Why is my face puffy in the morning?

Waking up with a puffy face is more common than most people think, and for most of us it's completely harmless. Overnight your body lies still for hours, and fluid can settle in your face, especially around the eyes and along the jaw. With a short yet effective evening ritual and a few minutes in the morning, you can give your lymphatic flow a helping hand and wake up looking and feeling less puffy.

Here's why morning puffiness happens, what your lymphatic system has to do with it, and how to reduce facial puffiness, both by preventing it in the evening and by easing it in the morning.

Why is my face puffy in the morning?

Your lymphatic system is the body's own drainage system. It collects fluid left over in the tissue, along with proteins and other particles too large to be absorbed straight back, filters it through the lymph nodes and returns it to the blood near the collarbone. Unlike blood, lymph has no heart to pump it, so the lymphatic vessels contract on their own and rely on muscle movement and breathing to keep things flowing. When you lie still all night, the flow slows down, and because your head is no longer higher than the rest of your body, fluid settles more easily in your face. That's why puffiness is often most noticeable right when you wake up, and why it usually eases on its own once you're up and moving.

Here are a few things that can make morning puffiness more noticeable:

• Salt and alcohol. A late, salty dinner or a couple glasses of wine make the body hold on to more fluid, and it often shows in your face the next morning.
• Too little sleep. Short or restless nights easily lead to puffy eyes and a more tired look.
• Sleep position. Sleeping completely flat, or with one cheek pressed into the pillow, makes it easier for fluid to collect in one place.
• Hormones and allergies. Fluid balance often shifts with your cycle, and pollen or dust allergies can cause puffy eyelids.
• Not drinking enough. Too little water during the day can also affect your body's fluid balance.

Morning puffiness that settles by late morning is usually completely normal, but if the swelling is pronounced, lasts all day or only shows on one side of your face, it's wise to have a doctor take a look.

How to prevent facial puffiness in the evening

Much of the work can be done before you fall asleep, so that fluid has better conditions to move during the night.

1. Face taping while you sleep

Face taping is a non-invasive evening ritual where soft kinesiology tape lightly lifts the skin while you sleep. The lift creates extra space between the skin and the tissue underneath, giving lymph more room and easing the flow, so fluid doesn't settle in the same way and you can wake up less puffy. The tape works entirely on its own while you sleep.

If puffiness is your main concern, these are good places to tape:

• Under and around the eyes, where the skin is thinnest and puffiness often shows first.
• Along the jaw, where fluid tends to collect if you sleep on your side.
• The forehead and between the brows, where many of us hold tension.

The HOLLI Pre-Cut Face Tape Kit has ready-cut pieces in two sizes, with the smaller ones for around the eyes and the larger ones for the forehead, and if you'd like to cut your own shapes, for example along the jaw, choose the Face Tape Roll. Since the skin around the eyes is extra delicate, we often recommend one of our infused kits, with hyaluronic acid or copper peptide in the adhesive to make the application even more gentle. For a step-by-step guide, read What is face taping, and how does it work?

2. Sleep with your head slightly raised

An extra pillow, or a slightly higher one, keeps your head above your heart, which makes it easier for fluid to drain instead of settling in your face. Sleeping on your back also means one cheek isn't pressed into the pillow all night.

3. Go easy on salt and alcohol

You don't have to give them up if you don't want to, but the saltiest food and wine often show in your face the next morning. Try eating dinner a little earlier, and have an extra glass of water if the evening runs late.

4. Give yourself a full night's sleep

Short or restless nights often show up as puffy eyes and a more tired look the next morning. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep, and try to go to bed at roughly the same time each night, so your body gets the rest it needs to recover.

How to get rid of a puffy face in the morning

If you still wake up puffy, a few simple things usually ease the swelling faster than just waiting it out.

1. Facial lymphatic drainage, step by step

Lymphatic drainage on the face should be soft, because the lymphatic vessels sit just beneath the skin and don't need firm pressure. Use a little facial oil or serum so your fingers glide easily, and repeat each movement five to ten times:

1. Start at the neck. Stroke lightly down the sides of your neck towards the collarbones, so fluid has somewhere to go.
2. Along the jaw. Stroke from the chin out along the jawline towards the ears.
3. Across the cheeks. Stroke from the nose out over the cheekbones towards the ears.
4. Under the eyes. Sweep very lightly with your ring finger from the inner corner out towards the temple.
5. Across the forehead. Stroke from the centre of the forehead out to the temples, then finish by sweeping down the sides of your face towards the neck.

A gua sha works just as well as your fingers, as long as the pressure is light and the movements go outwards and downwards.

2. A little cold

Cold water, a cold cloth or a gua sha kept in the fridge makes the blood vessels contract, which reduces puffiness and gives a fresher look in just a minute or so.

3. Get up and move

Since lymphatic flow is helped along by muscle movement and breathing, a walk, a little yoga or a few dance moves are some of the easiest ways to get it going again, ideally with a glass of water.

Common questions about facial puffiness

Why is my face puffy in the morning?

Usually because you've been lying down and still for hours, so fluid has collected in your face. Salt, alcohol, short sleep and allergies can make it more noticeable.

How long does morning puffiness last?

It usually settles within an hour or so of getting up and moving, sometimes a little longer after a late, salty evening.

How do I get rid of a puffy face fast?

Cold and a few minutes of gentle lymphatic drainage are the quickest, ideally together with a glass of water and a little movement.

How do I do lymphatic drainage on my face?

With light pressure and movements that go outwards towards the ears and then down the neck towards the collarbones. Start at the neck so fluid has somewhere to go, and repeat each stroke five to ten times.

Does face tape help with puffiness?

Yes, the tape lightly lifts the skin and creates extra space that eases lymphatic flow while you sleep, which can help you wake up less puffy.

Where should I tape for puffiness?

Under and around the eyes, along the jaw and on the forehead are the most common areas. The skin around the eyes is extra thin, so if you have sensitive skin, choose one of the infused kits.

Where can I buy face tape?

The full HOLLI range is at heyholli.com, including pre-cut kits, rolls and bundles.

Facial puffiness in short

Waking up puffy is usually just a sign that your body has been resting, and with a little help it settles faster. Raising your head slightly, a slower evening and face taping overnight give your lymphatic flow better conditions while you sleep, and a cold rinse and a few minutes of lymphatic drainage in the morning do the rest, so you wake up feeling more rested, with no needles or invasive treatments.