My face has always been a bit cherub-like: round cheeks, a circle shape, and a soft jawline. But when I was in my early 20s, my face changed—it puffed out to the point that it resembled a near-perfect circle; it didn’t look normal or healthy.
Concerned that something was seriously wrong, I saw a handful of doctors and specialists who ordered blood work panels to rule out diseases that can cause fat deposits to settle on the face, like Cushing’s syndrome and hypothyroidism. Thankfully, the tests came back negative but my doctors noted that my levels of cortisol (the “stress hormone”) were high.
