Puffy eyes and under eye bags are a common problem for women as they age. There are a number of factors that typically lead to bags under eyes, including lack of sleep, stress or even allergic reactions - however the main cause is typically the natural process of aging. As we age, our skin loses its elasticity, and this is the reason why our under eye skin may not appear to be as firm as when we were in our twenties. Some eye bags make it look as though your eyes are swollen or puffy - but for some, they are accompanied by dark circles, making you look as if you've had poor or not enough sleep. There are a lot of remedies for puffy eyes. They range from natural remedies to medications, and for some severe cases, even surgery. Here are a few tips and remedies that I've put together to help treat and avoid dark circles under eyes and similar puffy eye conditions:

Cucumbers - This is perhaps the most popular natural treatment for puffy eyes and dark circles. Just take a couple of slices and place them over your eyes for a few minutes at a time. The coolness of the cucumber and its exceptional hydration helps to eliminate the your under eye puffiness. For this reason, it is always preferable to keep your cucumbers refrigerated.

Tea Bags - Used tea bags are also effective to relieve bags under eyes. This is something that I learned from my father. He used to have dark circles under eyes and he would use the tea bags over his eyes to reduce the dark pigmentation. After a few minutes, the puffiness would be gone as well as the dark circles.

Spoons - This is something that I normally do to relief my own puffy eyes. Place two spoons in the freezer (it would be better if you freeze them overnight for the most benefit). In the morning when you wake up, place the spoons over your eyes until they lose their coldness. I do this regularly and it is very effective for eliminating under eye bags and giving me a fresh and lively look.

Eye gels masks - These are specially made to cool and relieve eye puffiness and redness. They can also be very relaxing. These masks are placed in the refrigerator to cool them, and then you can place them over your eyes and even go to sleep wearing them. They work while you are resting or sleeping, so when you wake up, you would not have any problems with puffy eyes to contend with.

Eye creams -- Since the main cause of under eye bags would be a loss of skin elasticity, it is advisable for women (especially over the age of thirty) to use eye creams to restore the elasticity of the skin under our eyes. There are over the counter eye creams that are effective, and it would only take a few minutes to put them before going to bed. The results can be seen after a couple of weeks or so, and you can expect a diminishing look of bags under eyes, as well as fine lines and wrinkles.

Concealers -- Using a concealer cream is one of the most popular ways of covering dark circles under eyes. You only need to be able to choose the right shade for your skin tone. Many women commit the mistake of choosing the wrong color of concealer, making their under eye color lighter (and thus more pronounced) than the rest of their face. This will only enhance the look of puffy eyes, so be sure to choose a shade that matches your face and regular foundation for the best effect.

Whether you would want to go for the natural remedies or the permanent remedy (eye bag surgery), itt would help if you follow simple rules when it comes to treating and avoiding under eye bags. Simply stated, be sure to get enough sleep, have a healthy diet, exercise and drink lots of water - and perhaps your puffy eyes will soon be a thing of the past!