If you've got beauty questions, Cosmopolitan.com's beauty editor, Carly Cardellino has the answers. Email your beauty Q's to ccardellino (at) hearst (dot) com or tweet your questions to @carlycardellino.
Q: My under eye bags are out of control. What can I do to deflate them or at least minimize their appearance?
A: First you have to figure out why you have them. Are they genetic (aka do your mom and dad have them)? Or are they cropping up because you haven't been drinking enough water, you've been eating salty foods, you have allergies, or you've been pulling all-nighters?
If your under eye bags are genetic, there are few over-the-counter options you can try to deflate them. However, by doing things like drinking eight glasses of water a day, getting enough sleep at night (seven hours or more), and watching your salt intake you can help reduce the look of them, but they won't disappear entirely.
If you're already getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, and steering clear of salty foods, other ways you can battle under eye bags is with an eye cream that contains caffeine, like Olay Pro-x Restorative Eye Cream, that will help tighten the skin, reducing the puffiness, and also help with drainage. You can also keep two spoons in the refrigerator and, in the morning, lay the backs of each spoon over your under eye bags and gently slide them toward the outer corner of your eyes, applying a tiny bit of pressure. This will get the fluid that's pooling underneath your eye to drain, while the cold spoon will help minimize the puffiness.
"If you have allergies, which play a role in puffiness since they contribute to the fluid build-up under the eye," Dr. Doris Day, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in NYC, says, "be sure to take allergy relief medicine to minimize the amount of puffiness you might be experiencing."
In-office, a dermatologist like Day could also inject filler like Voluma, Perlane, and Restylane into the patient's mid-face to balance out the space between their cheeks and under eye bags. Day could also remove them surgically, but told Cosmopoiltan.com that there's actually a new device out that won't cause patients to have to go under the knife. This new treatment is expensive, but is a totally non-surgical option that Day says really works.
Neotensil, which is coming to market April 1 (Day already has it in her office!), is a new polymer film created by Living Proof that can be used daily, isn't invasive, and involves zero pain (minus $500 it costs for a seven-week supply). Day explains how it works: First, you put your makeup on, and then wipe the area you're about to treat (your under eye area) with the disposable wipe from the kit. Next, apply the base gel liquid, followed by the activating gel layer, using the applicator provided. Then, while the gels fuse together, Day recommends picking a spot on the wall and staring at it with a expressionless face for five minutes until they form an invisible, elastic membrane. (It's pretty undetectable to the naked eye, so don't worry about anyone calling you out at brunch.)
Once the five minutes is up, you can apply special powder concealer (made by the same company) over top, which is an extra cost of $45, that can help camouflage any dark circles. But other than that, don't use your regular makeup over Neotensil. As for results, you'll start to see them immediately, but the true temporary flattening takes one to three hours to actually occur. The membrane works for 16 hours before it begins to peel off, so just a heads up if you're planning on wearing it all day long. To remove it at any time, there's a special liquid and pads that come inside the kit.
So, where can you get it? Although it doesn't need to be administered by a dermatologist, it will be available from dermatologists, eye specialists, and plastic surgeons and there's no appointment necessary.
How's that for a beauty breakthrough?For more Beauty Q&A's:Do You Have Acne or Is It Something Else?The Best Way to Get Rid of Unwanted Facial HairThe Secret to Keeping Your Skin Oil-Free All DayHow to Look Awake When You Feel Like DeathThe Perfect Hair and Makeup to Nail Your Dream Job Interview
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Photo Credit: Getty Images
Carly Cardellino was the beauty director at Cosmopolitan. If you follow her Instagram, then you know she'll try just about any beauty trend or treatment once (the pics of her purple hair are on IG to prove it). But her favorite part about being in beauty is finding the most effective products, and then sharing that intel with others—because who wants to spend money on stuff that doesn't work? No one, that's who. Her most recent discovery: De La Cruz Sulfur Ointment, which will change your blemish-clearing game! Hopefully through the beauty stories she writes—and the experiences she shares—you can see exactly why she's in this business.
