How to remove eye bags for good - and reduce hooded lids without surgery

Want to look great every morning?  Read on to learn a simple way to fight those puffy morning eyes and possibly reduce hooded lids.

Alcohol.  Too much sodium.  Not enough water.  All of these can affect how you look in the morning.  Most of us accept this as a natural side effect of life in the 21st century.  But what if I told you about a simple change in your routine that could make your eyes less puffy?  Stay tuned to learn more.

First, let’s talk about why our eyes and face might be puffy in the morning.  We can’t escape hereditary bags under the eyes, or hooded lids.  But there are a few things we CAN control.  When we sleep, we lay down flat for an extended period, generally 6-8 hours.  Two things happen when we lay flat and sleep:  we don’t blink, and fluids can fill up under our eyes.  These can both cause the eyes to become puffy.  There are other factors, too, like drinking alcohol, eating excessively salty foods, allergies, or not taking off your makeup before bed.  Being dehydrated is also a factor, as your body will tend to hold on to fluids if you are not hydrating adequately during the day.  Multiple days in a row of not getting enough sleep can also be to blame. 

But let’s say you are drinking less alcohol, washed your face before bed, addressed your allergies and drank plenty of water (tip: drink half your body weight in ounces each day).  What else can you do?  Here is the simple change that can make a big difference.

Sleeping on your back on a wedge pillow

Now you may be thinking, “I can’t possibly sleep on my back,”  and I understand.  I slept flat on my side my entire life and was happy, though puffy, every morning.  But I was also highly motivated to see if I could make a change to my “extra baggage” and hooded upper eyelid.  I did a little research and saw some impressive results on women in my age range. And since it was a really low risk endeavor, with no side effects, I decided to give it a try. What did I have to lose? 

I purchased a wedge pillow and followed the advice of those who had successfully made the transition to back sleepers.  Some tips were to add an additional pillow under the feet or knees and letting the lower body (knees bent) lay to one side while keeping the torso and head flat.  A special pillow that doesn’t allow your head to turn was also mentioned. Some people used Nyquil or other OTC medications to induce sleep and get past the first couple of weeks of the transition to back sleeping.  I personally don’t recommend this idea, as there are risks associated with taking medications that make you drowsy, including interaction with other medications you may be taking. Best consult your physician if you want to try that route.

I’ve always been a very good sleeper.  I’m lucky.  I think it runs in my family, as my father won the “best rester” award in kindergarten.  For me, the adjustment to back sleeping was about 10 days, but your transition may be longer.  The transition period can have you waking up multiple times in the night with a strong desire to roll over.  Just keep the end goal in mind. You can do this!

I recommend taking photos of your eyes before you start back sleeping, then monitor with photos every couple of weeks to see if you are seeing results.  Photos don’t lie!  I thought it was reasonable to see some change in about three months.  I am happy to say I did see results, and feel it was worthwhile. 

Here are some of my photos:

This was day one!

One month later. Small change in hooded upper eyelids, the right (your left) in particular.

At two months, some lessening of under eye bags and hoods revealing some of eyelid. Yay!

Current photo. Upper eyelid still visible.

My disclaimer here is that I am not a professional photographer, nor do I have any special equipment.  Photos were taken on my iPhone, and I tried to recreate the same lighting with each photo. 

As with many of things I have tried to make improvements in my skin, the changes are subtle.  But, for the price of a pillow, I achieved a result.  My eyes are less puffy and hooded eyelids a little less prominent.  I also had some unintended – and positive – consequences.  My hips and shoulders aren’t sore from side sleeping, and my eyelash extensions lasted longer.  Not bad!  I recently added another pillow to my nighttime routine, the Your Face Pillow.  I found that I was starting to return to my side sleeping habit, and this pillow prevents the head from turning.

Will you give a wedge pillow a try?  Or a Your Face Pillow? 

I hope this information was helpful to you.  Take care, and don’t forget to wear sunscreen, everyday!!!

Kelly😎