This morning I woke up with puffiness under my eyes/upper cheekbone. Do I have under eye bags or festoons?

Question

I find this odd. I'm 17. I've never had any problems under my eyes other than darkness in the inner corner. Having bags make sense because I'm sleep deprived and eating poorly, but they look more like the beginnings of festoons, but I don't smoke, I've been protecting my skin from sun damage, not allergic to anything (as far as I can tell) or have any sinus issues that I know of. I don't plan on having surgery or laser (ever) and I'd like to know if there are any natural remedies to treat this.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

I suspect what you think is a festoon is not a festoon.  You probably just describing an under eye circle.  If you want a more precise answer, consider uploading pictures but please do ask your parents for permission first.

Chris Himmelheber, MD · Answer

Daolee,Without photos it is difficult to make any definitive pronouncements. That said, it is very unlikely that a 17-year-old would have festoons. Especially if it is something you woke up with, and didn't have the day before.Festoons are bags under the lower eyelids, actually on the upper cheeks - bags worse than any reasonable definition of bags. If you Google "festoon face definition" and then look for images you will see some pretty impressive examples. They are caused by a genetic predisposition along with hard living (alcohol, tobacco, etc.), and rarely occur before age 50.In your case, I suspect that you may have been sleep deprived, and this caused some puffiness of your lower eyelids. Alcohol can also be a contributor along with nasal congestion, excess salt ingestion, crying, eye irritation, etc. As the face ages, and its tissues less firm, this becomes more common in the mornings. (Nice to know you have something to look forward to, huh?)Placing something cold on your eyelids can usually make the swelling go down within 10 minutes or so. Bravo on avoiding cigarettes (and vaping), and using sunscreen. I would limit the sodium in your diet, don't drink to excess, get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, and eat well, and this should not be a significant problem for many years to come. And, if your parents do not have festoons, it is very unlikely that you will develop them.I hope this helps!

This morning I woke up with puffiness under my eyes/upper cheekbone. Do I have under eye bags or festoons?

Answers (2)

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This morning I woke up with puffiness under my eyes/upper cheekbone. Do I have under eye bags or festoons?

Answers (2)

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Everything you need to know about Eyelid Surgery

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.