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TikTok influencers have been blaming facial swelling and inflammation on “cortisol face.”
In a recent TikTok video, wellness influencer Mandana Zhargami explained to viewers that they weren’t “ugly,” but their faces were swollen from high levels of cortisol, a “stress hormone” known to regulate the body’s response to perceived threats — whether that’s real danger or, in our modern age, the pressures of the office. Cortisol typically regulates glucose, metabolism, and blood pressure.
Zhargami’s hormonal wellness journey began after a visit to the doctor in 2020, where her then-doctor told her that stress was to blame for her visibly swollen face and abdomen. She was then motivated to find tools to help her combat her stress. Through trial and error, she found that lifestyle changes, including drinking diluted apple cider vinegar in the morning and green tea throughout the rest of the day, allowed her to bounce back. On the physical front, she stopped lifting weights and took up more low-impact exercises like yoga.
The influencer attributes these changes to the reduction not only of her cortisol levels but also of the swelling in her face.
“I did a lot of research on how to fix this naturally,” she told viewers, claiming that “cortisol face” can be addressed holistically without drugs or expensive products. As she gave advice and promoted her “hormone-balancing tea” (which she sells in her store) to combat “cortisol face,” more influencers and content creators like her have pushed the narrative that stress causes a rounder face. Some have claimed that after trying hormone-friendly diets or teas like the one Zhargami sells, they achieved a slimmer jawline and slender faces.
However, London-based dermatologist Dr Cristina Psomadakis said this attempt to “medicalise” a rounder face could be symptomatic of an attempt to exert control when people don’t have it.
“I think the 'cortisol face' trend is trying to explain away a perceived aesthetic problem, like a round face, and trying to medicalize it, so they can take control and fix it,” Dr. Psomadakis explained to the New York Times. “All the symptoms people describe I can explain medically through a constellation of factors, rather than just one.”
Cortisol has been widely blamed on the Internet for fatigue and bloating. Cortisol can temporarily spike in response not only to stress, but also to lack of sleep and consumption of alcohol or foods high in salt and sugar. However, since cortisol levels fluctuate regularly, the body normally keeps them in check.
Those posting their “cortisol face” transformations could be spreading misinformation about how they achieved a slimmer appearance. Dr. Psomadakis explained that most of the transformations shared may indicate weight loss or gain or the natural migration of facial fat deposits.
Through a series of blood tests, doctors can also determine if a patient has abnormally high cortisol levels rather than just slightly elevated levels. There is a serious condition that causes symptoms of facial swelling called Cushing's syndrome, in which the body produces too much cortisol. However, Cushing's syndrome is rare and is usually caused by taking steroid medications for another condition rather than just everyday stress.
