It's not cortisol to blame: endocrinologists debunked the main beauty myth of the year about facial swelling.

      While bloggers unanimously advise millions of followers to combat "cortisol face" with massages and by avoiding late dinners, the medical community urges not to confuse physiology with serious pathologies. The trendy diagnosis, which has rapidly gained popularity on social media, has turned out to be a beautiful but dangerous myth.

      As it turns out, the term "cortisol face" does not exist in any international classification of diseases. In real endocrinology, there is the concept of "moon face" — a condition in which fat is pathologically deposited on the cheeks and temples, making the features unnaturally rounded. This is a symptom of severe hypercortisolism caused by tumors or prolonged use of hormonal medications, and not a consequence of a sleepless night, experts from "Invitro" report.

      As for the usual morning puffiness and swellings that many experience, their causes are much more mundane. Doctors emphasize: it is not cortisol spikes, which quickly normalize under stress, but rather a banal imbalance in lifestyle that is to blame. An excess of salty and fatty foods at dinner, alcohol the night before, chronic sleep deprivation, and hypodynamia are the true provocateurs of fluid retention. For women, premenstrual syndrome often adds to this list.

      The paradox of the modern information field lies in the fact that bloggers provide correct recommendations but with completely incorrect attribution. Facial massage, adequate sleep, exercise, and a balanced diet do indeed effectively combat swelling. However, their effectiveness is due to improved lymphatic drainage and metabolism, not "calming cortisol."

      Doctors warn: if swelling becomes persistent, increases, or is accompanied by alarming symptoms — shortness of breath, weakness, rapid heartbeat, blood pressure spikes, or heaviness in the right upper abdomen — one must not delay. In these cases, it may be a matter of serious malfunctions in the heart, kidneys, liver, thyroid gland, or an allergic reaction.

      Chronic elevation of cortisol, specialists emphasize, looks quite different. In true hypercortisolism, the face becomes not just puffy but crimson-red and round, bright stretch marks appear on the skin, fat accumulates on the abdomen and back with thin limbs, and blood pressure and blood sugar steadily rise. Therefore, the only correct advice when suspecting a hormonal imbalance is not to seek a diagnosis on social media but to make an appointment with an endocrinologist. Trends come and go, but health remains.