A round, puffy face can be a sign of high cortisol levels, but not in the way you might think. Dr Murthy says it’s very unlikely that this kind of symptom can be caused by unmanaged stress.

“While it is true that chronic high cortisol can cause facial swelling, this is usually linked to severe endocrine disorders, not the everyday stress most of us encounter,” he explains.

One such endocrine disorder is Cushing’s syndrome, which causes abnormally high levels of cortisol to emerge in the body. ‘Cortisol face’ or ‘moon face’ is a key sign of Cushing’s syndrome, as is excess weight in the trunk and between the shoulders. But Cushing’s syndrome has nothing to do with your daily stress levels: it’s triggered by factors ranging from medications to pituitary gland issues.

Is ‘cortisol face’ real? Experts explain why the latest health trend might not be as straightforward as you think