The Truth About Cortisol Face—and Signs You Have It

When will I learn that binge-watching wellness TikToks with trending buzzwords is not the best decision? This week, I’m freaking out about possibly having a “cortisol face.” Just what is “cortisol face,” you might ask? It’s a puffy or bloated facial appearance caused by extra cortisol (re: stress hormone) in the body. Think chubby cheeks, rounded jaw, and puffy eyes.

Here’s a little biology lesson: when your body gets ~stressed~ it releases cortisol aka the stress hormone. “The primary function of cortisol is to regulate the body’s response to stress, as it helps our body handle emergencies,” Dr. Brynna Connor, MD, a board-certified family medicine physician, says. “Elevated levels of cortisol in the body can cause some puffiness and swelling due to stress.”

Anxious about a job interview? Worried about your upcoming appointment with the doctor? Cue facial swelling. Most “cortisol faces” are a stress reaction but sometimes they can be a sign of something deeper.

How do you know if it’s stress causing your puffy face or something underlying? Before you fall down the HealthTok vortex (like me, lol) and self-diagnose yourself, read my expert-backed report that answers all your “cortisol face” questions.

So, “Cortisol Face” Is…?

According to Dr. Connor, “cortisol face” is used on TikTok and other social media platforms to describe a condition where your face swells up from additional stress. It’s usually temporary and rarely—if ever—painful.

And then there’s moon facies—a condition similar to “cortisol face” but not quite. When one has moon facies, they suffer from a “buildup of fat or fluid deposits along the side of one’s skull or swelling along the jawline,” Dr. Connor says. These fluids cause a puffed-up-like appearance and facial pain. Moon facies are a symptom of other health conditions like Cushing’s syndrome (more on this later) or corticosteroids and can’t be treated without medical intervention.

The Differences Between “Moon Facies” and “Cortisol Face”

Let me break it down further: both “cortisol face” and “moon face” stem from a heightened amount of cortisol in the body caused by stress. However, “cortisol face” is temporary and can be reversed with better lifestyle choices like exercising or meditation. “Moon face” is a symptom of a deeper underlying medical issue and should be addressed with a medical professional.

When Is It “Cortisol Face” or Something Deeper?

Go ahead and take a deep breath. Your puffed-up appearance might be caused by stress. Some meditation or breathing exercises can help regulate your system and decrease swelling. But if your puffed-up face is painful and worsens over time, call your local doctor. You might have an underlying health condition like Cushing’s syndrome.

Before you fall victim to HealthTok paranoia and self-diagnose yourself, remember that Cushing’s syndrome is rare and caused by an increase of cortisol hormones or a patient taking steroids. Furthermore, a puffed-up face isn’t the only symptom of this condition—abnormal weight gain, weak muscles, a fatty lump between shoulders, pink or purple stretch marks, and easy bruising are some other signs. Before you visit your doctor and run up a huge hospital bill over a single TikTok video, see if you have other symptoms along with a puffy face and get tested if you do.

How to Manage Your Stress and Prevent “Cortisol Face”

Phew, do you feel calmer now? I know I do. If your “cortisol face” is not painful and isn’t accompanied by other symptoms, the puffiness is probably just stress-related. And lucky for you, there are several easy (and did I mention free?) lifestyle changes that can chill you out.

Get Up and Move

Harmonee Dunbar, 29, also fell down the “cortisol face” rabbit hole on TikTok and realized how swollen her face had gotten because of stress. Since then, she’s started incorporating exercise into her daily routine and implementing practical changes such as “walking to the train instead of Ubering” to reduce her stress and debloat her face.

Mindfulness Always Works

Joy Pate, LCSW, the owner of Therapy With Joy, recommends deep breathing techniques, emotional freedom taping (the tapping of specific acupressure points in your body), and other mindfulness activities to reduce stress. “For something like [cortisol face], people should look into somatic interventions, which are a combination of addressing how your body and your mind process stress,” she says.

Pate also recommends making a joy list. “Write things that bring you joy like playful and light-hearted activities,” she explains. “[Knowing] what brings you joy is important because joy combats stress.” If you don’t know what brings you joy, Pate suggests asking yourself: “When’s the last time you had a flutter in your chest? Butterflies in your stomach? or Lightness in your body?”

Get Your Zzzs

Can’t forget about sleep hygiene! Having a solid nighttime routine can reduce stress tremendously. “Go to bed at the same time and do things at night that relax your body,” Pate suggests. Sleep meditation, a warm shower, and a cup of chamomile tea are a few activities that can improve your sleep.

Takeaways

If you want to eliminate your “cortisol face,” stress reduction is key. There’s no quick fix, of course. But changing your habits and routines and adding more wellness-focused activities is a great start. Try listening to a soothing podcast on your morning commute or practice yoga stretches after work. Go to a happy hour with friends or pick up a new romance book. You can self-care your way out of a “cortisol face.”