Many women are distressed by under-eye bags. The problem is usually temporary but can be long-lasting. Here, you can learn about what can cause the problem and what you can do about it.
There are two basic kinds of bags. There is the temporary puffiness that everyone gets from time to time due to fluid retention in the area. There is also a more permanent kind of bag that can accompany the aging process and is due to a gradual increase in the fatty tissues below the lower eye lids.
Fluid retention can be related to something as simple as the way that you sleep. The fluids may gather mostly on one side because you tend to sleep on that side. If you sleep on your stomach, you are more likely to see bags in the morning. Other causes of fluid retention include:
· Excess salt in the diet
· Alcohol use
· Tobacco smoke
· Crying due to the salt in the tears
· Alcohol use
· Tobacco smoke
· Crying due to the salt in the tears
Bags can also be caused by "leaky" blood vessels. The tiny vessels beneath the skin can become leaky for a number of reasons. Allergies can cause leaks that lead to swelling around the eyes and in other parts of the face. Leaky blood vessels can also accompany the aging process. A related issue that sometimes accompanies aging is poor fluid circulation.
Inflammation is sometimes involved in the problem. Dermatitis, which is a general inflammation of the skin, can affect the area. Periorbital cellulitis is a type of inflammation and infection that affects the eyelids and the skin around the eyes. If you just have under eye bags, the problem is probably not cellulitis, because there would be a more generalized swelling with that condition.
The problem can be somewhat "circular". Inflammation can cause blood vessels to leak. Leaky blood vessels can stimulate the inflammation process. So what started out as a temporary problem may be experienced more often as one problem leads to another.
Over time, the blood vessels can repair themselves, if they have the right tools. The nutrients in the foods you eat provide the tools the body needs to repair all kinds of damage. Certain nutrients can also keep inflammation in the body to a minimum.
The increase in the size of the fat pad below the lower lids is often accompanied by a general decrease in the skin's fatty tissue layer, as we get older. This can make the problem even more noticeable because the rest of the skin starts to sag and the bags get pulled down even further.
There are surgical procedures for correcting the problem but that expensive solution is not without risks. Before you consider surgery, you should try the "nutraceutical solution".
Nutraceuticals are vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, proteins or other nutrients present in foodstuff that are known to have medicinal or "pharmaceutical" activity. Some of the latest research has focused on the benefits of applying nutraceuticals directly to the skin. When it comes to the problem of eye bags, the results have been quite impressive.
