It sounds simple, but sleeping on your back with your head propped up on a couple of extra pillows can help ensure that you don't wake up superswollen (if only everything in life was that easy). "Keeping your head elevated promotes drainage so that you don't retain as much fluid in your face," says Rouleau. And if you've ever noticed that your under-eye bags look way worse after a night of drinking adult beverages or noshing on salty snacks, you're totally right. Both salt and alcohol make you retain water and will exacerbate puffiness. We're not saying that you can never go out for chips and margs, but if you know that your eyes are prone to swelling, try to avoid these culprits at least right before bedtime.
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You May Think You Have Bags When You Actually Don't
"Patients complain about bags all the time, but most often they don't have herniated fat pads or puffiness," says Chiu. So what's the issue then? "Some people have hollowing or a deep grove under the eyes, which creates a shadow and makes the area underneath it look poochy and puffy. It's an optical illusion," notes Chiu. When that's the case, she suggests injectable fillers to fill in any hollow spots.
