1 From a dermatological perspective, what causes “moon face”?
In Kinda Pregnant, Amy Schumer brilliantly blends her comedy with real-life struggles and addresses her “moon face”. Medically, a moon face is related to the swelling that can happen on a person’s face in association with conditions that can cause fluid to be held on to or fat to be redistributed to the face. Such conditions include endometriosis, which Schumer openly admits to having, as it results in hormonal fluctuations, Cushing’s syndrome, which results in increased cortisol in our body, and long term oral steroid use.
2 Are there specific skin-related conditions that contribute to facial swelling or puffiness?
Of the causes mentioned above, the most common cause is Cushing’s disease, which, as mentioned above, results in increased puffiness in the face. Cortisol can cause our face to become puffy by doing a few things: 1. Cortisol causes our body to hold on to sodium (they are like friends). Sodium, in turn, holds on to water and that increased amount of water retention results in the cortisol face. 2. Cortisol causes collagen to break down, resulting in our skin, especially on our face, to become more thin, showing all of the retained water as well as fine lines/wrinkles more easily. 3. Cortisol results in increased fat storage fat being deposited specifically around our face and neck. Think of cortisol like a squirrel preparing for winter. Just as a squirrel begins to hastifully hoard nuts preparing for an endless winter, high cortisol levels tell our body that we better hoard as much fat as we can for an endless period of stress! One of the easiest places to store that fat is in our face and upper neck.
3 How does fluid retention affect facial appearance, and what factors make it worse?
Kindly see the response to question 2 above. I am happy to elaborate if requested.
4 Can hormonal changes (from pregnancy, endometriosis, or medications) cause noticeable facial bloating?
Absolutely. Pregnancy, endometriosis, and medications can result in noticeable facial bloating. Here is a more detailed explanation of both:
- Pregnancy – during pregnancy, the human body experiences in an explosion of estrogen and progesterone, which promotes significant retention of water (as the body begins to prepare on how to nourish the baby), increased blood volume, by nearly 40-50%, to help support the growth and development of the baby, further leading to swelling in the body, especially the face. Additionally, pregnancy causes the human body to increase fat stores, which are specifically stored in our faces, to build up some energy reserves to support the pregnancy period.
- Endometriosis – this is an inflammatory condition where the tissue lining on the outside of the uterus, the endometrium, grows, resulting in the release of chemicals, especially estrogen, within the body that cause fluid to be withheld and tissue to swell.
- Medications –
Birth control, which results in fluctuations in hormone levels, leads to increased water retention.
Corticosteroids, or oral steroids, results in a shift of fat to the face, which results in the development of a moon face
IVF treatments, which also increase estrogen and progesterone, result in water retention and weight gain
5 Are there any skincare treatments or lifestyle changes that help reduce puffiness in cases like this?
Yes!
- Diet – Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like chia seeds or fish, or whole grains, fruits and veggies help. Try to limit added sugars which can spike your cortisol or saturated fats and limit your caffeine intake (sorry!). Lastly, try to limit your sodium / salt intake as sodium attaches to water increasing the amount of water within your body.
b. Exercise – Even low-intensity exercise, done regularly, can help to alleviate and regulate stress levels in the body
c. Sleep – Sleeping is the time for our body to repair ourselves. Dont underestimate the power of a good night’s rest. Poor sleep can result in increased cortisol levels.
d. Hydration – Hydration helps to regulate cortisol levels as dehydration actually can result in elevated cortisol in the body! Hydration also helps to literally flush out the cortisol from our bodies.
e. Consider facial massages – That’s right a face massage can help to literally move and push that fluid straight out of your face. We have a sewer system in the body, known as the lymphatic system, and by gently using your fingers to give upward strokes focussed on the cheekbones, jawline and upper eye area, you can activate it.
f. Caffeine creams – yes you heard me right. Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning iit tightens blood vessels resulting in reduced puffiness.
g. Anti-inflammatory creams – Ingredients to look for include niacinamide, cica, and arnica which all can calm the skin down and reduce swellilng.
6 Are there cosmetic treatments or skincare routines that help reduce temporary puffiness?
In addition to the skincare routines above, I would add the follow cosmetic treatments to the list:
– Botox – could help to reduce the size of the jaw muscles (masseter muscle), which can result in a chiseled look
– Radiofrequency – by using heat, radiofrquency can ignite collagen production and tighten skin. Main examples of radiofrequency include thermage and morpheus8.
7 How do diet, sleep, and hydration affect facial swelling?
Please see above, I would be happy to provide additional details.
8 When should someone see a dermatologist for persistent facial bloating?
I would use the following metrics to determine if a dermatologist is needed:
a. Duration – if the swelling remains persistent for more than 2-4 weeks
b. Other symptoms – if an individual is also experiencing redness on their skin, maybe pain or tenderness or itchy skin
c. Overall health – if an individual is noticing weight gain or maybe is becoming very tired or even noticing their hair thinning, this could symbolize a deeper root to the swelling seen in the skin
d. Medications – if you are on any of the medications noted above
9 Anything else you’d like to include that I may have missed?
I think your questions were very good.