Cortisol face is real - but it's unlikely that you have it

WORDS Mia Steiber PHOTOGRAPHY Kelly Geddes PUBLISHED Sat, 24 Aug 2024 - 1:00 pm

If you've spent any time at all on TikTok in the last year than you'd undoubtedly be familiar with the term 'cortisol face'. It is one of the swarths of toxic body terminology to emerge on the platform.

But cortisol face is slightly different from some of the other terms to have emerged in recent times. Unlike the completely fabricated hellscapes that are 'septum arms' and 'legging legs', cortisol face is actually a real thing. That said, it's actually quite unlikely that you have it.

What is cortisol face? And why does it happen?

Cortisol face is characterised by having a rounded, puffy face - some people refer to this as having a 'moon face'. People with cortisol face will find that they are holding fluid and fat in parts of the face like the jowl or under the jaw. This rounds out their features and contributes to a curved face shape rather than one that is more angular.

As you can probably guess from the title, this situation is caused by the hormone cortisol. A stress hormone secreted by the adrenal glands, cortisol has a number of different impacts beyond just rounding out your face.

What is cortisol? What does it do to the body?

In the event you're being chased by a tiger or bear, cortisol increases glucose in the bloodstream to help you find the energy to outrun a predator. It also slows non-essential functions that could hinder your ability to flee, such as digestion. It can even suppress memory formation to limit mental trauma from stressful situations.

All of that is actually very helpful if we still had to run away from tigers and bears. However, for those who are regularly stressed and producing cortisol outside of essential fight-or-flight situations, cortisol can do some strange things to the body.

It can lead to sleep problems, memory issues, muscle pain, headaches, digestive issues and weight gain. And for those who experience chronically elevated cortisol, they can also experience thinning skin, acne, bruising, muscle pain, poor healing, severe fatigue and excess weight in the upper back, neck, stomach and jaw. And this is where the moon face or cortisol face comes in.

So, do you have cortisol face?

Probably not.

If you've had a stressful few weeks, elevated cortisol can likely make you a bit puffy and rather tired once the weekend hits. But the rounded moon face? Most people need to experience chronic elevated cortisol levels for weeks or months before seeing the rounded facial features develop.

Realistically, your face is not going to change and hold weight through the jaw because of one or two stressful weeks. So, if you've been feeling particularly puffy after hectic work project, cortisol face is probably not the culprit.

Dr Vijay Murthy, in this article on Healthline, said that facial changes due to cortisol are "usually seen in more severe endocrine disorders rather than in the everyday stress most people experience,” he said.

"Everyday stress does not elevate cortisol to the levels needed to produce such a dramatic physical change."

Does that mean that the puffiness is all in your head? Of course not. There are loads of other reasons why your face might be swollen and holding fluid.

In this article on ABC News, a doctor explains: "the puffiness of our face can also be due to a variety of different things, for example, diet, medications, thyroid function, how our kidneys are doing, and also how much sleep we're getting," says Dr. Darien Sutton.

Everything from a big weekend with little sleep, to salty meal can lead to facial puffiness. And yes, there is some evidence to show that stress causes excess water retention. Fortunately, in these instances, it's usually temporary. A good sweat session in the gym or sauna and an early night can often help to fix temporary puffiness.

What to do if you think you have high cortisol?

Short answer. Go to a doctor. If your cortisol levels are something that you're concerned about, head to your GP and asks for a blood test.

Some people genuinely do have the moon face or cortisol face that comes with imbalanced hormones. Some people who are at risk of the impacts of persistently high cortisol levels include those with cushings disease, PCOS, insulin resistance, chronic mental health conditions and autism spectrum disorder to name a few.

As someone with PCOS, I've dealt with impacts of persistently high cortisol. It is a nasty situation. Certainly having a round face was the absolute least of my worries in the face of memory loss and inability to heal small wounds. The long-term impacts of high cortisol can be very damaging. If you are at all concerned, I cannot recommend enough the importance of getting yourself checked out by a professional. I get my levels looked at about twice a year to ensure my treatment plan is working.