Eyelid puffiness may occur for some reasons. Sometimes, the underlying cause is a temporary bout with allergies or fluid retention after a weekend of partying. Additional reasons why puffiness may affect the eyes include poor-quality sleep, smoking, hormone changes, and general fatigue. Rather than spending time trying to figure out just why your eyes have puffed-up like a down-blanket, spend time reducing puffiness and learning how you might prevent this problem in the future.
Quick-Fixes for Puffy Eyes
- Cucumber slices. Cucumber slices do hold a bit of magic in soothing tired, puffy eyes. Just make sure to use slices from a refrigerated vegetable. Part of the power of cucumbers is cold, and part is the water content of cucumber that may absorb into the tired skin. Additional options include a cold washcloth or spoon applied to the eyes for a few minutes.
- Tea bags (black or green tea with caffeine) can be placed in water and refrigerated for several minutes to cool them. The cold soothes puffiness, while caffeine minimizes fluid retention.
- If you’ve got zero time for a five-minute home remedy for puffy eyes, splashing some cold water on your face may help reduce swelling.
Preventing Puffiness
This is where it can pay to understand a bit more about why your eyes puff up. Knowing the cause of puffiness allows you to take preventive action such as:
- Reducing salt-intake, especially at night. Salk leads to fluid retention, which leads to a puffy appearance not only around the eyes but elsewhere.
- Stay hydrated, especially if you eat salt! Hydration maintains a good salt to water ration in the body, which prevents fluid retention.
- Minimize alcohol consumption at night. Alcohol almost always disrupts sleep patterns, which causes puffiness and many more issues.
- If puffiness occurs alongside redness and itching, take an over-the-counter allergy medicine for relief. For severe or chronic allergies, prescription allergy medication may be necessary.
Is it Just Puffiness?
To have puffy eyes is one thing, but to live with ongoing heaviness and bagging of the upper or lower eyelids is something else entirely. If your eyes appear puffy and tired day after day, it is likely a result of genetics and aging. In this case, quick-fixes will not provide the relief you seek. Cosmetic treatments such as dermal fillers are routinely performed to reduce the appearance of under eye bags. Upper eyelid hooding may be due to a drooping brow. In such an instance, Xeomin, an effective neuromodulator, may be applied to raise the brow and open up the eyes.
Learn more about how to rejuvenate your eyes. Call our Springlake, NJ office at (732) 449-0167.
