Eye bags are one of the most common problems treated at the aesthetic clinic or dermatologist’s office. Unfortunately, bags under the eyes can occur even if you’re young and they can be notoriously difficult to remove. If you experience it you probably have looked online on how to get rid of eye bags and what causes bags under eyes.
Most of the time they don’t occur due to any specific health problems but that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything about them. In general, the skin around the eyes and eyelids is very sensitive and tender. The skin is one of the first areas of our body to suffer from an unhealthy lifestyle, losing weight and drooping due to the accumulation of fluids, which is what creates the bag under your eyes or dark eye circles. Bags under the eyes present with puffiness in the under-eye area.
In this article, we’re going to discuss some popular ways to get rid of under-eye bags as well as tips on how to prevent bags under eyes. We hope the article is helpful!
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What are the main causes of eye bags and dark circles?
As we’ve mentioned already, most of the time, eye bags are not caused by a medical condition. But if you do experience any kind of symptoms, or you feel concerned about the bags under your eyes it’s always a good idea to consult a medical professional who will help you determine the cause. That being said, here are some of the most common causes for bags under your eyes:
- Genetics. One of the common causes of bags under the eyes is heredity. You may have puffy eyes because your parents have.
- Unhealthy lifestyle – lack of enough sleep, consumption of too salty foods, insufficient physical activity, dehydration of the body can lead to puffy eyes and dark eye circles.
- A natural part of the ageing process. We all have fat under our eyes, and the normal ageing process leads to loss of collagen and weakening of the elasticity of the skin and the supporting tissues around the eyes. Then our skin loses its power to hold fat and skin, and gravity helps to form bags under your eyes and even dark circles. That’s why a lot of people opt for collagen promoting treatments.
- Medical conditions such as sinus infections and some allergies can lead to puffiness under the eyes.
How to reduce eye bags naturally?
Eye bags can be significantly improved by some changes in your lifestyle. While we can’t say home remedies are a miracle cure, especially if your eye bags are caused by genetics, it may help reduce your puffiness if you’re experiencing eye bags “thanks” to unhealthy habits.
- Have more rest. Lack of enough sleep is definitely one of the most common causes of swelling and puffiness of the whole face. So try to change your sleep schedule to get at least 8 hours of sleep a day. This can help with dark circles as well.
- Reduce sodium. A lot of salt is most often associated with high blood pressure water retention and swelling of the whole body including the area under the eyes. Reducing salt intake may help with your eye bags.
- Reduce alcohol intake. Alcohol dehydrates your body and skin. This dehydration can cause the delicate area around your eyes to look dark, sagging, grayish, and puffy.
- Stop smoking. Do smoking cigarettes cause dryness and weakening of the skin of the face and the whole body? They also cause premature aging (around the eyes in particular). The chemicals found in cigarettes are toxic and can cause irritation, inflammation of the skin, which can lead to dark circles and bags under the eyes.
- Apply cold compresses. Applying something cold such as cucumber slices or cold tea bags can narrow the blood vessels under the eyes and help reduce puffiness and dark circles.
Can I get rid of eye bags permanently?
There are many professional under-eye bags treatments that can reduce bags under eyes permanently or for at least a couple of months. You can get these treatments at your doctor’s office or at an aesthetic clinic. Keep in mind that even if they’re considered cosmetic treatments, you still have to be careful about who does it. Always look for experienced professionals who can reduce your under eyes bags and skin, problem-free. There are both surgical and non-surgical methods.
Surgical methods to get rid of bags under eyes
With an eye bag removal surgery called lower blepharoplasty, you can permanently reduce the appearance of eye bags. The surgery can effectively remove under-eye bags by removing excess skin and fat from the under the eyelid. This will tighten the skin and will overall make the area look younger and tighter. Not to be confused with upper blepharoplasty, which is most commonly used for ptosis correction.
What happens during the surgery?
During a lower blepharoplasty, the surgeon will make an incision on the lower eyelid and then will remove the excess skin and fat. The fat is taken with a small metal tube. During the procedure, the patient is put under local or general anaesthesia and won’t feel anything throughout the process. If you want, the fat removed during the surgery can be used somewhere else on the face as a filler.
Is the surgery safe?
While lower blepharoplasty is considered a very safe procedure with a huge success rate, there are some potential side effects. A lot of the potential side effects can be associated with the complications that can occur with any other surgery: bleeding, infection, or allergic reaction to the anaesthesia. Other potential side effects include double vision, cysts, death of tissue, skin discolourations, and vision loss. It’s important to note that these side effects are not common.
What happens after a lower blepharoplasty?
After the surgery, you can go straight back home. To ensure fast healing, your doctor will give you instructions you have to follow until you’ve healed completely. Most importantly, you’d need to avoid intensive exercise and to wear dark sunglasses to protect you from the sun.
Non-surgical methods to get rid of bags under eyes
If you don’t want to undergo surgery to remove your bags under the eyes, there are plenty of non-invasive eye bag removal, cosmetic options you can choose from.
Filler Removal
Dermal fillers are one of the most popular procedures people seek in recent years. They can be used in various parts of the face to sculpt it – on the lips, cheeks, chin, and even nose. It’s also an effective way to treat and reduce under-eye bags. Filler treatments can also help with dark circles.
Fillers usually consist of hyaluronic acid – a substance that our body produces. This makes eye bag fillers safe and with minimal risk of adverse reactions. They are especially suitable for patients who experience an under-eye bag due to sagging skin. With the filler, your doctor will fill the hollow in the under-eye area and thus reduce the appearance of eye bags.
What are the advantages of this method compared to surgery?
The biggest advantage of the filler method is that you won’t experience any of the side effects associated with a surgery such as scarring. You won’t have to go under general anaesthesia and no downtime either. It’s especially suitable for people who feel anxious about a surgical procedure.
What about the results and overall safety?
They are very safe, given an experienced doctor provides them. The best option is to go a doctor who does a lot of them and has a long track record of successful results. A good doctor will minimize the risks of bruising or infections too.
The results from a filler treatment for eye bags will last up to a year, in some cases up to two years. That depends on the patient’s metabolism and the amount of filler injected.
Laser Eye Bag Surgery
Laser resurfacing is another popular method of reducing eye bags. They are widely used in all sorts of aesthetic treatments including acne scar removal, anti-ageing treatments, tattoo removal, and many more. Patients who don’t want to undergo a surgery or don’t feel sure about a filler may ask their doctor about laser treatment for eye bags. Lasers are a good option if you also have dark circles as well because they can reduce the pigmentation.
Lasers work by providing heat into the treated area. The heat will stimulate collagen and reduce the fat in the under-eye area. This will result in tighter skin and you might notice some of your wrinkles around the eye are reduced as well.
This method is suitable for younger people who have mild eye bags.
What about the results and overall safety of this method?
Such treatments are considered very safe options for patients dealing with eye bags or other issues. There are several possible side effects from a laser treatment including irritation and redness. Those side effects are common and can resolve on their own. It’s important that if you decide to get laser treatment, you should go to a trusted professional who’s certified to operate laser machines because the skin around the eyes is very sensitive and lasers might damage it if done improperly.
The results from the treatment can be seen immediately after the procedure, but the full results will be noticed after 90 days.
Mesotherapy
Mesotherapy is a cosmetic treatment done to reduce wrinkles and provide the skin with various nutrients. It also has a very positive effect on under-eye bags as well. During the treatment, the doctor will inject multiple ingredients into the skin including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and many more. Those ingredients will help the skin and reduce wrinkles, pigmentation, and even eye bags. With a mesotherapy, you’ll also notice your skin tighten and feel fresher.
What are the advantages of mesotherapy?
One of the main advantages of mesotherapy is that it delivers quick and effective results. Most patients notice a difference after only one treatment and the results will last up to a year. A lot of the time, however, patients need to get more than one session in order to see full results. Furthermore, with this procedure, you won’t need any downtime – you can do it during your lunch break and then return to your usual schedule without a problem.
The whole procedure takes around 30 minutes. You might notice some mild swelling after the treatment but it’s not something you should worry about. A cold compress will help you with it.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of eye bag treatments out there. You can choose from both surgical and non-surgical methods depending on your goals and level of comfort. We didn’t cover eye bag removal cost in detail because the cost may vary depending a lot on your region. The treatments will be more expensive in some regions while less so in others. But the important thing is that there are a lot of options you can choose from based on your budget, goals, and safety.