1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey, 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,399 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and today's episode is a 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,880 Speaker 1: classic from our previous host, Christian Sagar. This is one 4 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: that Christian was personally curious about, but that many of 5 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: us have wondered. Why is it that we get bags 6 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: under our eyes? And if we want to prevent it, 7 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,360 Speaker 1: how can we do that without expensive creams, cosmetics or 8 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: elective surgeries. Hello there, I'm Christian Sager and this is 9 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,159 Speaker 1: brain Stuff. When I was growing up, I had a 10 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: science teacher named Mr. Thayer. He had these really deep 11 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: set eyes with dark circles around them and loose, baggy 12 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: skin underneath. At the time, I thought his eyes were 13 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: really cool, like they made him look wise and knowledgeable. 14 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: And now I'm probably the same age Mr Thair was then, 15 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:57,560 Speaker 1: and I've got bags under my eyes, but they don't 16 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: seem as cool now. They just make me look tired 17 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: all the time. But here's the thing, sooner or later, 18 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: all of us are going to have them. We all 19 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:09,400 Speaker 1: get bags under our eyes. So what causes them anyways, 20 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,199 Speaker 1: and how should we treat them? Well, there are lots 21 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: of possible causes for what's scientifically known as para orbital hyperchromia, 22 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: but the most obvious one is aging. See we may 23 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,880 Speaker 1: not like to talk about this in certain circles, but 24 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: we all have fat above, below, and behind our eyes 25 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 1: for cushioning. This is in case something slams into your eye, 26 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: like say a fist, the fat will take most of 27 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: the blow and save your skull from some damage. But 28 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: as we get older, the septum orbital ligaments in our 29 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: skin decompose and all that gooey fat pushes down and out, 30 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: and the skin loosens into swollen, puffy bags. And this thin, 31 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: weak skin exposes the tiny blood vessels underneath, making our 32 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 1: fat eye bags look darker. Also, as we lose volume 33 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: around our eyes, our orbital bones are exposed, creating a 34 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: kind of depressed gutter revealing our eye sockets. If you've 35 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: already got forward set eyes and receding cheekbones, those gutters 36 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: are going to look even deeper. And there are reasons 37 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 1: other than aging that contribute to these lovely dark fat 38 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: bags under our eyes. Genetics don't help. If your mother 39 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: or father have eyebags, you probably will too. Also, any 40 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: kind of fluid build up around the eyes is going 41 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: to make the bags worse because fat cells are mainly 42 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,680 Speaker 1: made of water. Sinus infections from allergies, for instance, which 43 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:43,360 Speaker 1: I often get, stretch the skin under your eyes even more. Also, 44 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,080 Speaker 1: crying right before bed, which I often do, has the 45 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: same effect. When you get bags under your eyes from 46 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: fluid retention like this, they're most noticeable in the morning. 47 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: Other causes of water retention under your eyes can include 48 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: salty food and pre menstrual hormonal chains. And let's face it, 49 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: if you're up late burning the candle at both ends. 50 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:07,959 Speaker 1: That doesn't help either. Neither does a lack of exercise. 51 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: But if you're really looking for something else to blame, 52 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:15,080 Speaker 1: those dark circles are sometimes caused by an excess of 53 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: melanin pigmentation deposits in the skin. So I know you're 54 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: all out there wondering, but Christian, what's your secret? How 55 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,200 Speaker 1: do you treat your eyebags? Well? Of course, you can 56 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,519 Speaker 1: always cover them up with makeup, or you can turn 57 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: to your friendly neighborhood doctor for needles and scalpels. For instance, 58 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 1: dermatologists often inject wrinkle fillers with awesome names like Juva, 59 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: derm and rest ale in under people's eye muscles to 60 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: reduce their baggage. Mix that with some botox and you'll 61 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: look years younger. It's only a couple thousand dollars every 62 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: eight months, or you can spend big and go under 63 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: the knife for surgery. The official name is bluffero plasty, 64 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: and how it works is the doctor makes a few 65 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: incisions in your eyelid, melts the fat inside of there, 66 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 1: and either removes it or repositions it. Sometimes they even 67 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: add more with fat grafts. Then they tuck in the 68 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: remaining loose skin and use lasers to firm it up. 69 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 1: Sounds cool, right, And if pigment is your problem, they 70 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: can blast it with intense pulse lights to destroy yourselves 71 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:25,239 Speaker 1: and smooth out your skin. Okay, so maybe you're thinking, now, Christian, 72 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: I don't want someone to stab me in the eyes, 73 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: or Christian, I'm cool with the stabbing and the burning, 74 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:33,520 Speaker 1: but that surgery sounds awfully expensive. Well, here's a couple 75 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: home remedies I can share with you. If the bags 76 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: under your eyes are from fluid retention rather than aging, 77 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,040 Speaker 1: you can cool something like a cucumber slice or tea 78 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: bags and place them on your eyes. The cold will 79 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: restrict your blood vessels and reduce the swelling. Some people 80 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: apply a cream made of fish cartilage compounds to keep 81 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 1: the vessels from expanding in the first place. You can 82 00:04:55,240 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: also try sleeping with an extra pillow to elevate your 83 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: head so the fluid just d rains out of your 84 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: face while you're sleeping, or change the position you're sleeping in, 85 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: like if you have one of those weird one droopy eyelids, 86 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: that's probably because you sleep on your side and gravity 87 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: is taking effect. People put all kinds of stuff on 88 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: their eyelids to reduce swelling, everything from vitamins to henroid cream, 89 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: and some recommend that you quit cigarettes and put sunscreen 90 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: around your eyes because both smoking and sunlight can weaken 91 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 1: the collagen in your face and cause premature fat bags sagging. 92 00:05:31,279 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 1: So here's the deal. We may not like the bags 93 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 1: under our eyes, but they're usually harmless. But if you've 94 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 1: got swollen, red, itching, painful eyes, you should probably go 95 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 1: see a doctor. Day's episode was written by Christian and 96 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: produced by Tyler Clang. For more in this and lots 97 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,720 Speaker 1: of other topics, visit how Stuffworks dot com. Brain Stuff 98 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: is production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts of 99 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, 100 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:08,719 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.