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Despite what you might think, it's easy to get rid of unwanted baggage—at least the kind that resides beneath your lower lids. Lots of us are familiar with these under eye bags, caused by everything from late nights to genetics. "The skin around your eyes is the most sensitive, delicate skin on your body, thus it is the most susceptible to damage and change," says dermatologist Whitney Bowe, MD. Here, five ways to improve your undereyes, no matter what the underlying cause. Some are more costly and time-intensive than others, but in their own ways, each of these treatments works.
Get more sleep
While puffy eyes are often associated with a hard night (and that's partly true!), there's one major cause that's totally beyond your control—genetics. And if you're prone to swollen undereyes thanks to DNA, says dermatologist Amy Brodsky, there's more bad news: "Superficial fat pads tend to separate as we age and cause the puffiness to be even more visible." Womp womp! Bum genes aren't a fixable thing, explains Dr. Bowe, but your actions are: sleep deprivation, allergies, the common cold, and excessive salt or alcohol consumption are triggers for fluid retention, and you can largely control your response to all of these things.
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Try eye drops
If the aforementioned manageable causes are the problem, deflation is a less complicated end game (well, self-control is required). "Bags under your eye can mean the skin around your eyes is retaining fluids," explains Bowe. While you don't have to let it ruin your social life, imbibing less booze, low sodium foods, and adopting regular sleep patterns can certainly have a noticeable impact on swollen eyes. And if allergies are the problem, try taking OTC antihistamines or allergy eye drops to reduce itchy eyes and the need to rub them, which exacerbates the condition.
Visine-A Eye Allergy Relief, $6.49 drugstore.com.
Smooth on some eye cream
If the situation isn't too dire, losing the bags may simply require using the right eye cream. "Anti-inflammatory ingredients such as caffeine help constrict your blood vessels and improve circulation," says Dr. Bowe. She also likes formulas with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, vitamin C and shea butter. Try a retinol-powered option, which "tightens the skin while at the same times restores the youthful features under the eye by stimulating collagen," notes Dr. Brodsky.
Glow by Dr. Brandt Revitalizing Retinol Eye Cream, $55; sephora.com
Apply a treatment conceler
For a treatment and concealer hybrid, try Sisley Phyto-Cernes Éclat, a metal-tipped, tinted concealer that's chock-full of eye-soothing products such as ginkgo biloba, arnica, and candeia.
Sisley Phyto-Cernes Éclat, $104; shop.nordstrom.com
Inject the area
If topicals and a lifestyle change aren't doing the job and you just can't live with perma-bags, then the next step might be to make an appointment with your derm. "The technique I use most commonly in my office is two-fold: I fill the hollow under the eye called the tear trough, while also adding extra support to the cheek area, thus camouflaging the bags," says Dr. Bowe. "This two-pronged approach re-creates the support underneath the eye bag that we had when we were younger, smoothing out the contour under the eye, which results in a youthful, natural appearance." Bowe is partial to Sculptra, Juvederm Voluma, Restylane Lyft, and Belotero. While it is minimally invasive, there is basically no downtime and you can bask in the glory of a bag-less existence for about a year.
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