What Are Puffy Eyes a Sign of and How To Deal With It
When you have puffy eyes, it can be discouraging to find the cause. There are many reasons your eyes could be puffy. Thankfully, they typically aren’t related to a medical condition, but they can be an annoyance.
Under-eye issues are inevitable as you get older. While there is no simple fix, you can depuff your eyes. Some treatments are temporary, and others are long-lasting. You can take steps at home to mitigate the problem, and you can also seek professional help.
We are going to go over what causes under-eye puffiness and what you can do to treat the problem. We will also go over how you can conceal your under-eye puffiness and what you can do to prevent it from occurring.
What Causes Puffy Eyes?
When trying to pin down what's causing your under-eye puffiness, it may be frustrating to hear that there are almost endless reasons it could be happening. With so many potential causes, it can be very challenging to precisely pinpoint what you need to do to stop it from occurring. This is a list of some of the causes of puffy eyes:
- Fluid retention
- Lack of sleep
- Eye infections such as conjunctivitis
- Excess alcohol consumption
- Blood vessels
- Allergies or reactions to ingredients in skin care products
Here are a few of the reasons you may have puffy under-eyes discussed in more detail.
Genetics
Your puffy eye issues may be from your genetics and not something you're doing. If you notice several people in your family have puffy eyes, that could be a big clue. Certain genetic conditions cause puffy eyes. In this case, there's not much you can do to prevent puffy eyes, although it is still treatable.
Allergies
You can have an allergic reaction to hay fever, foods, chemicals, or other irritants. When you have allergies, excess fluids can build up in your body, resulting in puffy eyes. Common allergies are from things like pollen, pet dander, and dust. If it's not a common allergen, look into the products you're using.
You may be allergic to your body wash, laundry detergent, or products you’re using on your face. Eye serums with strong, active ingredients such as vitamin C or peptides could be the underlying cause of your puffy eyes.
Diet
What you put in your body does, in fact, matter. While you can eat unhealthy food in moderation, high levels of salt can result in water retention.
Check out how much sodium is in what you're eating and drinking. You may actually be surprised. You want to try to keep your daily sodium intake at around 2,300 milligrams per day. Some salt in your diet is necessary, but you can end up with puffiness in more than just your under-eye area when you go overboard.
Making small lifestyle changes (like watching your sodium intake and increasing your water intake) can have a big impact on your health.
Sleep
After a restless night of sleep, you may notice you have under-eye circles or puffiness. When you're not getting enough sleep, it's written all over your face.
If you don't want your coworkers to be able to tell you've been up all night, you may want to keep a few products on hand. HIDE Premium Concealer can cover anything, from dark circles to puffiness.
Age
As previously mentioned, age can cause puffy under-eyes. When you get older, your skin loses firmness and elasticity. Your collagen production drops after 25 years old, and it starts to affect the way your skin looks. When your skin begins to sag, the fat under your skin can bulge and create the appearance of puffiness.
How To Reduce Puffiness
While there are many reasons for under-eye puffiness, there are also a lot of treatment options. You can do some of these treatments at home, and others have to be done by a surgeon or dermatologist.
At-Home Remedies
At-home remedies can be your first course of action against puffiness. These options can help your eyes look normal after a sleepless night or salty meal. It can be as easy as propping yourself up with pillows to avoid fluid retention or using cucumber slices to soothe the puffiness.
Cold Compress
A cold compress can make a noticeable impact on any swelling. Leave a wet washcloth in your refrigerator overnight so it's ready in the morning. Apply the washcloth over your eyes and gently press down. You can also use the back of a spoon and hold it under your eyes. Another tip is to leave your eye serum or eye creams in the fridge to use as another cooling agent.
Tea Bags
Tea has caffeine in it, which can help draw the water of your under-eyes. Place two tea bags in cold water and give them a minute to soak. Next, apply them over your closed eyes and relax for 15 to 20 minutes.
Facial Massage
Use your fingers or a facial roller to massage the muscles and tissue around your under-eyes. If you're using your fingers, gently tap around your eyes to help force the fluid to move out of the area and drain.
Professional Treatments
If nothing you're doing at home is working, it may be time to seek professional advice. There are many things a doctor can do to help.
Non-Surgical Options
There are non-invasive options to treat your puffiness. For example, laser resurfacing can remove the top layers of skin and stimulate new collagen production. Collagen makes your skin firmer and less puffy.
The results from this treatment can last years. It all depends on how well you protect your skin from the sun. Some injectables can help lower eyelid fat if that is what's giving you the appearance of puffy under-eyes.
Cosmetic Surgery
If nothing seems to keep your under-eyes smooth and depuffed, you may want to consider surgery. Blepharoplasty is a procedure that can remedy the situation by lifting the lower eyelids. This procedure is an outpatient surgery, and you have to go under general anesthesia. Any surgery does come with risks, but it can give you significant results.
How To Cover Your Under-Eyes
You can also use makeup to cover your under-eyes. It can give you a refreshed look and reduce the appearance of puffiness. Apply an eye moisturizer after de-puffing the area with an at-home remedy. Hydrating the area will prepare it for makeup by creating a smooth surface.
Next, apply a high coverage concealer to the under-eye area. One tip is to use a shade lighter than your foundation for a brightening effect. HIDE Premium Concealer is formulated to cover imperfections like dark under-eye circles and bags.
Apply an inverted triangle under your eyes with our custom applicator that allows you to make thick lines using the flat surface of the wand. Blend out the concealer with a damp makeup sponge. Dab it gently into your skin until it is blended out seamlessly.
You can set your under-eyes with a translucent or illuminating setting powder. However, if you have fine lines and wrinkles, it may be better to use a setting spray. The powder can settle into your wrinkles and accentuate them, which is definitely not the goal.
Consider finishing off your look with something that will take the attention away from your under-eyes. A bold lip can be an easy way to distract and pull the look together.
In Summary
Puffy under-eyes can be challenging to fix. It can be hard to nail down the exact cause since there are so many possibilities. However, there are many things you can do to treat your under-eyes at home and in a doctor's office. Some of these procedures have only temporary results, while others can last for years.
Makeup is an excellent tool for reducing the appearance of your under-eye bags and puffiness. HIDE products are long-lasting and will leave you looking awake and depuffed!
Sources:
Puffy Eyes: Overview and More | Very Well Health
Under-Eye Swelling: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments | Healthline
8 ways to stimulate collagen production in skin | Medical News Today