How to Reduce Your Eye Bags Without Surgery

Your eyes say a lot about you — too much, when it comes to giving away your age. Or worse, they can make you look older than you really are. Under-eye bags are a big culprit, making you look tired and worn out. 

While some lower lid problems require surgery to repair, there are actually plenty of things you can do at home to reduce the look of many under-eye problems, without any medical treatment at all.

At Rostami OPC, Soheila Rostami, MD, and Joseph Davidson, MD, are skilled in surgical and nonsurgical treatments aimed at rejuvenating the entire eye area. But they also know how important it is for patients to understand their at-home options too. 

Take a moment as they review a few of the most common DIY solutions for under-eye bags, so you can decide if medical intervention is necessary.

How under-eye bags happen

What’s the most common reason why we have bags under our eyes? Good, old-fashioned aging. As we get older, our skin loses some of its natural elasticity, resulting in lines, wrinkles, and — yes — under-eye bags. 

If you have excess fatty tissue under your eyes, lax skin allows that fat to bulge out a little more too.

Although under-eye bags are usually a cosmetic problem, they can cause complications in some cases. For instance, when under-eye bags draw down your lower lid, you can wind up with dry eye and other eye problems. 

Moreover, if fat deposits are dragging down your lower lids, it can be hard to “fix” them on your own. These are two instances when lower-lid surgery (blepharoplasty) may be the best option to correct those bags and reposition the lid.

Reducing bags without surgery

For many people, “home remedies” are a good starting point toward reducing those bags without any medical treatments. Some of the most popular options are listed below.

Cool compresses

Cold helps reduce inflammation, a major contributor to swelling and puffiness. Try applying a cool compress to your eyes a few times a day, or use an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas. Don’t leave the ice pack on your skin for more than 10 minutes at a time, and place a cloth between ice and your skin to protect it.

Quit smoking

Smoking interferes with circulation and damages the tissues that support your eyes. Kicking this habit can help you get rid of under-eye bags and improve your health in many other ways too.

Drop the extra pounds

Fat accumulates in the strangest places, including the area under your eyes. Losing extra pounds could be all it takes to reduce those bags and slim down your entire face.

Catch those Zs

Sleep is when your body naturally restores itself. When you don’t get enough sleep, puffiness and dark circles are more likely to occur. Aim for 7-9 hours of good sleep per night. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try these sleep hygiene tips.

Elevate your head

Speaking of sleep, try elevating your head slightly with a pillow or two while you sleep. Elevation helps excess fluid to drain away from your eye area. Just don’t use so many pillows that you wind up with a neck ache!

Reduce your salt intake

Salt tastes good, but too much can cause problems. Most people know excess salt can increase their blood pressure. But salt also causes your tissues to retain water, which could show up as under-eye puffiness. 

Consider allergies

Many allergies have effects on your skin. Smoke, dust mites, pet dander, pollen — any of these can cause mild swelling and irritation. Eye makeup, facial cleansers, and moisturizers are other potential culprits. 

Keep track of when puffiness occurs, and stop using cosmetic products temporarily to see if your symptoms subside.

Peels and injections

Of course, if these “home remedies” fail to give you the results you’re looking for, you have other nonsurgical options to consider. Chemical peels can help rejuvenate sagging skin around the lower lid area, and laser resurfacing can address wrinkling that makes those bags look worse. 

Botox injections can gently lift your brows to help your eyes look more alert too. Some of these options may help improve your eye area without surgery, especially when used in combination with the DIY options listed above.

Check those bags

Getting rid of under-eye bags may not be as easy as checking your bags on an airline, but it doesn’t have to be complicated either. 

If you’re bothered by under-eye bags, try the options in the list above. If those don’t work, call 571-568-8716 or book an appointment online at our Reston, Virginia, office, and learn how our team can help.