Undereye puffiness is a common skincare concern that most people will experience at one point or another. Lack of sleep, salt intake, genetics, and other factors contribute to puffy undereye circles. Luckily, there are things you can do to remedy this common skin issue to improve the appearance of your undereye area!
If you’re wondering how to eliminate puffy eyes and dark circles, you’re in luck! In this quick guide, we’ll discuss what causes puffy eyes and five simple solutions to depuff, smooth, and brighten under eyes for a more vibrant appearance.
What Causes Puffy Eyes?
The skin surrounding your eyes is more delicate than the skin on the rest of the face and, therefore, more vulnerable to discoloration, swelling, and visible signs of aging. In addition to thinner skin around the eyes, there is less fat between the skin and the orbital bone. This is why you may likely notice signs of aging around the eyes — like undereye bags and dark circles — earlier than the rest of your face.
Puffy undereyes can be caused by several factors. Genetics plays a large role in how your skin looks, including undereyes. If your parents have prominent dark circles or puffy undereye ‘bags,’ you could also be more susceptible to undereye puffiness.
Certain medical conditions or health concerns can also lead to puffy eyes. Thyroid problems, for instance, may cause swelling in the eye area. Puffiness, in general, may also be related to lymphatic drainage or fluid retention due to a range of factors. Even something as simple as allergies can lead to swelling around your eyes.
If you experience persistent undereye puffiness, it could be a good idea to consult with your healthcare provider or a board-certified dermatologist to address underlying factors that may contribute to your skin issues.
Lifestyle factors such as a lack of sleep or a diet high in sodium, leading to excess fluid in your system, may also contribute to a puffy eye area. Whatever the reason you’re experiencing undereye puffiness, here are a few simple tips and tricks to help your eyes look refreshed.
How Can You Address Puffy Eyes?
Concealer and other cosmetic products may help you camouflage undereye circles, but there are alternative treatments that can help depuff - not just disguise - undereye bags. Let’s talk about some simple ways to address your undereye bags from the comfort of your own home.
1. Use a Cold Spoon Compress
This common remedy has been around for ages - and for good reason. It’s super simple, quick, and uses items you likely already have available. Just like a cold compress helps to reduce swelling on an injury, a cold compress for the eye area can help to alleviate undereye puffiness - and the smooth, circular shape of a spoon is the ideal fit for using on the undereye area.
Using a cold spoon compress is simple. First, place a metal spoon in the freezer, ideally overnight, but for at least 10 minutes to allow it to get sufficiently cold. Then, place the smooth back of the spoon on the affected area. This effectively acts as a cold compress, constricting your blood vessels to reduce blood flow to the site, which can have a brightening and soothing effect. An ice pack or washcloth saturated with cold water can also offer a similar effect. Always use a spoon, washcloth, or icepack that is clean and sanitary to avoid spreading bacteria to the sensitive eye area, which could cause even greater issues.
2. Stay Hydrated
You probably know that staying hydrated is critical to your overall health. But it can also help address puffy undereyes. When you’re dehydrated, your body may retain excess fluid, which can lead to puffy skin. Staying adequately hydrated may help to alleviate fluid retention and make undereyes tighter, brighter, and more smooth.
3. Try a Facial Massage or Facial Toning Device
Facial massages, especially around your eye area, may help with drainage and fluid retention, leading to less puffiness around your eyes. You can do this with your hands or take it to the next level with the clinically proven TRINITY+ Starter Kit and the TRINITY+ Effective Lip & Eye Attachment.
The Effective Lip & Eye Attachment features dual-prong microcurrent wands that deliver precise microcurrent treatment to hard-to-reach areas around your eyes. It can help to lift and tighten the skin around your eyes, support circulation, depuff your eye area, and tone and brighten your skin to give your puffy, tired-looking eye area the wake-up call it needs.
If you want to take advantage of microcurrent skincare products for your eye area, browse all of our devices to treat the eye area.
4. Address Underlying Factors
Even the best eye cream in the world likely won’t depuff your eyes if you need an antihistamine. If you’re consuming too much sodium or not getting enough sleep, cosmetic fixes will only provide a short-term fix for undereye bags. Ensure you’re getting proper sleep, addressing allergies, and cutting back on sodium when struggling with undereye issues.
Try to stick to a consistent bedtime and ensure you get enough hours of sleep every night. Much like hydrating properly, getting more sleep won’t just brighten your eyes — it can brighten your overall outlook, too.
5. Tailor Your Skincare Routine Accordingly
Tailoring your skincare routine to address your concerns is vital for a glowing complexion. We recommend the FIX® Starter Kit which is designed to work towards smoothing, blurring lines, and brightening undereyes.
Start by cleansing with an oil-free cleanser or the NuFACE Prep-N-Glow Facial Wipes — great at home or on the go. Then, lightly mist Supercharged IonPlex® Facial Mist with hyaluronic acid onto the skin to hydrate and prep for your microcurrent treatment. Remember to shake it well before spraying!
Apply a few drops of your favorite NuFACE® Ionized Super Booster onto your fingertips and massage into skin until fully absorbed. Apply a mask-like layer of FIX® Line Smoothing Serum to the eye area. This multitasking serum conducts microcurrent, deeply hydrates with IonPlex, locks in moisture with hyaluronic acid, plumps and smooths skin with triple peptide complex, and instantly brightens skin while blurring fine lines with light-reflecting pigments.
Use the FIX Line Smoothing Device to instantly feather around the eyes, lips, or forehead to blur the look of fine lines - paying special attention to under eyes to help tighten, smooth, and blur lines.
Check out the NuFACE Smart App for exclusive access to step-by-step tutorials - including the FIX® Tightening & Smoothing Eye Treatment.
Takeaway
Puffy under eyes, eye bags, and dark circles are common, but they don’t have to put a damper on your confidence. Undereye issues can be caused by genetics or lifestyle factors, but there is a wide range of at-home remedies or treatments to help tone, brighten, and even out your complexion. For targeted eye-smoothing treatments, consider using clinically proven and FDA-Cleared Microcurrent technology from NuFACE.
Sources:
How Much Sodium Should I Eat Per Day? | American Heart Association
