The watery component of tears is quite important for healthy eyes. Produced in the lacrimal glands, these tears help keep your eyes protected, cleansed, and lubricated. When you cry after an emotional setback, it often sends your lacrimal glands into overdrive, which leads to the continuous flow of tears. There are fine tissues around the eyes and they can absorb some of your tears. This gives your eyes a puffy or swollen look after crying. You may also have swollen eyes from cryingbecause the autonomic nervous system increases blood flow to your face when you have a strong urge to cry. The good thing is that you can try some home remedies and take steps to deal with puffy eyes after a prolonged crying spell.
How to Relieve Swollen Eyes from Crying
If you worry about having puffy eyes after crying,you may try the following steps to help keep things in control.
- Use cold water to wash your face. Gently splash cold water over your face to wash off tears and reduce redness.
- Use a washcloth to reduce swelling. Take a fluffy washcloth and wet it well with ice-cold water. Wring it and place over your eyes for 10 minutes or so. This constricts blood vessels around your eyes, which in turn reduces swelling. You can also use a bag of frozen peas instead of a cold washcloth for similar effects.
- Use cold spoons to reduce swelling. Take a pair of metal teaspoons and freeze them for about a couple of minutes. Now, place them over your eyes and apply gentle pressure. You can use 6 spoons for the procedure – this way you do not have to wait for the spoon to become cold again.
- Tap your swollen eyes gently. You can improve blood flow to your eyes by lightly tapping the swollen areas of your eyelids. Use your ring finger to do this.
- Massage your nose. Close your eyes and gently massage the bridge of your nose for a few minutes. Focus on the area where a pair of glasses would rest. This helps relieve sinus pressure, which in turn reduces swelling.
- Keep your head elevated. You need to take some rest if you have swollen eyes from crying but be sure to keep your head elevated by keeping a couple of pillows underneath your head. Close your eyes and keep your neck straight. Try to relax – it helps lower your blood pressure.
- Use chilled face cream for better effects. Simply keep your moisturizing face cream in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes or so. Take it out and rub gently into skin around your eyes. Do not use creams that contain mint or fragrance.
Note: Along with trying these remedies, you should keep in mind that sleeping immediately after crying would aggravate the swelling. This leads to water retention under eyes that will be difficult to remove. Avoid going to sleep after crying or at least keep a pillow under your head for elevation.
Remedies for Swollen Eyes from Crying
Tea Bags
Both green and black teabags and black tea bags will work equally well to treat puffy eyes. They have anti-irritant properties that reduce swelling around the eyes.
Take a couple of used tea bags and place them in your refrigerator for half an hour. Take them out and place them over your eyelids while lying down. Leave them on your eyes for about 15 minutes or so. Repeat a few times.
Cucumbers
You can make use of chilled cucumbers to treat your swollen eyes from crying. Cucumbers have certain enzymes that help tighten the skin and reduce inflammation. They also have astringent properties that make it a suitable treatment for puffy eyes.
Take a cucumber and cut it into thick slices. Leave these slices in your refrigerator for about 10 minutes and then place them over your eyelids for 10 minutes. Repeat the practice several times a day.
Egg Whites
Thanks to their skin-tightening properties, egg whites can help reducing inflammation and swelling around the eyes. They also help prevent wrinkles.
Take 2 eggs and put their whites in a small bowl. Whip it thoroughly and add a few drops of witch hazel. Take a small brush to apply the mixture under your eyes. Leave it for 15 minutes at least. Repeat daily for a few days for better effects.
Potatoes
Potatoes are effective against swollen eyes because the starch in them has anti-inflammatory properties. Using potatoes may also help reduce dark circles under the eyes.
Take a medium-sized potato and peel it. Grate it and put its shavings in a cloth. Tie it up nicely and place it over your eyelids for a few minutes. Repeat several times.
Saline Solution
The mixture of salt and hot water helps reduce puffiness and swelling under eyes because it reduces fluid retention in the area.
Take a bowl containing 4 cups of water and add half a teaspoon of salt in it. Take some cotton balls and soak them in the warm saline solution. Place them over your eyelids for a few minutes to reduce swelling. Do it every 15 minutes for good results.
Strawberries
Strawberries are effective because they contain alpha hydroxyl acid that makes your skin look young. It also works great to reduce under-eye puffiness.
Place some strawberries in the refrigerator for half an hour. Remove the tops and make slices. Place theslices under your eyes for a few minutes.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera contains vitamin E and loads of antioxidants that help reduce swelling around eyes. You can use aloe vera gel to gently massage the area under your eyes. Avoid putting it in your eyes.
To learn how to use makeup to cover swollen eyes from crying, watch this video: