Puffy Eyes Quick Reference Guide

Need To Get Rid Of Those Eye Bags Or Puffy Eyes?

Read Dr Alek Nikolic’s helpful guide to steer you in the right direction.

Check Dr Alek Nikolic’s helpful and quick guide on what causes eye bags, how to treat them, what ingredients to look out for and how to help prevent them.

Dr Alek Nikolic”Most of us will wake up with puffy eyes or develop visible bags under the eye area.” – Dr Alek Nikolic

What They Look Like:

Often when a patient sees me and complains of puffy eyes they are referring to puffiness seen under the eyes. These are called eye bags if the skin visibly pops out or droops below the eyelid.

Causes

“Most of us will be told that eye bags or puffy eyes are related to diet, too much coffee, or not enough sleep or too much stress but there are typically only a few specific causes” –  Dr Alek Nikolic

1. Swelling Due To Inflammation Or Water Retention:

This is typically caused due to fluid retention and there are a number of reasons for this:

• • • Irritants: certain cosmetic ingredients
    • Allergic reactions or hay fever
    • Heat
    • Poor lymph drainage or excess strain of the lymph drainage
    • Excessive eye cream use

2. Fat:

As we age fat deposition increases under the eye area resulting in bags and is a natural part of ageing. Certain genetic factors will bring these bags earlier in life but at the end of the day under eye bags are waiting for all of us – just different extremes will be experienced.

3. Tear Trough:

A deep depression below the eye can give the appearance of bags or make a mild bag look worse. This depression or area is also known as the nasojugal groove.

Treating Puffy Eyes:

1. Fat:

   • • Some improvement early on can be achieved with dermal fillers if a visible tear trough is present
     • Surgery: for some of us this may be the only option where the excess skin and fat pad is surgically removed

2. Tear Trough:

   In most cases treated successfully with dermal fillers in the tear trough reducing the appearance of the bag.

3. Swelling Due To Inflammation:

   • • Caffeine – contracts blood vessels
     • Cucumber – soothing
     • Chamomile – soothing
     • Ginkgo biloba – soothing
     • Rosemary – assists with drainage
     • Green tea – anti-inflammatory
     • Salicylates – anti-inflammatory (avoid these ingredients if allergic to aspirin)

What You Can Do:

• • • Be gentle when you remove eye makeup
    • Sleep with your head slightly elevated and do not  sleep on your stomach
    • Watch those salty foods
    • Reduce alcohol intake and avoid drinking late at night
    • Avoid rubbing your eyes
    • Manage seasonal allergies
    • Wash your pillowcases more frequently
    • Consider a lymphatic drainage facial treatment at a spa
    • A small drop is all you need – Don’t put too much eye cream on at night

Need More Info? [quote author=”Dr Alek Nikolic”]”Let me help you”[/quote]

1. Further Reading & Recommended In Depth Articles:

   • How to Find the Best Eye Cream
   • Dark Eye Circles
   • Crow’s Feet Wrinkles

2. For More Skincare Advice:

• Take Our Skin Assessment: see immediate recommendations for your skin type and/or skin concern
• Take Dr Alek Nikolic’s Face2Face Skin Consultation: get personal recommendations for your skin from Dr Alek

3. See Our Full Treatment Product List Eye Care: please click here

4. Dr Alek Nikolic’s Top Eye Bag Treatment Picks:

• SKINCEUTICALS A.G.E. EYE COMPLEX
• NEOSTRATA SKIN ACTIVE INTENSIVE EYE THERAPY
• NEOSTRATA BIONIC EYE CREAM PLUS
• EXUVIANCE BRIGHTENING BIONIC EYE CREME PLUS
• OBAGI ELASTIDERM EYE SERUM 14 ML
• DERMAQUEST STEM CELL 3D EYELIFT
• DERMAQUEST C INFUSION EYE CREAM
• DERMAQUEST PEPTIDE EYE FIRMING SERUM

Article References:

1. Reduced appearance of under-eyebags with twice-daily application of epidermal growth factor (EGF) serum: a pilot study. Seidel R, Moy RL. J Drugs Dermatol. 2015 Apr;14(4):405-10.
2. Blepharoplasty Combined with Fat Grafting: A Treatment of Complications Following Polyacrylamide Hydrogel Injections inTearTroughs. Wang Y, Shen Y, Xiao W, Xu J. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2015 Dec;39(6):942-5. doi: 10.1007/s00266-015-0578-5. Epub 2015 Oct 20.
3. This article was sourced from Just About Skin written by Rita Lee. She has an impressive blog and gives accurate information on skin and skin care products and regimes. I highly recommend her blog for in depth education on skin care ingredients.