By Trisha Chawla

You wake up in the morning and your face suddenly feels puffed up. It could be that you had one too many cocktails last night, stayed up past your bedtime and binged on your favourite salty snacks.

Dermatologist Dr Kiran Sethi says, “Hormonal stress, excess sugar and sodium intake, diet sodas, alcohol and lymphatic malfunctions can all cause the body to retain water and lead to bloating. Sometimes, even staying up past your bedtime can spike up cortisol (i.e the stress hormone) in your body and make you look puffier.” It could be hard to spot the difference some times, but when you need to look your best for a meeting or wedding function, here are debloating techniques you can try.

Ice, ice baby
Remember the age-old rituals of placing cucumber slices, ice cubes or cold steel spoons on your under-eye area? It actually works. Dr Sethi says, “Cold compresses will vasoconstrict your blood vessels and reduce their diameter. This results in controlled blood flow which mitigates inflammation.” Feeling fancier? You can indulge in cryotherapy through ice globes, cold patches or by cooling your daytime moisturiser in your fridge before you apply it.

Rule your tools
A facial massage can improve lymphatic drainage to release the waste or water built up in your system. Dr Sethi says to start from the centre of your face and move outwards in upward motions. This technique allows you to move along the lines of lymphatic drainage flow to allow drainage and uplift your skin. You can also try this with a guasha tool or a jade roller.

Get a caffeine kick
You can load up on caffeine in more ways than one. A cup from your neighbourhood barista can prove to be a great diuretic that flushes out toxins from your system and depuffs skin almost instantly.

The benefits of caffeine don’t just stop here. If you’re not a breakfast person, you can also replace your coffee with its topical counterpart. Dr Sethi says, “Look for creams with caffeine which is an excellent depuffing agent that improve blood flow by causing vasoconstriction.”

Pick the right ingredients
In addition to caffeine, you can also look for creams or masks that are rich in antioxidants and peptides, says Dr Sethi. She also suggests looking for ingredients like hesperidin and green tea that are rich in bioflavonoids which tackle inflammation.

Healthy lifestyle habits to debloat your stress away
1. Sleep on an elevated pillow to avoid fluid congestion on your face.
2. Eat leafy greens like spinach and kale with every meal.
3. Break a sweat by going on a brisk walk or simple stretching exercises.

Could Your Stress Levels Be Causing A Puffy Face? Here’s How You Can De-bloat