Bags under the eyes are due to lack of sleep, chronic stress, poor diet, and fatigue which can result from illness or medications for example. People who suffer from allergies and sensitivities often have a bigger problem with bags under as well. Bags under the eyes are mild swelling in the skin below the eyes. How chronically the eye puffiness continues, really depends on the cause(s), and if these causes become resolved. Bagginess under the eyes may also be due to genetics, and in these cases, are difficult to resolve and may be more permanent. They may appear almost overnight, may develop over time, and may stay for as long as the underlying cause is unresolved.
What are the Causes
Changes due to the fat bag tend to develop gradually over time, though not always.
- Aging – As we age, the muscles supporting the eyelids sag, fat in the lower eyelid moves downward, and gravity generally shifts everything downward over the hills and valleys below the eye.
- Genetics – Inherited causes tend to be long-term and difficult to resolve, and they are often a permanent problem without a natural solution.
- Fluid retention – Nutrition, poor diet, and especially foods that increase fluid retention such as salty foods.
- Allergies – Seasonal and other allergies, including food allergies.
- Sensitivities – Other environmental sensitivities.
- Lack of sleep
- Stress
- Medications such as stimulants that affect sleep patterns, long-term use of pain killers that cause adrenal fatigue, and long-term use of antibiotics that affect proper digestion. Medications that may cause swelling under the eyes include ACE inhibitors, such as benazepril (Lotensin), captopril, enalapril (Vasotec), fosinopril, lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril), moexipril, perindopril (Aceon), quinapril (Accupril), ramipril (Altace), and trandolapril (Mavik).
- Thyroid and/or kidney problems and disorders may occasionally, not often, cause baggy eyes.
- Adrenal deficiency may be a cause, such as excessive stress, poor diet, lack of exercise, and lack of sleep, or medications.
- Smoking tobacco
Dark Circles vs. Shadows Under the Eyes
Have you ever looked in the mirror after a long, sleepless night and discovered dark circles under your eyes? Chances are you probably saw shadows cast by puffy eyelids. Or those dark areas may be hollows under your eyes that develop as a normal part of aging. Shadows are not the same thing as true under-eye dark circles.
- While anyone can have dark under-eye circles, elderly people are more likely to have it. Thanks to the loss of fat and collagen and thinning skin that comes with aging, the reddish-blue blood vessels under your eyes become more obvious.
- People from ethnic groups whose skin tones are darker than white ethnic groups are more likely to have dark circles under their eyes.
- Hay fever and allergies can cause under-eye dark circles.
- For some people, exposure to the sun can make their body produce more melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color. This can lead to dark circles under the eyes.
What Can You Do for Under-Eye Bags?
- Home Remedies
- Use a cool compress on your eyes. Wet a clean washcloth with cool water. Place the damp washcloth around your eyes for a few minutes, applying very gentle pressure. Do this while sitting upright.
- Make sure you get enough sleep. Most experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep daily.
- Sleep with your head raised slightly. This can help keep fluid from settling around your eyes during sleep. Add an extra pillow.
- Try to avoid drinking fluids before bed, and limit salt in your diet. That can help reduce fluid retention overnight that can lead to bags under your eyes.
- Quit smoking. Smoking can contribute to faster collagen loss. This makes the delicate skin under your eyes even thinner, leading to more visible blood vessels.
- Try to reduce your allergy symptoms. Avoid the things that cause your allergies whenever you can. Talk to your doctor about allergy medications.
- Use cosmetics. Try using makeup concealer to cover shadows under your eyes.
- Eyelid surgery for under-eye bags – A type of eyelid surgery called blepharoplasty may help eliminate bags under the eyes, depending on their cause. During this outpatient procedure, the eye surgeon creates an incision under the lashes or inside the lower lid. The surgeon removes excess fat through the incision and sometimes removes extra skin, then closes the incisions with tiny stitches. In addition to correcting bags under eyes, blepharoplasty can also repair baggy or puffy upper eyelids.
- Skin therapies for under-eye bags – There are several skin treatments to reduce under-eye puffiness. These include laser resurfacing, RF technology, chemical peels, and fillers. These treatments are designed to tighten skin, improve its tone, and reduce the appearance of bags under the eyes.
So, what is the best option?
Morpheus8 is a revolutionary skin tightening and micro-needling treatment for fatty puffy eyelids with loose skin, eyelid festoons and malar swelling. It works regardless of your skin color and avoids the downtime and cost of surgery. If you have moderate to severe loose skin, Morpheus8 radio-frequency treatment is a fantastic alternative to consider for lax and fatty nasolabial folds, jowls, and double chins. This is because Morpheus8 is the first and only device to coagulate subdermal fat, thus restoring a more youthful appearance.
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