How to reduce puffy eyes

What can I do right now?

1. 1Remove contact lenses immediately if your eyes or eyelids are swollen.
2. 2Soak a clean washcloth in cold water and place it over closed eyes. If you use an ice pack or frozen vegetables instead, wrap them in a towel to protect your skin.
3. 3For puffiness after crying, apply the compress for up to 10 minutes. Remove it sooner if it becomes uncomfortable.
4. 4Stay upright afterwards. When you sleep, use an extra pillow to raise your head rather than lying completely flat.

Cold spoons and chilled cucumber slices can also work as compresses, which gives the kitchen a modest second career in skincare. After crying, swelling can ease within minutes or still be present the following morning; a compress helps reduce swelling, but time remains part of the treatment.1

Massage is optional. After crying, gentle tapping or massage from the nose outward can help, but touching the area can also irritate it and worsen swelling. If you already use a face roller, roll lightly outward in one direction rather than back and forth. Avoid rubbing or scratching your eyes, which can cause swelling.13

What helps stop puffiness coming back?

Elevating your head at night helps prevent fluid collecting under your eyes. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep each night. If you have been crying, choose a comfortable raised sleeping position rather than interrupting your sleep to check whether the swelling has gone down.13

Limit salty foods if puffiness keeps returning: salt makes the body retain water. If mascara, eyeshadow or eye cream seems to trigger swelling, stop using the suspected product for at least a couple of weeks to see whether symptoms improve. Fragrances, dyes and preservatives can irritate the eyes and surrounding skin.2

Antihistamine eye drops help only when allergies are the cause. A pharmacist can help you choose an appropriate option. Use steroid eye drops only as prescribed. Swelling on the surface of the eye itself, rather than just under it, can be chemosis: swelling of the tissue lining the eyelids and eye. Allergies and infections are possible causes.245

Do eye creams help?

An eye cream is an optional extra, not a compulsory subscription for under eye care. Products containing caffeine or retinol sometimes improve the appearance of bags. For swelling after crying, a chilled eye cream you already tolerate is an option; avoid trying a new product while the thin, sensitive skin around your eyes is irritated.12

Avoid hemorrhoid cream around your eyes. Its ingredients can irritate or damage the eyes, and prolonged hydrocortisone use can thin or discolor the skin. Lasting bags linked to inherited fat distribution, bone structure or loose skin can be difficult to correct without medical treatment.2

When should I get medical help?

A painful red bump can be a stye, while red, itchy or burning eyelids with crusty lashes can occur with blepharitis, an eyelid inflammation. These need different care from ordinary puffiness. An eye examination can identify the cause; treatment can include warm compresses, medicines or eye drops.6

Contact an eye care professional if new swelling lasts longer than 24 to 48 hours, or a healthcare provider if swelling is under just one eye.23

Get urgent medical help if:

• Your eyelid is red, hot, painful, tender or blistered.
• You have pain inside the eye, light sensitivity, vision changes or a very red eye.
• You cannot open or close your eye properly, or your eyelid suddenly droops.
• Eye symptoms come with headache, nausea, fever or feeling generally unwell.
• Swelling comes with breathing difficulty or fainting.