"You look tired today," says a colleague. But I'm not.

What I am is one of those people who has dark circles under her eyes which blossom into a full raccoon mask at the drop of a hat.

It seems to have nothing to do with sleep or its lack. In fact, it's really annoying; I have the ill effects without the fun!

Is there anything that can be done to improve the problem?

That depends on the cause, which can range from genetics to allergies and, yes, lack of sleep. Then there's vitamin deficiency and dehydration.

Dr. Kucy Pon, a dermatologist with the University of Toronto and Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre suggests "it's commonly caused by very prominent veins which lie below the skin under the eye." She explains that the skin under the eye is thin and delicate.

"With aging and sun damage, that skin becomes even thinner and more translucent allowing those veins to become more visible which gives the appearance of dark circles."

These veins become enlarged when we're tired so rest will actually help. Get a good night's sleep for at least a week and see if this helps the puffiness and dark circles. Just before going to sleep, lightly damp a washcloth with really cold water and place this over your eyes for 20 minutes.

Allergies may be more difficult. Seasonal allergies are treatable with antihistamines and non-drowsy medications. But if your dark circles or puffiness don't seem to change, an undetected food allergy or an allergy to a chemical in your home or workplace may be the culprit. If you have a hint as to what this might be, try eliminating it from your diet or environment if you can, and see if it helps.

Or, try a B-complex supplement. Vitamin B6, folic acid and, in particular, B12, have been shown to boost the immune system and help deal with allergies.

Rubbing your eyes will result in more puffiness and darker circles since you break tiny capillaries. If your eyes are dry, use drops to remove the itchiness. Don't rub!

When outside, use sun screen (SPF 30 minimum) under the eyes to help to prevent further sun damage.

And the simplest of remedies is to keep hydrated; drink your eight glasses of water per day.

I remember my aunt Elsie lying on the couch in the middle of the afternoon with two cucumber slices on her eyes. Believe it or not, this actually works to reduce puffiness.

Slightly warm used tea bags (put them in hot water for a few seconds to reheat if needed) also help to reduce circles but use green tea rather than black tea so you don't stain the skin.

A cluster of cosmetics can help as well. We had volunteers test them.

Note that when applying product to the eye area, use the ring finger as you are less likely to press too hard, breaking more blood vessels.

Here are the products we tried and the comments.