Drain the periorbital area to eliminate under-eye bags and dark circles?

The eye contour is an very thin and fragile area, where the skin measures on average 0.5 mm thick, compared to 2 mm on the rest of the face. This thinness easily reveals alterations in blood and lymphatic microcirculation. When venous return slows, blood tends to pool in the capillaries, resulting in the bluish or purplish coloration characteristic of vascular dark circles. Likewise, if lymphatic drainage is insufficient, interstitial fluids accumulate and create visible swelling under the eyes, responsible for under-eye puffiness. Fatigue, stress, a high-salt diet, or hormonal variations can exacerbate these phenomena by disrupting circulatory flow.

However, the dark circles and the bags do not all stem from the same mechanisms. Some dark circles, called pigmentary, result from localized melanin overproduction, producing a brown tint unrelated to blood circulation. Others, called structural, appear due to a loss of skin density and age-related atrophy of fatty tissues, creating a hollow that accentuates shadows. As for bags, they can also be fatty in nature and are linked to laxity of the tissues that normally support lipid deposits.

Indeed, to date, there is no clinical study that has evaluated the effectiveness of drainage or massage on dark circles and under-eye bags. Yet, the lymphatic drainage is a well-documented medical technique, particularly for treating lymphedema, where it helps reduce fluid retention. By analogy, one might expect that applying these maneuvers to the periocular area would also help reduce swelling associated with fluid-filled under-eye bags and improve venous return in the case of vascular dark circles. However, in the absence of clinical studies on this topic, these benefits remain hypothetical.

In practice, it is still possible to integrate lymphatic drainage techniques into your skincare routine, but with caution. The eye contour area is particularly delicate, so pressure should remain light and movements slow, always from the inner to the outer corner. Ideally, it is best to combine the massage with a targeted treatment, rich in lymphatic drainage–enhancing agents such as caffeine, known to stimulate microcirculation, or the immortelle essential oil, renowned for its ability to reduce vascular permeability and vasodilation. For more lasting results, aesthetic medicine solutions can be considered, provided one carefully evaluates the options and consults qualified professionals.