Your eyes look bigger after crying because of temporary fluid buildup (edema) and inflammation from overactive tear glands and blood vessel dilation, causing puffiness and making the area swell, not actually increasing eye size, but making the eyelids and surrounding skin appear larger and fuller. The salt in tears attracts water, and the tear system gets overwhelmed, leading to fluid retention in the delicate tissues around your eyes, which makes them puffy and sometimes appear bigger.
When we cry, our lacrimal glands work overtime to produce a continuous stream of tears. This intensified activity can lead to inflammation of the glands, resulting in swelling.
Getting Rid of Puffy Eyes from Crying
Puffiness around your eyes can last anywhere from a few minutes to a day or so. It can come and go depending on your body and daily habits.
Concealment items: sunglasses, a cap with a brim, a handkerchief, tissue, or a hood can hide wet eyes and red lids when available. Makeup fixes: dab clear lip balm or petroleum jelly on the waterline to stop tears, and blot redness with a cold, damp cloth or translucent powder.
Apply something cold—like a chilled spoon, jade roller, or a cooling eye mask. This reduces puffiness and constricts blood vessels to lessen redness. Crying dehydrates both your body and your skin. Drink a glass of water and apply a gentle eye cream with ingredients like hyaluronic acid or aloe vera.
While crying is usually associated with distressing experiences, positive yet overwhelming experiences such as receiving an award, a marriage proposal or watching a touching movie can cause people to tear up as well. People may cry because they are overstimulated.
Cold compresses: Cooling the area lessens inflammation and swelling by reducing blood flow. You can place anything cold, such as an ice pack, frozen bag of vegetables, chilled cucumber slices or refrigerated spoons, over closed eyes for a few minutes.
The cause of the bulges under the eyes only when smiling is the muscle surrounding the eye called the orbicularis oculi. When smiling, the orbicularis oculi contracts, which can create a visible bulge in some people. The orbicularis oculi is an important part of eyelid function, as well as lower eyelid support.
How to Look Like You Haven't Been Crying
As for the tears themselves, Dr. Wechsler recommends rinsing them off to abate dryness. If you've cried within a half hour of doing your skincare routine, you can rinse with a gentle cleanser (or water, if you think another wash will be too drying) and re-apply your skincare products.
“Fluid retention is usually more to blame for undereye puffiness, but dehydration can also play a role,” Dr. Jeanniton says. “Dehydration can make eye bags look worse by amplifying the effects of excess salt, high alcohol, or poor sleep.
At-home treatments for puffy eyes * Cold compresses: Cooling the area lessens inflammation and swelling by reducing blood flow. You can place anything cold, such as an ice pack, frozen bag of vegetables, chilled cucumber slices or refrigerated spoons, over closed eyes for a few minutes.
If you've ever cried during a sad movie, ingested something you're allergic to, or bumped your head on an open cabinet, your face probably started to swell shortly thereafter. In fact, having a puffy face from time to time due to harmless activities such as eating spicy food or having a good cry, is totally normal.
Restoring Your Appearance
The swelling around our eyes is caused by extra accumulation of fluids (edema) in the surrounding skin tissue of our eye, creating a puffy eye. Several issues can cause this, but exhaustion and lack of sleep definitely contribute. Did you know that your eyelids need a morning routine?
“For some people, their eyes may become less puffy in just a few minutes. But for others, if they go to sleep after crying, they may wake up the next morning and still have puffy eyes.”
Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Under-Eye Bags
A consistent sleep schedule of 7-9 hours per night can work wonders for your overall appearance. Elevate your head slightly while sleeping to prevent fluid buildup around the eyes.
Stay Hydrated
Puffy eyes can occur if you get dehydrated. Prevent this problem by drinking enough water to keep your skin looking healthy.
Start with a hydrating eye cream to moisturize the delicate skin. Apply a concealer matching your skin tone to cover dark circles, focusing on the inner corners. Additionally, use a light, shimmery eyeshadow or highlighter on the inner corners to bring brightness to the eyes, diverting attention from puffiness.
The best way to prevent puffy eyes and dark circles is to sleep on your back. This helps fluid drain properly so your eyes don't look swollen in the morning. Sleeping on your stomach can make it worse because fluid collects around your eyes.
Although there are potentially a limitless number of crying causes, they typically fit into one of five general categories: hungry, upset, overstimulated, overtired, and in pain. Below, learn how to know what your infant is trying to tell you with their cries.
Anxious crying is when intense emotions from stress or anxiety lead to sudden tears, even without a clear reason. Crying can be a healthy form of emotional release, but if you feel like you can't stop even when you want to, or that it's happening constantly, it may be time to seek support.
If you hold them in while trying not to cry, it can translate into chest tightness and heavy breathing. "Suppressing an emotion (in this case, frustration or sadness) actually heightens it and makes you feel worse," says psychologist Nikki Martinez, Psy.