"Moon face" is a term used to describe swelling that makes the face puffy and round, like a full moon. It is often caused by long-term use of a steroid medication such as prednisone,1 but it can also be a symptom of a health condition like Cushing's syndrome or an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).
If your face has gradually swollen into a rounded shape, you may have moon facies. Also called moon face, this is usually not serious. But it may make you feel self-conscious. Moon facies occurs when extra fat builds up on the sides of the face.
The extra weight, water retention, and moon face puffiness will begin to fade once they stop taking corticosteroids. However, it may take up to six months to a year for the body and face to return to their pre-corticosteroid states. Moon face is one of the symptoms; it usually goes away with proper treatment.
It happens when excess body fat or fluid makes a person's face appear very round. It can result from hormonal changes, steroid use, or weight gain. One common cause of moon face is the use of certain medications, including the steroid prednisone. Other causes include Cushing's syndrome, hypothyroidism, and weight gain.
Moon face may appear within the first two months of steroid therapy, though the risk of developing it depends on dosage and length of treatment.
You can reduce how much your face swells by: Reducing salt intake: Salt increases fluid retention. Drinking more water: Poor hydration makes your body hold onto fluid.
Treatment. Cessation of steroid therapy or treatment of the cause of Cushing's syndrome causes moon face to slowly decrease and eventually vanish. One study proposed that limiting calories could decrease the risk of corticosteroid-induced lipodystrophy.
Hydration to Fight Face Puffiness
In the early stages of dehydration, your body tries to hold on to fluid causing water retention. Water is drawn into the blood vessels, causing them to swell. This leads to areas of the body, especially the face, becoming bloated and puffy looking.
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.
But, although moon face is common, it's temporary. “When the patient stops taking the prednisone, fat distribution goes back to normal and moon face disappears after a few weeks,” Dr. Galligan says.
Each of the four major lunar phases is approximately 7.4 days±19 hours (6.58–8.24 days), the variation being due to the eccentricity of the Moon's orbit and thus it orbiting at varying speeds.
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.
Symptoms of Cushing's syndrome
One of the main signs is weight gain and more body fat, such as: increased fat on your chest and tummy, but slim arms and legs. a build-up of fat on the back of your neck and shoulders, known as a "buffalo hump" a red, puffy, rounded face.
“Caffeine, green tea extract, and antioxidants including rosemary and vitamins C and E help constrict blood vessels to decrease swelling,” says Czech.
"Most changes in the face are from water retention," explained Cynthia Sass, RD, Health's contributing nutrition editor. "The three biggest culprits for fluid retention that shows up on the face are sodium, excess carbs, and alcohol."
Common symptoms of Cushing syndrome
Weight gain in the trunk, with thin arms and legs. Weight gain in the face. This is sometimes called moon face.
Sleep. For many people, waking up with a puffy face stems from normal overnight fluid retention — but this may be more noticeable if a person gets too little or too much sleep. Lying down causes fluid to rest and collect in the face, and a person's sleeping position may also exacerbate this.
Alcohol can cause water retention in your face. This makes your face look bloated and puffy.
What causes face fat? As with our bodies, putting weight on in our faces is a result of a build-up of fat deposits. This excess fat is usually caused by overall weight gain, which is typically linked to one or more of these factors – poor diet, lack of exercise, ageing or genetic conditions.
Having an asymmetrical face is both normal and common. Often it is the result of genetics, aging, or lifestyle habits. While a person may notice their own facial asymmetry, other people will probably not be aware of them.
"The moon keeps the same face pointing towards the Earth because its rate of spin is tidally locked so that it is synchronized with its rate of revolution (the time needed to complete one orbit). In other words, the moon rotates exactly once every time it circles the Earth.
Can steroids make you gain weight? Steroids affect your metabolism and how your body deposits fat. This can increase your appetite, leading to weight gain, and in particular lead to extra deposits of fat in your abdomen.