Fat deposits in the sides of the skull can also make the face look rounder. A high release of hormones, especially cortisol, is a cause of moon face. This is called hyperadrenocorticism or hypercortisolism. The adrenal glands, triangular-shaped glands that sit on top of the kidneys, release the cortisol.
Medical conditions: Some medical conditions, particularly hormonal imbalances, can cause facial swelling. Some other possible symptoms include fatigue, heat intolerance, dry skin, weight gain, and constipation.
When the ratio of estrogen is higher than it should be, it can lead to numerous uncomfortable symptoms, including sore throat before ovulation, a puffy face, heavy or painful periods, fatigue, weight gain, fertility issues, and mood swings or depression.
Estrogen helps to stimulate collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid production that helps the skin to stay plump and firm. Progesterone stimulates the production of sebum or the oil glands in the skin. It can cause the skin to swell, and compress the look of pores. Too much of it, however, can lead to oil build up.
A puffy face may be a normal reaction to an allergy, part of being pregnant, or a side effect of taking steroids. A puffy face may also be a sign of an underlying medical condition such as a thyroid disorder, Cushing's disease, or an infection.
During menopause, lower levels of estrogen have a big impact on your skin. Less estrogen makes you prone to thinning, sagging, and wrinkling. Fortunately, you can relieve some of the skin-related effects of aging by taking care of your specific skin care needs.
Moon facies occurs when extra fat builds up on the sides of the face. It is often related to obesity but can be from Cushing's syndrome. That's why people sometimes refer to it as a Cushingoid appearance. Cushing's syndrome occurs when the body is exposed for long periods to high levels of a hormone called cortisol.
Too much cortisol can cause some of the main symptoms of Cushing syndrome — a fatty hump between the shoulders, a rounded face, and pink or purple stretch marks on the skin. Cushing syndrome also can cause high blood pressure or bone loss.
Why might your face be puffy? "Facial puffiness, or excess fluid retention, may be transient and temporary swelling due to day-to-day changes in our lifestyles and exposures, such as seasonal allergies, high sodium diets, excess alcohol consumption, crying, and lack of sleep," explains Viscusi.
Select de-puffing skincare ingredients.
“Caffeine, green tea extract, and antioxidants including rosemary and vitamins C and E help constrict blood vessels to decrease swelling,” says Czech.
The reason behind excess face fat is poor diet, lack of exercise, aging, or genetic conditions. Fat is usually more visible in the cheeks, jowls, under the chin, and neck. Facial fat tends to be more noticeable in people with rounded, less-pronounced facial features.
"The three biggest culprits for fluid retention that shows up on the face are sodium, excess carbs, and alcohol." If those are part of your regular diet, you may want to pay attention to how you consume them.
Why are my cheeks chubby, but I'm skinny? If you're slim and still have chubby cheeks and a rounded face, then you probably have large buccal fat pads. A buccal fat pad is an area of fat in the cheeks between the facial muscles right below the cheekbones.
Genes associated with follicle growth were not significantly altered by vitamin D3. However, it increases expression of genes involved in the estrogen-biosynthesis. Further, estrogen concentrations in porcine granulosa cell-cultured media increased in response to vitamin D3.
Estrogen can reduce menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. If you have a uterus, you'll likely need to take progesterone along with the estrogen. Estrogen without progesterone increases the risk of uterine cancer.
What happens if I have too much progesterone? There are no known serious medical consequences due to the body making too much progesterone. Levels of progesterone do increase naturally in pregnancy as mentioned above. High levels of progesterone are associated with the condition congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
Estrogen helps protect the heart from disease, potentially by maintaining higher levels of good cholesterol, called high-density lipoprotein (HDL), in your blood. Lower estrogen levels, especially during menopause, can increase your risk of developing heart disease.
If your high estrogen is caused in part by low progesterone, you may experience mood swings during your cycle. Studies show that a sharp decrease in progesterone can lead to premenstrual symptoms such as mood changes or postpartum depression.
While progesterone doesn't directly cause weight gain, it does increase your hunger levels which may make you feel like you're eating more and therefore gaining weight. But progesterone is just a small player in hormone balance and weight management.