Tips to Reduce Facial Bloating

There are several reasons why your face may appear bloated. These include a reaction to drugs, general obesity and water retention, which is usually caused by the foods you're eating. Drinking too much alcohol can also induce facial bloating. By avoiding processed foods and drinking plenty of water, you should be able to reduce puffiness. After you have checked with your doctor that there is no medical reason that your face should be bloated, there are many exercises you can try that will help reduce the appearance of a puffed-up face.

A young woman is looking at her face in the mirror. (Image: gpointstudio/iStock/Getty Images)

Eyes

Place your middle fingers on the bridge of your nose, between your eyebrows. Position your index fingers on the outer corners of your eyes with light pressure. Look upward and make a strong squint with your lower eyelids. You should feel the eye muscles pulsing beneath your index fingers. Look up and squint 10 times, each time focusing on the pulsating muscle. After 10 repetitions, hold the squint and, keeping your fingers in place, squeeze your eyes closed tightly while counting to 40. According to Carole Maggio, producer of the Facercise program, this exercise helps pump blood into the eye area and strengthens both the upper and lower eyelids. Maggio claims it will also quickly reduce under-eye puffiness.

Cheeks

A yoga facial exercise known as "smiling fish face" can help tone and firm the cheeks and lips. Suck your cheeks inward so the dimpled area of the cheek is pressed against your back teeth. Simultaneously, purse your lips and attempt to smile widely. Repeat five times.

Tapping

Eva Fraser, a London-based beautician, recommends facial tapping to increase circulation and reduce bloating. Using the middle fingers of both hands, tap along your jawline imagining there were dots marking each tapping point, placed around a 1/2 inch apart. Continue from the jaw moving up the nasal labial folds to your nose. Move to the bridge of your nose and tap around the entire eye. You should tap each point for approximately 20 taps, making short sharp movements as though you were testing the temperature of an iron.