How To Get Rid of Baggy Eyes and Dark Circles

Tired Eyes Can Kill Your Appearance

Are you a man trying to get rid of baggy eyes or dark circles? If so, you wouldn’t be alone. The truth is baggy eyes make your face look old, tired and unattractive. If left unchecked, the circles can grow, killing your self-esteem in the process. 

I’ll never forget the time a friend said to me, “Are you getting enough rest dude? It looks like there are half moons under your eyes.”  Even though his comments were meant to be a joke, they spoke to a larger truth  – my bags were out of control. 

While some men have baggy eyes due to genetics, this isn’t the case for most. In nearly all situations, the root cause of dark circles can be traced to lifestyle issues, such as an improper diet, allergies and a lack of sleep.

Rid Dark Circles & Bags

This article is designed to teach men how to reduce and eventually eliminate baggy, dark circles under the eyes.  I’ve tried to present the material in 5 simple steps that any guy can follow.  Additionally, I can attest right now that I’ve done all of these (particularly the long term tips) with great results. 

The most important thing to keep in mind is that eliminating the bags is a multi-prong process. To keep it real, you shouldn’t expect immediate change overnight. Anyone who tells you otherwise is feeding you a load of bull. That said, there’s lots you can do to creative positive change temporarily and over the long term. 

Below is a chart that shows both approaches. As you keep reading, you’ll see specifics for each point with concrete tips.

5 Steps to Rid Baggy Eyes in Men

1. Drink a lot more water (Temporary/Long Term)

One of the main causes for baggy eyes relates to a lack of proper hydration. Directly behind the skin under your eyes are sacs that contain delicate tissues. These tissues act as traps for salts and other compounds that can collect to form circles and bags. If you are dehydrated, these bags become inflated, giving you a puffy look.

Here are some hydration tips:

• Cut down on alcohol use and if possible.
• Cut down or eliminate sodas, which are usually high in salt.
• Drink at least a gallon of water a day (You may have to build up to this).

2. Use eye mask (Temporary and Long Term)

Using a specially designed eye gel mask, such as the one made by Thera-Pearl, can help to deflate some of the bags under your eyes and reduce the puffiness and dark circles in quick order.

You should use the eye mask before you go to bed and then again after right after waking up.

The reason I recommend this gel-mask is because it contains hundreds of tiny beads that conform to the shape of your eyes.

Here are some other tips with using the eye mask:

• Refrigerate the mask and avoid freezing it.
• If possible, lay down when using this mask & rest cold part on lower eyes
• Use the mask for at least 10-minutes to get the full effect

3.  Allergies and facial inflammation (Long Term)

One of the big reasons bags and dark circles will form under your eyes relates to allergies. If your face feels full because of an allergy to pollen, mold, ragweed and so forth, there is a good chance the skin underneath your eyes will become inflamed.

If you suspect you have allergies or if you already know this is a problem for you, talk to your doctor about treatment options. There are many over the counter anti-allergy medications you can try to help combat this problem but it is best to get checked out by your doctor so that an exact cause can be determined.

4. Consider Botox or Fillers (Long Term)

This may seem like a drastic step but many people have found long term success with eliminating baggy eyes by undergoing one or both of these cosmetic procedures. I have used Botox before and discussed my Botox experience in a previous post.

Botox can help to freeze the muscles around eye and when executed properly, give your eyes a temporary tightening. The older we get, the more our eyes sag and so freezing the muscles a bit helps to prevent and reduce formation of bags.

Fillers can help to replace some of the lost tissue that has disappeared because of the aging process. I have included a video to help you learn more about using fillers for the reduction of hollowed eyes and dark circles.

There are a number of dermal fillers available on the market so make sure you do your homework on this one. 

5. Lifestyle Changes (Long Term)

There are a number of lifestyle changes that you should consider to help reduce and eliminate dark circles and bags from around your eyes. While some of these may seem like common sense, it is important to cover them so that you are armed with a complete information.

• Reduce or avoid salty foods (See point 1)
• Make sure you are getting 8-hours of sleep
• Cut down of fatty foods (they deposit as fat under eyes)
• Engage in regular exercise and physical activity to help with circulation
• Stop smoking (smoke and nicotine dehydrate you)

Three Bonus Tips to Reduce Baggy Eyes

I am going to throw in a few more bonus tips here for you to consider as part of your overall strategy to get rid of dark circles and bags. These suggestions are mostly product based and are things I and some of my friends do to put a stop to the bag monster.

Tip 1: Use an eye roller with a cool metal tip.

L’Oreal makes a great eye roller for men designed to reduce puffiness under the eyes. Over the years, I’ve learned it’s best to refrigerate this one and use first thing in the morning. 

Here is why I like it. 1. The rolling motion on the eyes with the cold tip helps to promote circulation. 2. It’s simple to use. 3. It instantly takes away puffiness and it also feels really good. FYI: The effects are temporary and only last a few hours. You may have to re-apply throughout the day. See Amazon for pricing.

Tip 2: Consider using an anti-inflammatory

I can only speak for myself but I have found that by taking an over the counter pill, like Ibuprofen, helps to reduce under eye swelling.

I take 2 pills in the morning at (200 mg). Obviously, you should talk to your doctor first before using this or any medication. If you are curious what product I use, it’s pretty basic. Kirkland Signature brand that I get on Amazon. 

Tip 3: Use a high quality face mask

My final tip is to consider investing some money and use a high quality face mask. One that I highly recommend is Glam Glow. While I admit this particular mask costs a little more than most, it does an amazing job with giving your face a more youthful appearance and also tightens the entire face. See Amazon for pricing.

The tightening helps to lift your eyes and reduce the appearance of bags big time. I use this mask about 2x a week. You can use a less expensive mask but for the purpose of reducing puffiness, I would recommend Glam Glow.

If you have a severe case of dark circles, bags and puffiness, you can break the emergency glass and reach for Cold Plasma by Perricone MD – a powerful product that is specifically formulated for problematic eyes.

If you buy this one, I encourage you to refrigerate as the cream seems to work better when it’s cold.

Baggy Eyes Summary

Nobody likes to have bags under the eyes. They do nothing but make you look tired, old and unhealthy. There are many things you can do to fight back against this problem but the most effective strategies require a mix of lifestyle changes and long term strategies.

I hope you found this information useful. If you are looking for more tips on male grooming, like effective ways to combat wrinkles, be sure to read my face care essentials page.

Thanks for visiting Guy Counseling!