Once you become a certain age, or live a certain lifestyle – or have children, chances are pretty good that you have bags under your eyes. Truth is, that today’s busy lifestyle along with stress, too much caffeine, poor eating habits and not enough sleep (all of which affect around 46% of the population on a regular basis) are destined to cause dark under eye circles. In what used to be a concern of mostly older women, today even teenagers are walking around with dark purplish black puffy circles and bags under their eyes.
According to WebMd, in order to fix the baggage under your eyes – you must first realize what is causing it. Most people upon looking at you may just assume that you are tired. But if you can get a solid 8 hours of sleep, and don’t feel tired yet are burdened with your eyes telling a different story, you should look for other culprits of bags under the eyes. Removing bags from under your eyes is not always an overnight fix, but knowing the cause can help your efforts be more effective.
Causes of Under Eye Bags and Dark Circles
Of course, being tired and not getting enough sleep is one cause of the puffiness and darkness under the eyes. Normally however people won’t develop these cosmetic symptoms after just one night of not enough sleep. And many people, who have eye baggage and dark circles, believe that they are well rested. If you have gone several nights without rest, then the best thing to do is to make rest a priority.
Another culprit to the dark and puffy look is an excess of salt in the diet. Since the skin around the eyes is the thinnest on the body, it is the most effected by our fluid intake and outtake. If you eat salty foods, or processed foods chances are your body is retaining fluid, which makes the eye area look especially bloated and dark. Of course spending an evening watching a tearjerker where you cried uncontrollably for hours will cause the same problem, but with less longevity.
Hay fever, sinusitis, colds and any sort of sinus irritation can also cause puffiness under the eyes as well as dark circles. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, your eyes may be taking the brunt of the assault. Many people may not have any signs of allergies in the sinus but may have puffiness and dark circles under the eyes instead. Culprits could be seasonal, foods or even mold spores in your home.
Removing Bags From Under Your Eyes
There are all sorts of remedies for this annoying condition. Chances are you have heard of placing cucumbers on the eyes or other home remedies. The following list will give you several options to help eliminate under eye puffiness and circles.
- Drink plenty of water. The best way to manage fluid retention in the eye area or anywhere else is to get plenty of water. Plus, if salt is the problem, 8-10 glasses of water per day will help to flush salt from your system.
- Take a multivitamin with B vitamins and Vitamin E, both of which are fundamental in skin health. Making sure you get enough iron, either from a multivitamin or from foods is also important.
- Vitamin C. Start your day with a cold glass of fortified orange juice which is high in Vitamin C and antioxidants. Vitamin C is significant in overall skin health.
- Soak chamomile tea bags in hot water and make eye packs with them. Using chamomile tea for around 15 – 20 minutes at the source will reduce inflammation and the darkness that often ensues.
- Purchase Vitamin K creams from your local pharmacy. Vitamin K creams help to repair the broken capillaries which may be causing the area to look red or purple.
- Sliced and cooled cucumbers, according to WebMd is not just an old wives tale. This will help to tighten the skin under the eye area and is therapeutic for fluid retention. Ice packs and anything else cool, will also help.
- Use a neti-pot. If the problems are caused by sinuses, this may help to reduce the swelling in the area and prevent fluid build up. Make sure to use the neti-pot according to package directions.
- Try to sleep on your back with your head raised if you wake up with puffy eyes in the morning. This will help to reduce the amount of fluid that collects around the face and eye area.
- Make sure that you wash off all makeup around the eye area before bed. Sometimes the chemicals can cause puffiness and dark circles, as well as wrinkles.
- Give yourself an eye massage several times a day. This will help to dispel fluids from collecting in the eye area.
- Purchase creams with retinoic acid in them. These are available over the counter and help to prevent wrinkles and reduce swelling and inflammation. Retinol eye treatments are also useful.
- Don’t smoke and avoid alcohol.
- Get plenty of rest each and every night!
Doctors say that genetics also play a roll in under eye circles and swelling. Sometimes, the problem can become permanent if you have a loss of pigmentation in the area. If the causes are more genetics than lifestyle, you may have to seek the help of a licensed dermatologist.
