Yes, high cortisol levels can change your face. While not a common occurrence for most people experiencing everyday stress, significantly elevated cortisol, as seen in conditions like Cushing's syndrome, can cause a noticeable change in facial appearance.
What are the Facial Changes Associated with High Cortisol?
High cortisol levels can lead to a condition known as moon face, or moon facies in medical terminology. This refers to facial swelling and a rounded appearance, particularly in the cheeks and face. This is a more serious condition that doesn't develop overnight. [Source: “Cortisol Face' Is Real, But It's Not As Common As You Might Think”, today.tamu.edu]
- Swelling: Increased cortisol can cause fluid retention, leading to puffiness in the face. [Source: Moon Face: Causes & Treatment, my.clevelandclinic.org]
- Rounded appearance: Fat deposits, particularly in the cheeks and face, contribute to the characteristic roundness associated with moon face. [Source: Moon Facies: Causes and Treatment, webmd.com]
It's crucial to understand that while some social media trends suggest that everyday stress causes a noticeable "cortisol face," this is generally inaccurate. The noticeable facial changes associated with cortisol are primarily seen in cases of significantly elevated cortisol levels due to medical conditions. [Source: "Cortisol Face" Is Real, But It's Not As Common As You Might Think, today.tamu.edu; "Cortisol Face: What TikTok Gets Wrong About Inflammation and Stress", healthline.com] While cortisol can impact skin by increasing oil production, leading to acne, this is a different effect than the dramatic facial changes associated with moon face. [Source: What is cortisol? How to lower levels amid concerns over "cortisol face", cbsnews.com; Stress And Your Skin: How Cortisol Affects The Skin, westlakedermatology.com]
The Importance of Context
It's important to distinguish between the minor skin changes that might result from fluctuating cortisol levels and the more significant changes associated with conditions like Cushing's syndrome. [Source: Can Stress Really Give You A Round 'Cortisol Face'?, nytimes.com] While stress can impact your skin, a dramatically altered facial appearance due to cortisol requires significantly elevated and prolonged levels of the hormone.
