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Reducing eye bags, dark circles and puffiness with lifestyle changes
Reducing puffiness requires a combination of lifestyle changes, such as getting enough sleep and maintaining a healthy diet, and using the right eye creams. Eye creams for puffiness often contain ingredients that work by constricting blood vessels and reducing inflammation.
For allergy-related puffiness, eye drops can be used to relieve symptoms, especially if you experience itchy eyes or watery eyes.
First of all, we want to clarify that puffy eyes are different from dark-colored under-eye bags, although they can occur at the same time. Having dark patches below your eyes is mostly caused by genetics, and may persist even after you relieve your puffiness.
Puffy eyes are also different from swollen eyes, which are usually a sign of allergies, colds or another medical condition, and are often accompanied by itching and involuntary watering of the eyes. Swollen eyes are treated by addressing the underlying condition. While trying to directly reduce the swelling of your eyes may temporarily relieve your symptoms, if your eyes are swollen instead of puffy, eye swelling won’t completely go away until you address whatever is causing it.
If you’ve determined that you truly have puffy eyes, there are multiple factors that could be causing them. The most common is crying, which irritates the eye area and dehydrates it, resulting in a puffy appearance. Even if you don’t cry, holding back tears can also cause the eye area to appear puffy.
Here's what you can do:
- Focus on getting more than 8 hours of sleep and maintaining a balanced diet to reduce eye puffiness and prevent fluid buildup.
- Manage stress for better sleep to help reduce puffiness and promote overall health and wellness.
- Avoid salty foods, reduce salt intake, and stay hydrated to help minimize fluid retention and swelling around the eyes.
- Manage allergy symptoms, such as those caused by hay fever.
- Practice good hygiene, especially when wearing contact lenses, to prevent eye infections and irritation.
- Laser resurfacing or chemical peels can help remove surface layers and stimulate new collagen growth, reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
- Using fragrance-free and hypoallergenic products can help reduce irritation and inflammation under the eyes.
- Applying a cool compress or eye mask can help constrict blood vessels and reduce puffiness.
- Practicing good eye care, such as wearing sunglasses and avoiding rubbing the eyes, can help prevent irritation and inflammation.
