DDoes your face sometimes become swollen? Do you occasionally experience the emotion known as ‘stress’? According to some of the planet’s leading medical thinkers (TikTok influencers), these are not simply unavoidable consequences of existence; they are signs that you may have something called ‘cortisol face’.
Cortisol is the body’s main stress hormone. According to hundreds of clips on social media, too much stress — and by extension, too much cortisol — results in a round, puffy face. “You’re not ugly, you just have a cortisol face,” is one popular omission herein videos. In posts, users share before-and-after photos of themselves going from a round, full face to a skinny one — all prominent cheekbones and sharp jawlines.
“The reason you get a double chin, swollen eyelids and sagging cheeks is because your high cortisol quietly changes the way your face looks,” says one of the researchers. video claims.
Aside from the explicit fat-shaming in these posts, the science doesn’t quite hold up. “Cortisol face” is not a recognized medical term,” explains Dr. Priya Jaisinghani, an endocrinologist at New York University Langone Health.
Long-term high cortisol levels can have adverse health consequences. Over time, excess cortisol can lead to: Cushing’s syndromea condition that can result in high blood pressure, bone loss and sometimes type 2 diabetes. But Cushing’s syndrome is relatively rare, experts say.
We asked experts for the truth behind this new wellness term.
What is cortisol and how does it affect our health?
“Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands,” says Dr. Adam Friedman, professor and chairman of dermatology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He explains that it plays an essential role in a number of bodily functions, including regulating metabolism, managing our immune and stress responses, and maintaining blood pressure.
“Without the right amount of cortisol, we cannot survive,” says Friedman. But too much of it “is a bad thing.”
Doctors can determine your cortisol level by testing your blood, urine, or saliva.
What is Cushing’s Syndrome?
There are two types of Cushing syndrome, says Dr. Maria Fleseriu, director of the Pituitary Center at Oregon Health & Science University: exogenous (the result of a factor outside the body) and endogenous (the result of a factor inside the body).
Exogenous Cushing’s syndrome usually results from steroid treatments, especially glucocorticoid medications such as cortisone and prednisone. These can increase cortisol levels in the body.
This is much more common than endogenous Cushing’s syndrome, which can be caused by a pituitary tumor or adrenal gland disease.
Although daily stress can contribute to weight gain, Friedman says, it is unlikely to happen “to the extent seen in medical disorders such as Cushing’s.”
“Cushing’s syndrome is rare,” says Fleseriu, who estimates that there are four to five cases of endogenous Cushing’s per million people per year worldwide.
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Is cortisol face real?
A little, but not in the way it’s usually discussed on TikTok. As Jaisinghani says, it is not a medical term.
Weight gain in the face and neck is a common symptom of Cushing’s syndrome, but that alone isn’t enough for a diagnosis, says Fleseriu. “The clinical diagnosis of Cushing’s is a major challenge,” she explains. When determining whether a patient has the condition or not, Fleseriu says she looks for “more than one symptom.”
Other symptoms of Cushing’s include pink and purple stretch marks on the stomach, high blood pressure, thin skin that bruises easily, a lump of fat between the shoulders, and weight gain in the face and torso while the limbs and extremities remain thin.
How do you regulate their cortisol levels?
The risk of developing Cushing’s syndrome is relatively low. But Jaisinghani says people can manage their stress and cortisol levels by taking care of their overall health. She suggests “eating a diet rich in nutrients, getting enough quality sleep, staying well hydrated, and incorporating stress reduction strategies.”
When someone is diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome, treatments vary. If it is exogenous, Fleseriu cautions that it is important not to stop or reduce the use of glucocorticoid medications without a doctor’s supervision. “If you stop taking steroids immediately, they can go into adrenal crisis,” she explains.
In the case of endogenous Cushing’s, patients may take medications, undergo surgery or radiation to remove any tumors. In general, these treatments are successful. “We can induce remission in almost everyone right now,” says Fleseriu.
If you think your cortisol levels are high, don’t turn to TikTok for answers. “If you are concerned about your cortisol levels, it is important to consult your doctor,” says Jaisinghani.