Like it or not, your genes play a role in determining whether or not you have bags under your eyes. Cosmetic dermatologist Paul Jarrod Frank, M.D. told Allure, "There is a strong genetic component to dark circles, which is out of people's control." For example, if you're fair-skinned or the skin around your eye is fragile, it's much easier to see the pooled blood around your lower eye.
If swelling is your concern, that too is genetic. As we age, gravity pulls on our skin. The proteins that keep us looking young disappear, further contributing to eye bags. Certain people are also predisposed to subluxation, where the fat stored underneath the eye moves forward onto the face. For those folks, "A person can get 9 hours of sleep a night, but still have eye bags," Dr. Carol Clinton informed Live Science.
Don't let your genes deter you from trying to fix your under-eye bags. How you sleep, what you eat, how you wash your face, and what's happening in your environment can all affect the appearance of bags under your eyes.
