Puffy Face in the Morning? 9 Common Reasons and Quick Fixes

Many people wake up with a slightly puffy face or swollen eyes that settles down by mid-morning. Usually it comes down to the night before: what you ate, how you slept and how long you slept. Here are nine common reasons and simple fixes.

9 common reasons for a puffy face

1. A salty dinner

Pickles, papad, chips, instant noodles and restaurant food are often high in salt. A salty late meal is one of the most common reasons for morning puffiness.

Fix: Keep dinner lighter on salt and finish it two to three hours before bed.

2. Not enough water during the day

Fix: Sip water steadily through the day rather than drinking a lot right before bed.

3. Too little sleep, or too much

Fix: A regular seven to nine hours suits most adults.

4. Sleeping flat on your face

Fix: Try sleeping on your back with your head slightly raised on an extra pillow.

5. Late-night alcohol

Fix: If you drink, keep it earlier in the evening and drink water alongside.

6. Crying or rubbing your eyes

Fix: A cool compress helps the area settle faster.

7. A heavy product around the eyes

Fix: Use rich creams on the cheeks and bone under the eye, not right up to the lash line.

8. Hot weather or a hot room

Fix: A fan and lighter bedding can help you sleep more comfortably.

9. Your monthly cycle

Some women notice more puffiness at certain times of the month. This is common and usually passes.

Quick morning fixes

  • Splash with cool water or hold a cool, damp cloth on your face for a minute.
  • Drink a glass of water before your tea or coffee.
  • Get moving. A short walk or a few minutes of stretching helps you feel more awake.
  • Do a 2-minute face massage. With a little serum or moisturiser, stroke gently from the centre of the face outward towards the ears, then down the sides of the neck.

A quick puffiness massage

  1. Apply a few drops of serum or moisturiser so your fingers glide.
  2. Stroke from the middle of the forehead out to the temples, five times.
  3. Tap gently with your ring fingers along the under-eye bone, inner to outer corner.
  4. Sweep from beside the nose across the cheeks to the ears, five times.
  5. Finish with slow strokes down the sides of the neck towards the collarbones.

If you like using a tool, the Theraglam Kansa Wand is a bronze massager you can glide along the same lines with a little oil, using gentle upward and outward strokes.

Habits that help over time

  • Lighter, earlier dinners with less salt.
  • Regular sleep and wake-up times.
  • Steady water through the day.
  • Daily movement, even a 20-minute walk.

When to see a doctor

Puffiness that lasts all day, appears on one side only, comes with pain, redness or itching, or appears along with swelling of the feet or hands should be checked by a doctor.

Get a plan built around your habits

The Theraglam Glow Scan looks at three photos and a short quiz about your sleep, food and water, then builds a skincare routine, face massage and face yoga guides, a diet and water plan, an exercise plan and a 28-day tracker for you.

Start my Glow Scan: 3 photos, a short quiz, and your personal plan by email within about 2 hours. Rs 599, one time.

Glow Scan and this article give skincare and lifestyle guidance, not medical advice. For a skin or health condition, please see a doctor or dermatologist.

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