’t fit properly can lead to several issues like marks on the skin around the eyes and nose, headaches and trouble in the production of tears in the eyes.

There are a few natural remedies you can adopt to reduce these dark marks:

Potatoes – Grate a potato after peeling its skin. Now add some rose water to it and beat it to make a paste. You can add some drops of lemon juice or honey. Apply it on your nose for at least 15 minutes and then wash away with water. Potato has mild bleaching properties and regular use of this paste will reduce dark marks and eventually eliminate them.

Aloe vera – To use aloe vera gel, cut the outer layers of the aloe leaf, squeeze out the thick jelly-like substance and apply this to the area of darkened skin. Leave it on for about 30 minutes and then wash off with water.

Lemon and rose water – Mix the juice of a freshly-squeezed lemon and dilute it with rose water. Apply this mixture onto affected area and leave it on for 15 minutes. With daily use, the dark marks will start lightening due to the natural skin lightening properties of lemon.

Orange peel – Grind dried orange peel with almond oil and milk into a paste. Apply this to the darkened area and leave it on until the paste dries. Wash it off with cold water. The vitamin E in almond oil nourishes the skin and orange peel helps in lightening the marks.

Make-up – When nothing works, make-up comes to your rescue. You can use a concealer to hide those dark marks. In order to apply it properly, first moisturise the area with a gel or cream and then with your ring finger, apply tiny dots of the concealer. Now gently blend it in your skin using your finger. Invest in a good concealer/corrector.

Contact lens – If the problem persists, visit your ophthalmologist and opt for suitable contact lenses. Contact lenses are used as a substitute for glasses. Numerous types of contact lenses are available such as soft contact lenses made of flexible plastics, rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses made of semi-soft material and are less likely to tear, extended wear contacts, disposable (replacement schedule) contacts and cosmetic contact lenses.