"What you're seeing under your eyes isn't aging," Dr. Thomson said gently.
"It's not allergies. It's not how much you sleep. And it's not your fault."
She pulled her chair closer and drew four circles on her notepad.
"First — your body produces T4. But T4 is completely inactive. Your body can't use it."
"Second — your liver is supposed to convert that T4 into T3. The active form. The one responsible for your energy, your metabolism, your skin — all of it."
"Third — when your liver gets overloaded — and in women with thyroid issues, it almost always does — that conversion slows down. T3 drops."
"And fourth — this is the part nobody tells you — low T3 makes your capillaries permeable. Fluid leaks out and pools in the thinnest skin on your entire body."
She tapped the notepad.
"Right under your eyes. That's what you're seeing every morning."
"Wait," I said. "So my eye cream is doing absolutely nothing?"