By Laura
Updated: February 22, 2023
7 minutes
Do you have bags under your eyes that do not seem to disappear? Are you concerned if it is because of a health issue, lack of sleep, or genetics? Are you fed up with looking tired all the time because of these bags? Well, undereye bags are rare because of health issues. However, there are several other things causing them. We will discuss those here.
Some people are just born with undereye bags and they cannot get rid of them easily. While others get puffy eyes because of insomnia, aging, allergies, a high-salt diet, or smoking. So, we will explain a little more about how these factors make your undereye skin puffy.
Furthermore, let us see some temporary and long-lasting ways to get rid of your undereye bags easily at home or in a clinic. Additionally, let us know about some ways to prevent them if you do not have them and want your eyes to look healthy, fresh, and happy all the time.
What are Undereye Bags?
Undereye bags are the puffiness or minor swelling just under your eye globe. They occur when the skin, muscle, and subcutaneous tissues of the eye weaken. Consequently, supporting fats move under the lower lid, or fluid is retained here making your eyes appear puffy.
Along with the eye bags, you might see dark circles and sagging of the undereye skin. Most of the time, these bags cause no other ocular symptoms like irritation, reduced vision, or headache. However, They raise cosmetic concerns. But do not worry as you can get rid of them.
What are the Causes of Bags Under Your Eyes?
There are diverse causes of undereye bags. While most of them include bad lifestyle, genetics, and aging but some may be due to a disease. Let us know more about all of them one by one.
1. Aging
One of the most common causes of natural undereye bags is aging. As you age, so do the tissues in your body. Collagen production decreases with age and fats begin to collect under the eyes. Additionally, skin and muscles weaken. This altogether makes eyes look swollen in aged individuals.
2. Lack of sleep
Have you ever noticed your under-eye bags become more prominent after a sleepless night? Lack of sleep dilates the blood vessels and increases blood flow in the body. This effect is most visible under the skin of your eyes as it is thin.
3. Allergies
Allergies with sneezing, runny nose, and irritation of the eye also cause congestion of the sinuses. The swelling of the sinuses of the eyes makes the under-eyes appear bloaty.
4. Tobacco and Alcohol
Smoking reduces collagen production in the skin and also causes insomnia. Both these factors result in the collection of fluid in under-eye tissues and give you under-eye bags.
Alcohol causes dehydration of the skin. Dry skin becomes weakened and gives way to the formation of undereye bags.
5. Genetics
The most stubborn eye bags are caused because of genes. So, if more members of your family have them, it is likely hereditary.
6. Diet
Another cause you might not have thought of is your diet. A high-salt diet including fast food, processed snacks, and canned meat causes the retention of fluid under the eyes. This makes the eyes puffy.
7. Sunrays
UV radiations of the sun damage the skin cells, decrease the collagen level of the skin, and make it more prone to the development of dark undereye bags.
8. Stress
Stress increases the release of cortisol; the stress hormone in the body. Cortisol dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow through the tissues. When this blood accumulates under the eye’s skin, it makes the under eyes appear baggy.
9. Diseases
Some medical conditions can also cause under-eye bags. These include thyroid diseases, dermatitis, chronic kidney disorders, and dermatomyositis. The most prominent of these diseases is thyroid eye disease.
How to Prevent Undereye Bags
“Prevention is better than cure”. So, the best way to have bagless eyes is not to have those under-eye bags in the first place. Here are some easy ways to prevent the formation of undereye bags.
1. Removing Makeup Everyday
Makeup contains certain chemicals that damage the skin and cause undereye puffiness. So, thoroughly removing the makeup every single day will help you prevent under-eye bags.
Moreover, washing the face with cold water removes the dust and impurities from the face in addition to calming the irritation caused by makeup.
2. Sunscreen
Regular use of sunscreen is recommended to prevent skin damage and undereye bags caused by UV radiation. Additionally, sunblocks prevent premature aging. So, do not forget your under-eye area while applying your favorite sunscreen.
3. Anti-aging Serums
“The most common cause of under-eye bags or puffiness is natural aging,” says Dr. Shaun Desai. So, the best way to prevent undereye bags is to prevent aging. Using undereye serums with hyaluronic acid and caffeine along with moisturizers rich in ceramides can help in keeping your undereye skin youthful and healthy.
How to Treat Undereye Bags
Undereye bags can go on their own as the day passes. But they can also become persistent eye bags and raise constant cosmetic concerns. In such cases, there are several approaches to treat them. Here we will discuss at-home and in-clinic treatments of under-eye bags.
At-Home Treatments
Consistency is the key to at-home treatments of undereye bags. These are effective but temporary. So, you have to be consistent with these natural ways to reduce under-eye bags if you long-lasting results.
1. Cold Compress
Increased blood flow caused dilation of blood vessels and increases under-eye swelling. To reduce it, you can use cold compresses like ice cubes, cold metal spoons, refrigerated cucumber slices, or ice packs over your eyes. This constricts the blood vessels, reduces the blood flow, and finally soothes the inflammation and swelling of the eyes.
2. Caffeine
Caffeine is a natural vasoconstrictor. So, using caffeine serums or creams over undereye bags can efficiently reduce them. Additionally, you can use black tea ice cubes to have similar effects.
3. Hemorrhoid Creams
Hemorrhoid creams have phenylephrine in them. Phenylephrine works by narrowing blood vessels and decreasing blood flow. This ultimately improves the appearance of your eyes. However, these creams are not for everyone and not for regular use either. As they can cause skin irritation.
4. Restraining Alcohol and Tobacco
Earlier we stated, how alcohol and smoking cause under-eye bags. Their effects are superimposed if taken together. So, it is better to avoid excessive use of alcohol and quit smoking if you are looking for rejuvenated and hydrated skin.
5. Improving Diet
It is important to limit the intake of a high-salt diet to reduce eye bags caused by salty snacks. Furthermore, an increased intake of hydrating food and an antioxidant-rich diet can improve overall eye and skin health and prevent undereye bags. Such foods include cucumbers, watermelons, blueberries, and tomatoes.
6. Proper Sleep
Sleeping late, blue light from cell phones, and restless nights give you tired puffy eyes. So, improving your bedtime routine will improve your sleep quality and reduce the appearance of undereye bags. For this purpose, avoid using a mobile at night, read a relaxing book, and take a soothing shower before going to sleep.
7. Treat the cause
At times, we are targeting the wrong cause to get rid of undereye bags. So, it is important to figure out the right cause to work on it and reduce undereye puffiness.
Thus, if your undereye bags are not going away with trying the above-mentioned methods, it could be allergies, skin diseases, or systemic diseases causing them. Seek treatment for such causes as it will also help you get rid of undereye swelling.
Professional Treatments
Lastly, the long-lasting method of getting rid of under-eye bags is in-clinic treatments.
1. Lid Surgery
Lower lid surgery or blepharoplasty is an invasive method of getting rid of undereye bags. Here the surgeon reduces sagginess and wrinkles of the eyes, tightens the undereye skin and muscles, and reduces the replaced fats.
After the surgery is a few weeks of recovery time. But this surgery will have undereye bags go away forever.
2. Eye Fillers
Undereye fillers are a relatively inexpensive and non-invasive method of reducing under-eye puffiness. Here, Hyaluronic acid is injected into the skin. This helps in hydrating the skin, making it plumper, firmer, and less shrunken.
3. Skin Rejuvenation
Laser resurfacing and chemical peels are some other methods of skin rejuvenation. These methods remove the old wrinkled surface layer of skin and increase the production of collagen. As a result, you get rid of under-eye bags and tighter, brighter, and firmer skin.
Conclusion
Undereye bags are a problem for many of us. They are caused because of the tough routine, unhealthy lifestyle, and constant exposure to the sun. while a few of us got such annoying undereye bags in heredity.
Undereye bags are mostly nothing more than a cosmetic issue, but we all want to look young and healthy, right? So, we want to get rid of them and avoid them. In this article, we discuss how you get bags under your eyes, how to prevent them, and how to treat them.
Finally, we hope it becomes easier for you to cope with undereye bags and puffiness after knowing all the essential information about them.
