What are eye bags?

Eye bags appear when the skin under our eyes becomes puffy or swollen, often as a result of ageing, lack of sleep, or fluid retention. As we age, the tissues and muscles under our eyes weaken, causing the fat surrounding the eyes to move into the lower lids, resulting in a swollen appearance. While not a medical concern, eye bags affect the appearance and self esteem.

What causes eye bags?

The common causes of eye bags include:

• Ageing – As we age, the skin around our eyes naturally loses its tightness and elasticity, gradually showing signs of eye bags.
  
• Fluid retention – Eating a high-salt diet can lead to fluid retention, which can also cause eye bags to form.
  
• Allergies – Inflammation and nasal congestion can sometimes cause under-eye puffiness.
  
• Lack of sleep – Not getting enough sleep can exacerbate the look of eye bags and dark circles.
  
• Genetics – The appearance of eye bags can also be genetically inherited.
  
• Underlying medical conditions – Certain conditions like dermatitis, dermatomyositis, renal or thyroid diseases can cause inflammation or swelling on the under-eye area.
  
• Increased screen time – Excessive screen time was recently associated with the formation of eye bags [1]. Eye strain caused by excessive screen time can lead to fatigue, which makes the blood vessels around the eyes dilate. This, in turn, creates the appearance of eye bags.
  

 How to prevent eye bags

Some forms of eye bags can be minimised or reversed depending on the respective causes.

• Lifestyle changes — Cultivating good habits can reduce the look of eye bags, these can include:
  • Good sleeping habits – Not only will this reduce eye bags, your body can feel more energetic, and it can reduce the risk of other diseases in the long run.
    
  • Reducing salt/alcohol intake and staying hydrated – Excessive salt intake can lead to fluid retention, making the skin around the eyes look saggy and puffy.
    
  • Limiting sun exposure – Wearing sunscreen or protective clothing can prevent premature ageing, which reduces skin ageing signs such as eye bags, fine lines and wrinkles.

• Allergy treatments — If you have any allergies, medications such as antihistamines, can reduce eyebags formed by an inflammatory response to allergy triggers.
  
• Medical treatment — If your eye bags are caused by an underlying condition, seeking medical treatment is highly recommended.
  
• Skincare — Skincare products such as eye creams can prevent or reduce the look of eye bags. Several ingredients in skin care can target under-eye concerns [2], namely:
  -- Caffeine – Caffeine is a naturally occurring alkaloid, known to treat under-eye puffiness.
  -- Retinoids, vitamin C, vitamin E, peptides – These ingredients can improve collagen production, reducing skin laxity and consequently improving eye bags.
  -- Hyaluronic acid, ceramides – Optimal skin hydration and water content around the eye can reduce signs of aging and sagging appearance of eye bags.
  -- Epidermal growth factor – The use of serums with EGF can reduce eye bags [3].
• Limit screen time — Limiting screen time will limit eye fatigue and lower your chances of getting dark and puffy eyes. 

Conditions associated with eye bags

The skin around the eye is the thinnest in the body and hence is first to show signs of ageing- with individuals developing fine lines, dark eye circles (link), tear troughs and eye bags from their mid 30s onwards. Treatments for the eye area should address these concerns together.

 Medical eye bag treatments

There are a range of medical and surgical options available that can help reverse the effects of ageing and minimise the appearance of eyebags, such as: 

• Radiofrequency skin tightening- Oligo RF (link) is a non-invasive, non surgical treatment that utilises monopolar radiofrequency to lift and tighten skin. Oligo RF has a specialised Eye treatment tip, specifically designed for the delicate eye area
• Undereye fillers — Dermal fillers (link) work by restoring volume to the undereye area to reduce the sunken appearance of the undereye and reduce the severity of eye bags.
• Skin boosters — Hyaluronic acid-based skin boosters such as Teosyal Redensity 1 (link) can help restore hydration in the delicate skin around the eyes. This helps plump the skin, improve texture and reverse tired-looking eyes. 
• Purified Collagen injections- Deusaderm collagen injection (link) restores volume and collagen in the eyebag area, rapidly improving the appearance of eyebags

Eye Bag Surgery (Lower Blepharoplasty) is a cosmetic surgery aimed at removing excess skin and fat from the lower eyelid to re-create a youthful appearance. This surgery can be performed together with an upper blepharoplasty (surgery for upper eyelid to address drooping eyelids).