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Read Dr. Elena Krasnov's Weekly Column in the Health & Fitness section of the 24 Hours Magazine. Look for new articles every week!

Monday, September 15, 2008

Reducing Puffy Eyes

Q: I am a 40 year-old male and I look like I am 60. I have severe bags under my eyes and they are always there day and night. I have worked in the financial sector for my entire career and I believe that this has caused me the bags due to my constant high levels of stress. Are there any ways to reverse this? Is this caused from stress?

A: Puffy eyes are unsightly but rarely represent serious disease. Often it is a sign of water retention, poor diet or alcohol abuse. Lack of good quality sleep can also make your face and eyes more puffy adding years to your appearance. I doubt that your problem is directly affected by stress but rather is a result of stressful and unhealthy life style associated with your working environment.

But how and why does the puffiness start? One cause experts say is the natural aging process. There is a certain amount of fat naturally in the under-eye area, it's held in place by ligaments. As you age, the ligaments get weaker, allowing the fat to push forward, forming that little puffy pillow under your eye.

As time goes on, the puff gets bigger. Then skin loses elasticity, allowing the formation of those loose wads of skin we call "bags." How soon that happens, however, depend a lot on how many bags your parents had -- and when their problems began. A lot of it has to do with heredity. It can be a structural, anatomic, genetic issue that simply causes some people to develop this problem sooner than others.

To alleviate your problem I would start with diet and exercise routine. Cut out salt and fatty, fried foods as well as those containing sugar and refined carbohydrates. These will cause you to retain more water and make your "puffy" eyes worse. Regular exercise helps improve circulation and may reduce appearance of baggy eyes by removing the excess fluid that has built there. When sleeping try and have your head slightly elevated, that will also improve drainage in the face area and make you look less puffy in the morning. Correcting any potential allergies, food sensitivities and sinus infections is essential for drainage in the area as well. Homeopathic drainage remedies may be useful if used for a few months.

One of the most popular treatments is covering the puffy area with frozen tea bags or cucumber slices. This may actually provide some temporary relief and take down the swelling, however it is really the cold that is working. Green tea bags may work particularly well. That's because they contain a natural anti-inflammatory chemical known as EGCG, which can reduce fluid build-up that contributes to puffiness.

Some doctors use Mesotherapy techniques for the area below the eyes. It can be effective if done properly.

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Dr. Elena Krasnov is a registered Naturopathic Doctor and Clinic Director of the Toronto Naturopathic Clinic. Submit your questions online at 24hrs.ca

Co-written by Miranda Tallon-Malisani Holistic Nutritionist