Treatment

Bags under eyes are usually a cosmetic concern and don't require specific treatment. Home and lifestyle treatments may help reduce or eliminate puffy eyes.

Medical and surgical treatments are available if you're concerned about the appearance of under-eye swelling. Treatment may not be covered by medical insurance if it's done solely to improve your appearance.

Medications

If you think the swelling under your eyes is caused by an allergy, ask your doctor about prescription allergy medications.

Therapies

Various wrinkle treatments are used to improve the appearance of puffiness under the eyes. These include laser resurfacing, chemical peels and fillers, which may improve skin tone, tighten the skin and rejuvenate the look of bags under the eyes.

Eyelid surgery

Depending on what's causing bags under the eyes, eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty) may be a treatment option. During blepharoplasty (BLEF-uh-roe-plas-tee), the surgeon removes excess fat through an incision in the natural crease of the upper eyelid or inside the lower lid. He or she then rejoins the skin with tiny dissolving stitches. The procedure is usually done as an outpatient procedure.

In addition to correcting bags under eyes, blepharoplasty can also repair:

• Baggy or puffy upper eyelids
• Excess skin of the upper eyelid that interferes with your vision
• Droopy lower eyelids, which may cause white to show below the iris — the colored part of the eye
• Excess skin on lower eyelids

Talk with your doctor about the side effects of eyelid surgery — dry eyes, watery eyes, pain, swelling, bruising and blurred vision. Rare complications include visual loss, bleeding, infection, injury to eye muscles, corneal abrasion and drooping of an eyelid.