5 Surprising reasons your face looks puffy and bloated

5 Weird reasons your face looks puffy & bloated

Angela Goh

21 Mar 2017

1/5
You are allergic to your pillows and bed linen
Do you wake up in the morning with puffy eyes and a puffy face? Your blankets, bedsheets and pillows could be the culprits. Perhaps you sleep on feather-stuffed pillows or a duvet made of synthetic fibres? Your skin might be sensitive to these materials, so locate the source of your allergy and consider replacing the offending item (or items) with something that won’t cause a reaction.
2/5
You’re suffering from something called “moon facies”
Right, this one’s pretty bizarre, and if you’ve never heard of it, we’re not surprised. There's a condition called "moon facies" (we’re not kidding) that can cause your face to gradually swell up and become rounder, fuller, and puffier. According to WebMD, it's possible that a high release of cortisol hormones is the reason behind this. It can be difficult to diagnose the condition, but if this sounds like something you might be suffering from, you might want to get your doctor’s opinion.
3/5
You’ve had too much sodium
If you spent all of last night binge watching Netflix with a bowl of salted popcorn and a bag of potato chips, it’s likely you’ll have woken up this morning with a terrible case of puffiness. The high amounts of salt in these snacks can result in a serious bout of water retention - it’s your body’s way of holding on to excess water to dilute the sodium. Not only will your face look and feel more bloated, but probably the rest of you too, from your calves to your chest.
4/5
There’s something in the air
Yep, the air is filled with dust, animal dander, plant pollen, noxious fumes - and this could cause your allergies to start acting up. Putting aside the usual mess of teary eyes, sneezing and sniffling, allergens can also cause your face to swell up and develop flaky skin, swollen eyes and a swollen face. Once the reaction subsides, your face should return to normal.
5/5
You’re sick with a cold or flu
Suffering from a bad bout of sinusitis? One of the worst symptoms of a cold is definitely a congested, puffy face. Your sinuses, which are the pockets and airways in your face that are normally clear of fluid, becomes inflamed and swollen when you’ve got a bad cold, which could then lead to an infection. Say hello to an uncomfortably puffy and aching face.

You are allergic to your pillows and bed linen

Ever wonder why you’re not getting the slim face you desire? These surprising reasons could be why.

The face in the mirror looks back at you and you think it looks a little too big and bloated. Are those bags under your eyes bigger than usual? Why are your cheeks so puffy? And wow, you could’ve sworn your chin looked more chiselled 24 hours ago. What’s going on?

Many women have been in the same spot. The puffy face syndrome usually hits us when we get out of bed in the mornings, quickly fixed by rehydration and a splash of cold water. But there are other reasons why your face might be bloating up – surprising reasons that have probably not crossed your mind before. We’ll take you through them. Head up to the gallery above to check out these weird reasons.

Angela Goh

Photos: Getty Images

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