Why Can Still Look Tired, Even When You’re Doing Everything Right

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You work out, eat a balanced diet, drink plenty of fluids, and get a healthy minimum of eight hours of sleep on a regular schedule. Yet when you walk into work Monday morning, a co-worker dares to ask if you’re having trouble sleeping, as you’re looking tired.

Sadly, while all the above listed certainly help reduce the signs of aging and drowsiness in the face, they sometimes can’t help fight against factors such as family genetics and natural age progression. In these cases, even things like expensive topical creams often don’t seem to do the trick. In cases like this where other options fail, many turn to surgery such as blepharoplasty.

You may be thinking, What is a blepharoplasty procedure? Blepharoplasty is a cosmetic procedure used to treat the upper and lower areas of the eyes to help restore a more youthful appearance by tackling various issues around the eyes.

You may not be able to identify what it is immediately that’s making your eyes look tired, so here are a few examples of common conditions that affect the eye area.

Sagging/Drooping Eyelids

As your body begins to age, a few things begin to happen to your face. Firstly, your body begins to produce less collagen and elastin, which keeps your skin soft, tight and formed to your face. When these levels drop low enough, the skin gets loose. Connective tissues below the skin also start to weaken over time, loosening their hold on the skin. The combination of having looser skin and less connective tissue to hold it causes the skin to drop.

When specifically discussing eyelids, the levator muscle keeps your eyelids held up and in their proper position. When this muscle weakens, your eyelids begin to sag down, giving you a tired appearance.

Unfortunately, the eyelids are prone to be touched and forced into tensions that can pull on the skin. Excessive tensions can accelerate the process of drooping skin. Here are some examples of common ways we can aggravate the eyelids, encouraging them to sag:

• Consistent rubbing of the eyelids from itchiness related to allergies, dry eyes, or tiredness
• Sleeping with your face pressed firmly into a surface like your pillow or arm
• The frequent application of makeup, as well as the process of rubbing it back off.

Drooping eyelids can become an issue further than aesthetic value. Drooping eyelids can start to obstruct and impair a person’s vision, making it harder to drive, read, or work.

Dark Circles

Dark circles are deep, purple-red discoloration’s under the eyes, almost appearing like a permanent bruise. Dark circles form from the skin when the skin begins to thin under the eye, and fat deposits under the skin dry up, resulting in empty space under the skin. This allows for the underlying blood vessels and muscles to show more prominently.

Puffy Bags

Puffy bags under the eyes form similar to and often come along with dark circles. This is because when the underlying fat dries up and leaves empty space under the eye, this space can begin to accumulate with fluid and press against the loose skin like filling a balloon with water.