We all dislike under-eye circles, bags, and eye puffiness when they appear on our faces. Even if you have beautiful skin, you can develop under-eye issues such as dark circles, bags, and puffiness. Under-eye problems can be genetic, or they can indicate you’re tired, ‘under the weather,’ or trying to retain fluid.
Some of the causes of under-eye circles are treatable or reversible. Hyper pigmentation occurs when there is an excess of skin pigment in the skin. This can happen under your eyes, causing a brown discoloration. Hyper pigmentation of the under-eye skin, like blood vessel congestion, is frequently inherited. Under eye bags and puffiness are caused by a few major factors. Allergies, excessive salt consumption, or simply having some circulatory issues in the area can all cause swelling.
How should they be handled?
Consult your doctor about antihistamines if you suffer from allergies. Using a food diary, keep track of your food intake and look for patterns with salty foods.
For example: If I eat a lot of french fries or potato chips, I get under eye swelling the next day, so I’ve cut back and began eating the lightly salted chips.
Sleeping Position:
If none of these remedies seem to be effective, you can try sleeping slightly elevated to prevent swelling from forming. When your under-eye area is puffy, you should look for treatments that will mobilise the liquid and move it out of the area while also promoting circulation (again, to help move that extra fluid out of there).
One of the most effective treatments for under-eye bags is to pay attention to how you sleep. Sleeping with your head slightly raised, according to the Mayo Clinic, can help prevent fluid from accumulating around your eyes. To assist, place an extra pillow under your head.
Sunscreen:
It is common practise to apply sunscreen from head to toe and to avoid getting your SPF too close to your eyes. You don’t want to deal with stinging, burning eyes, so it’s understandable. However, this does not negate the fact that you require sunscreen.
For a quick fix, look for an SPF-infused eye cream. And don’t forget your sunglasses—aside from protecting your skin from sun damage, wearing shades can help avoid bags under your eyes.
Tea Bags:
There are many old-fashioned treatments that can help with this. Tea bags on your eyes will give caffeine, an anti-inflammatory that tightens blood vessels and causes the area to shrivel and is dehydrating to help get rid of excess fluid.
Eye Creams:
Most eye creams contain caffeine as well. Cold objects, such as spoons or an eye mask, will also help to compress the blood vessels. Gently massage the under-eye area will also aid in the removal of excess fluid from the fat pad. If not, read about what to expect from an eye cream. Caffeine is an absolute must in my eye cream when treating bags! Also prefer hydration to assist your concealer blend conveniently, and if the cream also combats ageing, that’s a plus!
Do not succumb to the temptation to use preparation H.
The biggest problem with applying Preparation H to your face is the active ingredient, Phenylephrine. You may be familiar with the name because it is encountered in prevalent over-the-counter meds such as decongestants and nasal decongestants. It is used by doctors because it is an alpha agonist, which means it works through a receptor on a blood vessel to constrict the blood vessel. When blood vessels are too dilated to shrink, we use it. While phenylephrine will restrict the blood vessels in the bags under your eyes, it’s not the only cause of those bags. There is usually a lot of extra fluid (aka swelling) in the small fat pad there. As a result, it is only a partial solution.
Lifestyle Choices:
Long-term Phenylephrine use can up-regulate resisting beta receptors, making Phenylephrine less efficient. In case you didn’t know, your lifestyle choices can have an impact on the appearance and feel of your skin. Bags under the eyes can become a reality if you eat too many salty foods. Try limiting your salt intake, and your skin (as well as your overall health) may benefit.
Makeup can be used to conceal dark circles and bags under your eyes if you already have them.