Under eye bags can be caused by a number of things including retention of fluids do to illness, kidney problems, urinary tract infections, allergies, lack of sleep, hormones, a general lack of care of one's self (drugs, alcohol, etc.), or heredity. That being said, eye bags are just as frequently the natural result of aging skin. As your skin ages, it becomes thinner, loses elasticity, and stretches more easily. With age also comes depletion in the muscles and ligaments under your eyelids. This makes eye bag problems even worse by allowing the fat pads under your eyes to protrude.
While I'm sure this is all very interesting to you, I'm also sure you'd rather just get on with learning how to get rid of eye bags so you can quit looking like an aging, emo crackhead. Regardless of the cause of your eye bags (aging skin, three-day bender, chewing on a salt lick, etc.), the information in this article can help you.
1. Drink more water. This may sound counterproductive, since fluid retention is so often associated with under the eye bags, but trust me, this is huge—and extremely simple. In fact, go get a glass of water to drink right now while you read. We'll wait . . . OK, are you back? Good. Water allows your body to flush the toxins that can build up in eye bags, helps your skin to heal faster, and keeps your skin healthier and tighter. Also, the more water you drink, the less your body retains. Why? Because it doesn't need to. As your body becomes accustomed to getting water on a regular basis, it loses the compulsion to store water for later use. To make a long story short, drink 60‒120 ounces of water every day.
2. Use cold compresses. While this can be done in a number of ways (eye masks, cold wet cloths, frozen spoons, etc.) the idea is always the same: application of cold reduces swelling and tightens skin. Use a cold compress two or more times a day for ten to fifteen minute periods. Do so with your head elevated so the fluid can drain more easily. Also, midway through your ten or fifteen minutes, apply light pressure to your eye bags by gently pressing your fingertips against the cold compress for about three minutes. Effects of using a cold compress for bags under eyes will be immediate but short lived. Repeated applications, however, will certainly help keep your eye bags from getting out of control in the future.
3. Apply an under-eye cream. Eye creams can be extremely beneficial when working to get rid of eye bags. Choose a moisturizing eye cream that contains vitamins A, K, and C. Vitamin A is an antioxidant that breaks down unstable oxygen molecules that would otherwise harm your skin. Vitamin K is helpful in reducing discoloration and the appearance of capillaries. Vitamin C helps with skin tightening and the stimulation of collagen growth. Along with a healthy dose of vitamins, your chosen eye cream should also contain some emollients (cocoa butter, coconut oil, etc.) to help your skin retain moisture as well as copper peptides to encourage healing of the skin and production of collagen.
4. Reduce intake of sodium and alcohol. Moisturizing your body is good. Causing your body to retain moisture is bad. Moisture retention due to excessive sodium/salt consumption is one of the most notorious causes of eye bags. So back away from the potato chips, put the soda down, and read the label on that can of soup you were planning on having for lunch. Along with cutting down on the sodium in your diet, consider giving up some of that alcohol. Alcohol is a diuretic. When your body is exposed to diuretics, it quickly snaps up what moisture it can and stores it for later use. This is why you always have puffy eyes in the morning after you drink
5. Get some friggin' sleep. I saved this little nugget of knowledge for last because of how obvious it is. It's so obvious, in fact, that it is ignored or disregarded more than any other suggestion for eye bag treatment. Despite how busy you think you are, you need to be getting between seven and nine hours of sleep a night. Do it on a schedule too; pick a bed time and a wake time and stick with them. Proper amounts of scheduled sleep will help you decrease stress, improve your overall health, and help you to get rid of eye bags. Along with your extra sleep, get an extra pillow. Elevating your head above the rest of your body will help the bags under your eyes to drain properly.
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