Reduce Puffy Eyes

There are many causes for puffy eyes, including allergies, genetics, lack of sleep, and, of course, a late night out. If you have chronic puffy eyes, talk to your doctor to determine the cause. If your puffy eyes are the result of a late night, there are many ways to make your eyes look more refreshed, from using cucumber slices to massaging the affected area.

Steps

Using Cucumbers

1. Slice up a cucumber. Cucumbers have long been used as a remedy for puffy eyes. They contain antioxidants that help reduce irritation and the cold reduces puffiness. Put the cucumber slices in a plastic bag and chill them in the refrigerator (or the freezer if you need them in a hurry).
   • Keep some sliced cucumbers in the refrigerator at all times for a convenient way to reduce eye puffiness at home.
2. Place chilled cucumber slices over closed eyes. You should be able to cover your whole eye with a cucumber slice, but if not, make sure that the cucumber slices are covering the puffiest area of your eyes.To keep the cucumber slices in place, you will need to recline or lay down. Use the opportunity to relax for a few minutes.
3. Keep the cucumber slices on your eyes for about fifteen minutes. Discard the slices after you remove them; do not reuse. You may also want to use a damp cloth to wipe away any cucumber residue that remains on your eyes after you remove the slices.

Using a Spoon

1. Chill two spoons. Spoons make a great cold compress for your eyes, especially for your under eye area. Put some ice and water into a cup and then place the spoons into the cup. Allow them to sit for about five minutes so that they get cold. Another option is to put two spoons in the freezer for about an hour.
2. Put the back of the spoon under your eye or on your eyelid. Apply light pressure to hold the spoon in place. Be careful not to press too hard because your eyes are very delicate. To make this process more relaxing, recline in a chair or lay down.
   • You can try to do both eyes at once, but it might be hard to keep each spoon in place with just one hand.
3. Hold the spoon over your eye for a few minutes. Remove when you are finished or when the spoon becomes warm. After you have finished with one eye, repeat the same process with the other one. You may want to have a towel handy to dry any moisture from the spoons that accumulates on your skin during this process.
   • Cold spoons are only a temporary fix for puffy eyes. Keep cold spoons in the freezer at all times so that you always have cold compresses to use when you get puffy eyes.

Using Teabags

1. Steep two teabags in a cup of hot water for five minutes. Green tea is a good choice because it has anti-inflammatory properties. But if you don’t have green tea, plain black tea will also work fine. After you have steeped the teabags, remove them from the hot water and place them into a plastic baggie.
2. Chill the teabags. Place the baggie with the teabags in it into the refrigerator (or freezer if you need them faster). Let the teabags chill until they are nice and cold. Then, remove the teabags from the refrigerator or freezer.
   • Teabags will keep in your refrigerator for up to one week.
3. Apply the chilled teabags to your closed eyelids. Place the teabags over the puffiest area of your eyes. To keep the teabags in place, you will need to recline or lay down. Use the opportunity to relax for a few minutes.
   • Squeeze the excess water from the teabags before you apply them to your eyes.
4. Keep the teabags on your eyes for about 15 minutes. Discard the teabags after you remove them, do not reuse. You may also want to use a damp cloth to wipe away any tea residue that remains on your eyes after you remove the teabags.

Using Ice

1. Make an ice pack. Ice is a well known home remedy for many types of swelling or pain. You can also use ice to reduce puffiness around your eyes. Put some ice in a plastic baggie and seal the bag. If you are low on ice, you can also use a bag of frozen vegetables. A bag of frozen peas makes a good substitute for an ice pack.
   • Make sure that you wrap the bag or ice or frozen vegetables with a paper towel or a clean dish towel before you apply it to your eyes. Do not apply ice to your skin without a towel as a barrier or you may damage your skin.
2. Apply the ice pack to your closed eyelids. If the pack is larger enough, then you can ice both eyelids at once. If not, you will need to alternate. You can sit or stand and hold the ice pack in place, but you may also want to recline or lay down to make the process more relaxing.
3. Keep the ice pack on your eyes for about 10–15 minutes. If it starts to feel too cold, remove it and take a break for a few minutes. If you are icing one eye at a time, then you will need to repeat the process for your other eye when you are finished with the first one.

Using Cosmetic Remedies

1. Use an eye patch treatment. Apply under eye patches the morning after a late night out to reduce the appearance of puffy eyes. Keep in mind that these treatments take about 20 minutes, so you will need to set aside a little extra time to complete the process. You can find under eye patch treatments in the beauty section at most stores.
   • Follow the instructions provided with the product.
2. Use an anti-puffiness eye cream or roller. There are lots of cosmetic eye products available that can help reduce eye puffiness. Choose an eye cream that is specially formulated to reduce puffiness. Massage a small amount into the skin around your eyes using a light circular motion.
3. Use concealer to cover up your puffy eyes. Concealer won’t get rid of eye puffiness, but it will help reduce the look of puffy eyes. Choose a concealer that is one shade lighter than your actual skin tone. Apply the concealer to your under eye area to reduce the look of your puffy eyes.
   • If you are concerned that allergies might be to blame for your puffy eyes, don’t use concealer to cover them up. Wait until after you have ruled out the possibility of a cosmetic allergy.
4. Massage your under eye area each morning. Giving yourself a mini-massage as part of your daily beauty routine is relaxing and it helps to reduce puffiness as well. The skin is very delicate under your eyes, so apply gentle pressure. Use your middle finger to massage the skin under your eyes in a gentle circular motion. You can also use a cotton ball to massage your under eye area if you find that your middle finger is not soft enough.
   • For even better results, consider getting a facial or having a professional massage therapist give you a facial massage.

Changing Your Habits

1. Reduce your salt intake. Too much salt causes your body to retain excess fluids, which can lead to eye puffiness. Steer clear of processed foods to reduce your salt intake and don’t add salt to your food.
2. Drink water instead of alcohol and caffeine. Water is necessary for staying hydrated and when you are hydrated, your skin looks healthier overall. Drinking too much alcohol or caffeine can cause dehydration and when you are dehydrated, puffy eyes may look more prominent.
3. Live smoke-free. Not only does smoking cigarettes cause wrinkles around your eyes, it may also be the cause of your eye puffiness. If you smoke, try your best to quit smoking. In addition to improving the condition of your skin, quitting smoking has lots of other health benefits.
4. Change your sleep position. Sleeping on your stomach may make puffy eyes worse. Your sinuses may be filling as you sleep in this position, which can make your eyes look puffy. To avoid excess fluids pooling in your sinuses, try sleeping on your back instead.
   • Sleeping with your head slightly elevated can also help stop fluids from collecting around your eyes. Place an extra pillow under your head to keep your head elevated when you sleep.
5. Sleep for eight hours every night. Not getting enough sleep is one of the main causes of puffy eyes. Make sure that you are getting a full eight hours of sleep every night to help reduce eye puffiness.

Tips

• Splash lots of cold water on your face as soon as you get up in the morning.
• Don't rub your eyes. Rubbing your eyes may cause irritation.
• Talk to a doctor if you have often have puffy eyes. You may have allergies or some other condition that your doctor can help you learn how to manage.

Warnings

• The skin under the eyes is very delicate so use caution when using any of the treatments described in this article.
• See a doctor if you are unable to reduce puffiness. It may be an indication of hypothyroidism or Grave’s Disease. Other symptoms of the eye that may exist with a hypothyroid state this include a stare, protrusion of the eyes, and extra-ocular muscle weakness.

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