While it’s okay to have bags under the eyes as they don’t pose any health risk, you may still want to erase them for cosmetic purposes. Besides that, by opting for the treatment, you educate yourself about the factors that cause them in the first place. This enables you to bring make necessary lifestyle changes that otherwise may cause other medical problems as well.
Bags under the eyes or sometimes simply referred to as eye bags, can both be temporary and permanent depending upon the cause behind them. For instance, swelling due to lack of sleep, excessive alcohol consumption, and trauma generally disappear as the factors improve.
In this ListPink post, we will look into the basic causes behind the problem, and the options that are available to remedy them. These methods, in fact, include both home remedies and surgical methods.
Causes of Bags Under the Eyes
Aging is, in fact, the primary cause of puffiness under the eyes. Due to the small amount of subcutaneous fatty tissue, dilated blood vessels shimmer more prominently here than elsewhere on the body. As we get older, the skin around the eyes that is already thin becomes even thinner and less elastic. This causes the fatty tissues below the eyes to sag, resulting in the appearance of eye bags.
Another common cause of eye bags is lack of sleep, tiredness, certain medications, and trauma. When we’re tired, our skin becomes pale and the blood vessels under the eyes become more visible. This makes the eye bags look darker and more prominent.
Other causes of eye bags include:
- Allergies.
- Sinus problems.
- Poor nutrition.
- Genetics.
- Excessive alcohol consumption.
- Smoking.
Home Remedies For Bags Under The Eyes
Are you looking for a way to get rid of those unwanted bags under the eyes? Well, you’re not alone. Millions of people are affected by this unwanted but easily remediable condition. Before we move on to the available surgical procedures, let’s talk about certain home remedies that are simpler, more convenient, and don’t pose any risk of injury or infection.
1. Cold Compress
One of the most popular and instant methods that helps in moderation against eye bags is using a cold compress. This method is more effective against the swelling if it’s because of tiredness, lack of sleep, medication, certain allergies, or alcohol.
How to apply a cold compress?
- Place a cold pack or ice pack on your eyes for 2-3 minutes. Remove it and splash some cold water.
- Place a metal spoon in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for a few minutes. Place it over the eyes with its back pressed against the affected area.
- Yet another simple way is using cucumber. Take a cold cucumber and cut a few slices out of it. Place the slices on the eyes for up to 5 minutes.
A cold compress, as I mentioned before, helps in moderation against the condition. Still, it’s a quick remedy if your condition is not severe.
2. Hot Compress
Another simple method with similar effectiveness to a cold compress is a hot compress. A hot compress relieves inflammation and swelling. It also helps improve blood circulation to the area reducing the appearance of puffy eyes.
How to apply a hot compress?
- Place a washcloth in hot water. Squeeze the water and place the cloth over your eyes. Keep it for a few minutes until the heat from the cloth penetrates into the skin. You may repeat this twice to ensure the heat sinks deeper.
3. Use Teabags
Black or green tea bags are a popular home remedy for both puffy eyes and black circles. Complex chemical compounds like Tannins found in black tea have a calming, antibacterial, and decongestant effect on the skin. Green tea is even more effective due to its high concentration of antioxidants.
How to use teabags for eye bags?
- Simple as it is, place a tea bag in cold water until it absorbs enough water. Squeeze and place the bag over your eyes for 4-5 minutes. Remove and wash with clean water.
- Another convenient way is to use used tea bags for the same treatment. After you make your tea, remove and put the bags in the fridge. You can use the bags before they lose their moisture content.
4. Avoid Contact Lenses
While you may need your contact lenses during the day, an hour or two of break may help with the swelling. Simply remove your contact lenses for an hour and wash your eyes with cold water. This will refresh your eyes and help relieve inflammation.
5. Drinking Sufficient Water
Drinking less water than the body needs may cause inflammation in the body. And if you already have under-eye bags, this may aggravate the condition.
You can drink both plan water as well as other unsweetened fluids with higher water content. The optimum amount of water for an average adult male is 3.7 liters while 2.7 liters for a female.
6. Sleeping for Beauty
Taking enough sleep is, in fact, a necessary health precaution for anyone. Sleep helps the body with regeneration, toxin removal, and stress relief. Right sleep position also makes some difference if not too much. The ideal position is sleeping on your back with your legs straightened.
The length of sleep also plays a role. Seven to eight hours is ideal. A cool bedroom temperature of around 18 degrees is optimum.
7. Give Your Eyes a Break
Like any other organ of your body, your eyes also need some relaxation. This includes turning away from your focus, having a walk, looking at greenery for a few minutes, and last but not least, giving your eyes a light circular massage with your fingers.
8. Prevent With Eye Drops
With a doctor’s consent, you can use certain eye drops to alleviate the swelling. Most of these products contain hyaluronic acid besides other constituents. This enables the eyes muscles, and glands to relax, and release retained fluids that may cause swelling.
9. Use a Moisturizing Cream
Moisturizing creams with urea, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera extracts, or other water-binding substances can plump up the thin skin around the eyes. The creams should be dabbed onto the eye area with only slight pressure.
Surgical Procedures For Eye Bags
If your eye bags are so prominent, and if you or your doctor decides to remove the eye bags surgically, there are a couple of options you can opt for. There are basically two surgical methods that are effective against the condition.
The most common surgery is called blepharoplasty. During this surgery, the surgeon removes the excess skin and fat from around the eyes. This surgery is relatively safe and is highly effective against bags under the eyes.
Note: Before getting operated on, make sure that you have enough time to stay indoors as you will probably need to rest for over a month. You will also have post-operation swelling that needs time to heal.
Another surgery that can be performed to reduce the appearance of eye bags is called a lower eyelid lift. During this surgery, the surgeon tightens the skin around the eyes. This surgery is less common than blepharoplasty, but it can also be effective.
Both blepharoplasty and lower eyelid lift surgery are relatively safe procedures. However, they both carry a certain amount of risk. It is important to discuss the risks and benefits of surgery with a qualified surgeon before making your decision.
So, these were all the methods available to both temporarily or permanently get rid of the bags under the eyes. Do you know any other DIY methods as well? We would love to know!
