Bags Under Eyes – Causes, Surgery, Fixes and Treatment – Auckland NZ

Swelling below the eyes tends to appear as we age. There are 42 muscles in the face, each supporting it to maintain the youthful and smooth look we have when we’re younger.

As the body ages, so do the muscles, which become more lax and cause the tissues that support them to droop. In the eye area, this results in sagging and bags under eyes.

Fluid and fat can pool beneath the eyes, causing a swollen and puffy appearance, which many people seek a fix for. Bags under eyes may cause you to look tired, but usually cause no discomfort. They can appear as:

• Puffy eyes or swollen areas beneath the eyes
• Dark circles or rings under the lower eyelid
• Saggy skin or tired appearance

If however, you’re experiencing bags under your eyes where the swelling is painful, red, itchy or severe in size, it’s important you see a doctor immediately to rule out any medical concerns such as infection, allergy, or eye disease.

Aside from the effects of gravity and age, you can prevent any exacerbation of bags under eyes by identifying influencing factors such as smoking, fluid retention, sun exposure, stress, lack of sleep or allergies to certain foods, products or medication.

Our treatment of choice at Palm Clinic, Auckland, NZ is hyaluronic acid dermal fillers because they are a minimally invasive way to treat under eye bags which is fast, safe, and has immediate results.

Dermal fillers are injected into the temples, cheeks and under eye area (tear trough) to lift the tissue and disguise the full lower eyelids.

Most of our clients would prefer a cosmetic procedure that avoids cosmetic surgery, and dermal fillers provide this.

If you have puffy eyes or bags under eyes, it is best to avoid using Botox® to treat crow’s feet as this will often exacerbate this condition. This is one of many reasons that it is best to see an experienced and accredited clinic like Palm Clinic for any cosmetic procedure. Palm Clinic is accredited with the New Zealand Society of Cosmetic Medicine and has been an Auckland favourite for 25 years.

Complementary to hyaluronic acid injectable fillers, is the use of either ResurFX™ laser or Dermapen microneedling to improve the skin tone and texture of the under eye area. Each of these technologies damage the skin in a controlled way, harnessing the healing response to promote collagen production.

To enhance and protect your result, we recommend seeing our skin therapist. She will prescribe medical grade skincare products (such as vitamin A, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and other active ingredients) and/or medi-facials and chemical peels to further improve your skin health.

Depending on the severity of your concern and the underlying cause behind your puffy eyes, we may recommend a lower lid blepharoplasty (lower eyelid surgery), performed by a plastic surgeon, as a minimally invasive surgical procedure. This works by removing excess fat and excess skin from the lower eyelid and can also be used to address upper eyelid concerns. Blepharoplasty is a simple and easy surgical procedure that you can read more about on our dedicated treatment page.

Lastly, there are some lifestyle changes that you can make at home, in addition to using medical grade skincare, to help with eye puffiness:

• Apply a cool compress like a damp flannel or cucumber slices
• Reduce your salt intake
• Avoid smoking: this irritates the eyes, as well as damages skin integrity
• Enjoy a healthy lifestyle: a healthy diet, exercise and good quality sleep are all important for reducing eye bags
• Avoid anything that irritates your eyes, they may be a trigger for allergies. If your eyes feel irritated and are red or teary, these are signs of allergy. Avoid the irritant/allergen and try over the counter antihistamine to relieve symptoms.

These before and after images displays the use of dermal fillers in the tear troughs to reduce dark circles beneath the eyes. You can see more examples of dermal filler results here.