Skin care
"Oh-My-God-What-Is-That?" Skin Emergencies
Should you dig at it? Or rush to a derm? See photos and skin care tips for sensitive skin issues
Skin Emergency: Swollen, Red Eyes
Symptoms: Puffy, bloated patches of skin under your eyes. This baggage can be caused by crying, excess consumption of alcohol or salty foods (water retention) or an allergic reaction.Treat it: Splash your eyes with clean, cool water to flush out dust, makeup or other microscopic irritants that may have migrated into your eye. Rest chilled, damp tea bags over your eyes for 10 minutes, but be sure the tea contains caffeine. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, which means it narrows blood vessels, and tightens the skin under the eye. Also, try the old-school favorite remedy of applying cucumber slices to cool and calm puffy eyes.
Prevent it: If salty snacks or alcohol are the culprit, cut out packaged, pre-fab foods and start tracking your sodium intake. Limit your intake to the recommended daily allowance of 2,400 mg of sodium per day. Drink lots of water to flush excess sodium and keep your body (and skin) hydrated.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Skin Emergency: Athlete's Foot
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