Drooping, sagging, swollen - all words you don’t want associated with your delicate eye area. However, if you struggle with bags under your eyes, you could probably use one (if not all) of those descriptors to illustrate your symptoms. Well, it’s time to rest easy. Here’s our guide for what causes under eye bags and how you can minimize their appearance.
When it comes to eye woes, dark circles, puffiness and under eye bags often get lumped together. While they tend to occur simultaneously (thanks, universe), each has its own unique characteristics and causes.
Eminence Organics International Trainer Brian Goodwin tells us: “Under eye bags are a loss of tightness and tone in the tissue underneath the eyes, created by multiple causes, which forms a perceived tired or fatigued look.” Typical signs and symptoms of under eye bags are:
Several factors contribute to the emergence of bags under the eyes. Here’s a closer look at the main culprits.
As you age, the tissues and muscles that support your eyelids naturally begin to weaken. When this occurs, the skin around your eye area begins to slacken and sag. The loss of skin tone allows the fat that is normally confined to the space around your eye area to shift and slide into the lower eyelids. This causes droopy, puffy-looking eyelids that resemble bags.
Another contributing factor for under eye bags is fluid retention. Over time, natural aging, poor lifestyle habits and environmental stressors cause the lymphatic system to slow. Without proper circulation, lymph fluid begins to accumulate in the body. One place it loves to hang out is underneath the eye area. As fluid pools in the space below your eyes, they can take on a puffy and swollen appearance.
Enemy number one for a tight, toned eye area is inflammaging. Brian tells us: “Inflammation, or accelerated aging triggered by inflammation, is the primary cause of under eye bags. When the body or skin moves into a chronically inflamed state, the healthy supportive tissues of the skin begin to break down more rapidly.”
