Are you suffering from baggy eyes?
For the lucky people out there, bags under eyes appear occasionally, after only a couple hours night’s sleep, and they tend to go away on themselves. But the unluckier ones have to deal with puffy, swollen bags under eyes on a daily basis. The nuisance of baggy eyes usually accentuates with age since the tissue that surrounds the eyes, as well as the muscle that supports the eyelids becomes weaker. The puffy bags are accompanied, most of the time, by a dark circle around the eye and swelling, especially if there is fluid under your eyes.
What causes baggy eyes?
Bags under eyes have no other underlying medical condition. They don’t indicate a serious concern, but they’re rather a pest because they look unaesthetic. It’s not pleasant to wake up, look in the mirror and see dark bags under your eyes. They make you look older and more tired than you really are. So what causes baggy eyes? People under 20 will get dark circles because of lack of sleep, salty foods, sedentariness or water retention. Another enabler for dark bags under eyes is a sinus infection, since it stretches the skin and can make it sag. Waking up with dark bags under eyes that fade away as the day goes by (usually by noon) indicate a fluid retention. A quick fix for this would be to put an extra pillow under your head when you’re sleeping at night.
As we age, baggy eyes become a daily issue. It’s bound to happen sooner or later, because the tissues and muscles around our eyes lose their elasticity, giving way to puffiness, swelling and, sometimes, fluid accumulation. The areas around the eyes undergo the same unpleasant thing as our skin. When ligaments weaken, gravity steps in and everything sags, exposing the fat under the skin. When we reach thirty years old, our bodies stop producing collagen altogether, enabling wrinkles and sagged eyelids to settle in. When dark circles around the eyes become unbearable, some people choose baggy eyes surgery. This involves removing both excess skin and tissues from the eyelids.
Types of baggy eyes
- Lower eyelid bags. Lower baggy eyes causes include, but are not limited to: cheek descent, eyelid fat, weakened muscles and tissue and loss of facial volumes.
- Upper eyelid bags. The most common cause of puffy upper eyelids is excess tissue and weakened muscles.
How to get rid of baggy eyes
Since baggy eyes are not truly a case of concern, the first thing any doctor is bound to recommend to someone dealing with dark eye circles is to get more sleep and drink more water. Heavy duty alternatives comprise blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) and a cheek lift. The former involves removing excess tissues and skin as well as repositioning the skin and the fat around the eyes. Cheek lifting is recommended for baggy eyes caused by aging and cheek descent. Less intrusive professional baggy eyes remedies are injectable fillers and fat injections. These are meant to correct the unevenness around the eyes.
Home remedies for baggy eyes
It’s very frustrating to wake up to a pair of dark bags under your eyes, especially when you have a big day ahead of you. Looking for tips and tricks on how to remove baggy eyes without using Photoshop? The baggy eyes remedy list is generous, ranging from adding a couple of frozen cucumber slices on your swollen, puffy eyes to going under the knife. For those who don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for an eye bag free visage, we’ve put together a list of quick home remedies for baggy eyes that actually work.
1. Cucumber slices
This well-known remedy for puffy eyes is renowned for a reason. It is highly efficient due to its astringent properties and enzymes that fight off inflammation and tighten the skin. Cucumber slices will decrease the dark circles under the eyes and prevent fine lines and wrinkles. The recipe is simple and calls for thick slices of cucumber being refrigerated for ten to fifteen minutes. Once they’re ready to use, place them on your eyes and leave them on until they warm up. Replace them with cooler slices from the fridge. This simple baggy eyes remedy can be repeated several times a day. Swelling will give in on the spot, and the area around the eyes will feel reinvigorated.
2. Cold spoons
This is not only practically a free, simple DIY remedy for baggy eyes, it is also one of the most effective ones. The reason why it works wonders is that the cold metal helps the skin under your eyes tighten while relaxing the blood vessel. To use this method, you’ll have to put 6 spoons in your refrigerator for fifteen to twenty minutes. When they are cold enough, simply apply them onto your eyes with the rounded side facing you. You can keep the spoon on your eyes until it warms up (it usually lasts one or two minutes) and you can then replace it with another one from the fridge. Don’t allow the spoons to freeze and never use them on your eyes if they are too cold. The area around your eyes is extremely sensitive and you could damage it even further.
3. Tea bags
It doesn’t matter whether you prefer black or green tea, both will work equally great, soothing irritated, puffy eyes. After you’ve prepared your cup of tea, don’t throw away the bags. Instead, put them in the fridge for half an hour. When the time is up, take them out and place them on your swollen eyelids. Let them work their magic for fifteen minutes. You can repeat this method a couple of times a day until you start seeing results. The anti-irritant properties in the tea bags shouldn’t tarry kicking in and alleviating your baggy eyes. The best teas to try out are chamomile and lavender. Not only are they strong de-puffers, they also smell nice.
4. Water
Hydration is key for preventing and getting rid of swollen, puffy eyelids. Drinking plenty of water during the day doesn’t allow the body to retain water and swell up. If you’re dealing with excessively swollen eyelids, you might not be providing your body with enough fluids. Water is also necessary because it helps flush out toxins. To make sure you drink enough water, use a graduated water bottle filled with filtered water and keep it at hand throughout the day. Teas and natural juices also count, so if you’re having problems downing 10 glasses of water per day, spice it up with various flavors.
The great thing about drinking water is that it is never too late to start. Getting plenty of fluid in your body is as simple as carrying around a water bottle with you and taking small sips throughout the day. When you hydrate your body with proper fluids, then you give it the best chance to work as smoothly as possible. Some of the definite you can expect to reap include plumping up your skin and giving it the overall dewey and smooth look that everyone craves.
5. Salt
Warm water mixed with salt is not only a good remedy for swollen feet, but also for puffy eyes. The combination of the two reduces puffiness. You’ll need half a teaspoon of salt to four cups of water that is warm, not hot. Grab a few cotton eye pads, soak them in the salt water, squeeze out excess water and place the pads on your eyelids. When the pad cools down, soak it in the warm saline water again and repeat the process.
6. Aloe vera
This natural gel is loaded with vitamin E and antioxidants, which are the best allies against irritation and puffiness. Aloe vera will not only reduce swelling, it will also help you combat wrinkles and fine lines. Carefully apply the fresh gel under your eyes with your ring finger, being careful not to put the gel into your eyes. For a cooling effect, you can put the aloe vera gel in the fridge for ten to fifteen minutes prior to using it. The gel will boost blood flow as well as flush out the fluid or water retention under your eyes.
7. Potatoes
This remedy might not sound or look too appealing, but it works wonders on puffy eyes. The reason behind its effectiveness is the starch in the potatoes, which boasts anti-inflammatory attributes. These fight off swelling and reduce dark circles. Choose a medium sized potato, wash and peel it. You can either thinly slice the potato, or finely grate it. Use a clean cloth for your shavings, tying it up. Place the cloth on your eyelids and leave it for several minutes. Avoid getting starch in your eyes. You can repeat the steps a couple of times a day and you’ll start noticing how the puffiness decreases.
8. Microneedling or derma rolling
If you are taking all the necessary steps in your diet, but are still looking for some clearer results, then micro needling is one of the lastest methods that has been taking the beauty industry by storm. While there is still research being done on it, the extensive research that has been acquired has shown that micro needling is one the most effective ways to help reverse the look of aging skin.
Essentially, derma rolling, or micro needling, as some people call it, is when you use a small roller on your skin to help promote the buildup of collagen as well as and firmer skin. The roller is covered in thousands of tiny needles that will pierce your skin. (Dont worry though, the needles are so shallow that you will likely not feel the pain.) The roller will create little holes in the dermis of the skin. The goal is that your body will go into repair mode to repair these holes. During this process, your skin will build the extra collagen needed to fight off the look of aging.
Many who use derma rolling swear by it. Those who do use derma rolling recommend using some sort of hydrating or antiaging serum. This serum will get into the dermis of the skin and help encourage the growth of collagen.
Preventing baggy eyes
It’s not always possible to prevent dark circles around your eyes, especially when they are caused by aging and muscle weakening. However, there are some pointers to keep in mind if you want to be a step ahead of swelled up and irritated eyelids. First of all, you should check whether you’re being sabotaged by allergies. Besides runny noses and sneezes, they could also make your eyes swell, causing dark circles. You might also want to consider switching to a fixed sleeping schedule. It’s not a myth, your body actually needs seven to eight hours of sleep every night. If it’s possible, try sleeping on your back and keep your head elevated with an extra pillow. Keen on drinking or smoking? You’ll want to cut down on both if you don’t like looking tired at all times. All they do is dehydrate your skin and promote wrinkles, which will not help your case if you’re dealing with baggy eyes.