Aside from taking preventive action, there are still a few things you can do to reduce or hide puffy eyes. If puffy eyes are a never-ending source of despair for you, you might consider the more drastic but highly effective solution of blepharoplasty, or eyelid surgery. In this procedure, the cosmetic surgeon removes some of the fatty layer from beneath the eyelid and tightens the lower lid, reducing the bulge it had before and smoothing the whole profile of the eye. The surgery lasts for years: it is the highest-impact and most costly solution, but many people find that it answers the problem admirably.

Low impact solutions can make a difference, too. If you apply a cool, damp face cloth to your eyes, the coolness can reduce the swelling. Some people use cucumbers, which are considered to have calming properties, although sometimes it's hard to get a cucumber slice to actually touch the skin under your eyes as it rests on the upper eyelid. Try smaller, half-slices and apply one half to each eyelid. Some people like to use a cold, wet teabag. Tea is a useful topical anti-inflammatory because it has tannins, which can reduce swelling. There are also dozens of eye creams and gels on the market, some of which work better than others to correct the problem.