Anyone who's been stressed knows that it can interfere with sleep, mental health and concentration. But if that's not enough, recent social media claims suggest that too much stress can send cortisol levels soaring — leaving you with a puffy, round-looking "cortisol face."
The claim may sound plausible, especially when you are stressed, exhausted and not feeling quite like yourself. But the connection between everyday stress, cortisol and facial changes is more complicated than social media might suggest.
How cortisol works in the body
Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands — small organs located on top of each kidney. It plays a meaningful role in your body's cardiovascular, metabolic and central nervous system functions. But cortisol is most commonly known as the "fight-or-flight" hormone because it helps the body react immediately to a perceived threat.
Cortisol plays a critical role in how your body handles all types of stress, including:
- Physiological stress, which disrupts your body's physical balance — think illness, injury or trauma
- Psychological stress, or emotional strain, caused by social pressures and challenging life events
The adrenal glands release cortisol whenever your body encounters stress and keep releasing the hormone for several hours afterward. Circulating cortisol can cause your muscles to tense, your pulse to quicken and your mind to be on alert.
Can high cortisol cause a puffy face?
It's true that if your body is under a high amount of stress, the increased cortisol may cause you to retain salt and water, sleep poorly or feel hungrier. All those factors could leave your face looking slightly — but rarely noticeably — puffy.
Typically, the stressors most people experience do not have that effect. The cortisol levels associated with everyday stress do not get high enough or last long enough to cause the rounded face suggested by "cortisol face" claims.
There are rare instances where an ongoing and extremely high cortisol level can cause abnormal fat distribution and swelling that affects your face shape. The condition is commonly referred to as "moon face." The medical term is moon facies.
The health conditions and situations that can cause moon face include:
- Cushing's syndrome (hypercortisolism), which is a rare hormonal disorder that causes swelling in the upper body along with severe fatigue and muscle weakness, elevated blood pressure and high blood sugar
- Increased release of cortisol by certain tumors, such as those of the lung, pancreas and adrenal glands
- Prolonged use of corticosteroids, drugs that mimic natural cortisol and are used to calm inflammation and manage an overactive immune system
How everyday stress can affect your body
While everyday stressors may not cause moon face or cortisol face, they can impact your body and your health in the short and long term.
At the time of stress, you may notice your body responding in several ways, such as:
- Changes in appetite
- Increased use of alcohol, drugs and other substances
- Lack of motivation and energy
- Mood swings and mental health issues
- Physical reactions, such as headaches, rashes or stomach problems
- Sleeping issues
- Trouble concentrating
Over time, the lack of sleep, substance use, dietary changes and increased mental health issues can put you at higher risk for chronic diseases.
Tips to reduce stress
Since stress affects you physically and mentally, it's critical to care for both your mind and body when attempting to reduce stress. The best way to decrease stress is to identify what's triggering it. Managing the cause can eliminate stress at the source.
Other ways to manage stress include:
- Eat a healthy diet by focusing on whole foods and limiting processed food.
- Engage in regular physical activity, which benefits your physical and mental health.
- Limit substance use, such as alcohol and drugs.
- Practice mindfulness through gratitude, breathwork or meditation.
- Prioritize sleep by establishing a sleep routine and healthy sleep hygiene.
- Reduce engagement with social media and news outlets.
- Stay social and connected with friends and loved ones.
Everyone manages stress differently. Experiment with several stress-reducing options to figure out what works best for you.
