Have you been waking up each morning and noticing, more often than not, that the area under your eyes has been taken over by unattractive dark bags? Even if you’re getting enough sleep and eating well, this problem can happen without warning. But why, and what can you do to reverse the effects?

Understanding Those Dark Bags

Bags are good when they are designed by Michael Kors and Burberry, not when they are situated under your eyes. Dark bags under the eyes form due to swelling and puffiness, which have causes of their own. As you age, your genetics combine with external factors like air pollutants and sun exposure to cause changes to your skin. These changes usually aren’t too great, like the fact that the tissues around your eyes become weaker. As this tissue weakens, fat that normally supports the eye ends up sliding down lower into the eyelid, and this change causes unsightly swelling.

In addition, some people are predisposed to water retention, and the combination of extra fat with water retention results in extra puffiness and swelling. Fluid retention can also come and go with external factors like hot and humid weather, eating salty foods, and not getting enough sleep.

Fortunately, under-eye bags are strictly a cosmetic problem; they rarely indicate any medical problem.

What Are the Solutions?

We live in a day and age where just about every beauty malady has a solution, and dark circles under the eyes are no different. Simple at-home solutions like applying a cold compress and holding cold tea bags under the eyes are tried and true methods for minor problems, but an eye doctor might be able to help with more precision. Eyelid surgery is a routine procedure that can resolve many problems, including removing dark bags by redistributing excess fat and sagging skin. It is definitely a great treatment option to consider when do-it-yourself options just don’t do the trick.