Physiological stress, which disrupts your body's physical balance — think illness, injury or trauma
Psychological stress, or emotional strain, caused by social pressures and challenging life events
The adrenal glands release cortisol whenever your body encounters stress and keep releasing the hormone for several hours afterward. Circulating cortisol can cause your muscles to tense, your pulse to quicken and your mind to be on alert.
Can high cortisol cause a puffy face?
It's true that if your body is under a high amount of stress, the increased cortisol may cause you to retain salt and water, sleep poorly or feel hungrier. All those factors could leave your face looking slightly — but rarely noticeably — puffy.
Typically, the stressors most people experience do not have that effect. The cortisol levels associated with everyday stress do not get high enough or last long enough to cause the rounded face suggested by "cortisol face" claims.
