Are you tired (no pun intended) of hearing others ask, “Are you getting enough sleep?” Or, “Are you feeling ok?”
You may be one of the many who suffer from puffy eyes, either occasionally or chronically. Since your eyes seem to say so much about how you’re feeling to the outside world, when they don’t look bright, alert and well rested, neither do you.
Why me, you ask? Well, you probably already know the factors that contribute to puffy eyes are numerous. They include high salt intake, insomnia, allergies and some medications. Your eyes may also look puffy temporarily after crying, when you consume alcohol and if you’re under extra stress.
So who doesn’t contend with more than one of these factors sometimes? Right, we all do. Not only that, but as you will guess, aging doesn’t help. As the skin around your eyes — some of the most fragile skin you have — ages, it gets thinner and thinner. As it becomes weaker and less resilient, it can’t effectively camouflage swelling in the tiny blood vessels around the eyes. For some people, aging skin does a particularly poor job of holding little fat deposits (we all have them to one degree or another) under the eyes in check.
Common home “remedies” often include soothers like cucumber slices and cool tea bags. These can indeed help your eyes feel fresher temporarily, but their effects are limited. Some people even try hemorrhoid cream for shrinking those tiny blood vessels, but doctors don’t recommend this course of action. These creams aren’t safe for use around the eyes, and they actually cause delicate skin to dry out.
If you suffer from the persistent under eye pouches and long to banish them, you may want to consider a lower eyelid lift. The procedure consists of a tiny incision along the lower lash line through which fat deposits are removed. You'll have no visible scar and typically an easy recovery, but be sure to consult a board certified plastic surgeon or an ophthalmologist with demonstrable experience improving lower lids. It takes skill and a delicate touch to achieve natural-looking results and avoid problems with lower eyelid lifts.
If you aren’t seeking surgery, it’s probably still worth a visit to a dermatologist or another medical expert. You would likely benefit from a combination of medical-grade ingredients that allow a cream to penetrate the outer layers of skin and deliver much needed nutrients. Sometimes dermal fillers like Radiesse® and JuvedermTM can help by filling sunken “tear troughs.”
Do a little research on the Web — there’s plenty of material out there that can help you learn what kind of treatment works best for your individual need.