Eye Bags Even With Enough Sleep: Causes and Treatments

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It can be really frustrating to wake up in the morning with bags under the eyes, especially when you had a full seven to nine hours of rest.

Bags under the eyes are a common concern that many men and women struggle with, in most cases, they are just a cosmetic condition and are rarely associated with a serious health problem.

Most of the time, people tend to associate under-eye bags with a lack of sleep, however, a variety of causes can trigger their appearance.

In this article, we will explore the various causes that can lead to bags under the eyes, other than lack of sleep, as well as their types, and how to get rid of them.

Table of Contents

1 What are Under Eye Bags?
2 What Causes Bags Under The Eyes Even With Enough Sleep?
3 What are The Types of Under-eye Bags?
4 How to Get Rid of Under-eyes Bags
5 Conclusion

What are Under Eye Bags?

Under-eye bags are the swelling or puffiness that is visible in the lower eyelids. They are common when one is aging. In most cases, they have nothing to do with the intensity of the sleep that you had.

What Causes Bags Under The Eyes Even With Enough Sleep?

There are several causes of under-eye bags with some of the causes being reversible.

Here are some of the causes;

Hereditary factor

Hereditary factors may cause under-eye bags but may not be easily controlled. These are the factors that determine your composition at birth, and you have nothing to do about it, especially if you started having their effects at child age. These include an excessive under-eye pigment or prominent veins under the eye.

Stress

If you tend to have bags under your eyes, it is important to avoid stress and take time to rest and relax. In fact, stress and anxiety are among the most important causes of the appearance of bags under the eye.

Water retention

Water retention caused by overeating salt in your food is another cause of under-eye bags. Metabolically, the sodium in the salt cannot be deposited in the body without fluids, this is the reason why some fluids may have to be retained on your skin. The under-eye region is more likely to be affected since the skin around that region is always very thin. Any adjustment cannot be hidden. To reduce water retention, make sure to maintain a low-salt diet, and stay away from alcoholic beverages.

Allergies

Some allergies can cause itching and swelling under the eyes, you should be aware of the things which you are allergic to and avoid them. Any allergy in your body will always release histamine chemicals to your system which dilates your blood vessels. This makes more blood to flow under the eye. Once there is excessive blood flowing under your eyes, you will automatically experience some floppiness around that region. Additionally, the chemical may cause itchiness, which will make you rub the eyes hence causing swelling or fluid accumulation under the eyes.

Age

When you age, a lot of skin volume is lost. The skin also becomes less elastic. This happens when the fats in the face are eaten away, and the production of collagen also goes down, which makes the skin thin and less flexible. As a result, the blood vessels under the skin become very visible with a lot of sagging skin. Under the eye bags which are caused by old age may not be easily reversible.

What are The Types of Under-eye Bags?

Regardless of the trigger factor for these bags under the eyes, there are three types of them: bags due to water retention, bags due to fat accumulation, and bags due to excess skin (aging).

Bags Due to Water Retention

Several factors such as lack of sleep, a rich diet, alcohol or smoking can cause poor lymphatic drainage; therefore, lymph can accumulate in the lower eyelid and cause swelling under the eyes.

This swelling typically occurs upon awakening from sleep since people remain motionless during the night, which causes a local accumulation of fluid in the lower eyelid.

These types of bags may disappear during the day, but can sometimes persist, especially if you have blood circulation problems.

Bags Due to Fat Accumulation

If you have bags under your eyes all the time, they are more likely due to fat accumulation.

Over the years, the fat, which is normally in the eyelids to help support the eyes, can slip into the lower eyelid and accumulate under the eyes. This can be a simple loosening of the skin and eye contour muscles due to aging, but it can also be due to congenital or hereditary factors.

Bags Due to Excess Skin (Aging)

Finally, some bags are the result of excess skin. Indeed, the eye contour area is fragile and poor in collagen, as we age, the skin loses elasticity and the area under the eye starts to look swollen and puffy.

How to Get Rid of Under-eyes Bags

From the examination of the causes mentioned above, apart from the genetic factor and the natural aging of the skin, we can see that the causes of under-eye bags depend largely on our lifestyle. By eating a balanced diet, sleeping well, and avoiding stress, the problem of under-eye bags can most likely be solved.

If you have the under-eye bags and you are wondering how to get rid of them, you can try the following remedies:

Improve Your Water Intake

When you are dehydrated, you are most likely to face the under the eye bags since it limits the capacity of your heart to pump blood. This can be avoided by taking enough water.

Additionally, when you have taken a lot of salt, and you realize that you have the under-eye bags, you can take a lot of water to neutralize the salt in the body. This can be an excellent solution to your under-eye bags.

Follow a Healthy Lifestyle

In order to reduce and prevent the appearance of bags under the eyes, a healthy and balanced lifestyle is crucial.

Several factors, such as stress, fatigue, smoking, and alcohol all play a role in the appearance of bags.

On the other hand, if you start by sleeping well and following a balanced diet, you can avoid puffy eyes in the morning, it is also advisable to reduce your salt intake to avoid water retention as mentioned above.

Another little trick is to use a slightly raised pillow to promote lymphatic drainage and good blood circulation in the eye area.

Use Eye Creams

Eye creams, especially the ones which contain caffeine can also be of great help. The creams have a way of constricting the blood vessels, making them lie beneath the skin. This really works best for those who have prominent veins which are explained above.

Use Antihistamine Drugs

If you are having under-eye bags caused by an allergy, you need to talk to your doctor about your condition so that he can prescribe the antihistamine drugs which will work against the histamine chemicals produced by your allergy.

Skin Therapies for Under-eye Bags

To reduce under-eye puffiness, several skin treatments are available. These treatments include laser resurfacing, fractional radiofrequency, chemical peels, and fillers, your doctor will indicate the most suitable treatment for you according to the nature of your bags.

Eyelid Surgery

As a last but not least option, you can consider surgery; a type of eyelid surgery called blepharoplasty may help you get rid of bags under your eyes.

Talk to your doctor about how the eyelid surgery is done, what to expect, the side effects of the surgery, and everything you need to know before considering it.

Conclusion

Having known the different causes of under-eye bags, you can easily link them with the right remedy. However, if you are not able to identify the cause, then you can seek medical attention to prescribe for you the solution.

Nevertheless, simple things like taking water and controlling your salt intake should come first even before you think of medical assistance. You don’t deserve to suffer much when you can change your lifestyle and enjoy the beauty you deserve.

Judy Rose

Hi, it’s Judy!

I’m a passionate skincare specialist and writer. I have more than 7 years of experience as a beauty, fashion, and lifestyle writer and editor, and I’m extremely passionate about what I do.