Amy Schumer has broken her silence on her changed appearance after her ‘puffy and swollen’ face during a recent TV appearance sparked concern from doctors.
The Life & Beth star, 42, appeared Wednesday as a guest on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon – but a clip quickly went viral on social media with doctors posing the question to the public, ‘What happened to Amy’s face?’
Taking to Instagram the star detailed her battle with endometriosis and auto-immune disease – but said she still felt ‘strong and beautiful’ in the midst of her health woes.
She wrote: ‘Thank you so much for everyone’s input about my face! I’ve enjoyed feedback and deliberation about my appearance as all women do for almost 20 years. And you’re right it is puffier than normal right now.
‘I have endometriosis an auto immune disease that every woman should read about. There are some medical and hormonal things going on in my world right now but I’m okay.
Amy Schumer has broken her silence on her changed appearance after her ‘puffy and swollen’ face during a recent TV appearance (left) sparked concern from doctors (pictured right in June 2023)
Taking to Instagram the star detailed her battle with endometriosis and auto-immune disease – but said she still felt ‘strong and beautiful’ in the midst of her health woes
‘Historically women’s bodies have barely been studied medically compared to men. The book “all in her head” does a good job explaining this. I also believe a woman doesn’t need any excuse for her physical appearance and owes no explanation.
‘But I wanted to take the opportunity to advocate for self love and acceptance of the skin you’re in. Like every other women/person some days I feel confident and good as hell and others I want to put a bag over my head.
‘But I feel strong and beautiful and so proud of this tv show I created. Wrote. Starred in and directed. Maybe just maybe we can focus on that for a little.
‘I had backup dancers on Fallon but my face is the headline hahaha anyway I hope you enjoy life and Beth. Love and solidarity. Amy.’
The star also poked fun at her appearance during an appearance on Good Morning America this week – as she picked up a candy heart which read ‘bloated.’
Doctors and viewers had been quick to assume that Amy is taking steroids like prednisone and dexamethosone, which are used to treat inflammation.
Medical professionals also suggested that Amy could have an autoimmune condition like lupus or a hormone imbalance – which can also trigger swelling.
The actress has previously been open about her struggles with endometriosis, chronic pain, and Lyme disease, all of which could lead to steroid use and swelling in the face.
The actor has admitted to using cheek fillers in the past – a treatment known to cause puffiness if performed badly.
The 42-year-old comedian was pictured arriving at the NBC television studios in New York on Wednesday
Dr Jebra Faushay, a gender studies academic, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: ‘I’m going to need all surgeons and doctors to weigh in here. Serious question, what happened to Amy’s face? Is it normally this size?’
Sarah Absher, a registered nurse, replied: ‘Honestly it looks like what is referred to as “moon face,” a condition associated with long term steroid use.’
Users pointed out the specific steroids prednisone and dexamethosone, which are used for conditions that cause inflammation, such as asthma, allergic reactions, inflammatory bowel disease, and migraines.
These are different than anabolic steroids, which increase testosterone levels to enhance athletic performance.
‘Moon face’ is a common side effect, which leads to the face becoming round, full, and puffy.
Medications like prednisone are only meant to be taken for a few days at a time, as long-term use could cause adrenal insufficiency, also known as Addison’s Disease. This causes the body to not make enough of the stress hormone cortisol.
Lisa Clark, a nurse in Miami, also noted that Amy’s swelling could be due to a cortisol imbalance.
Even without taking steroids, a cortisol imbalance can occur due to stress or tumors pressing on the adrenal glands or the brain’s pituitary gland.
‘I’ve also seen similiar affects in lupus,’ Ms Clark said, nothing that it is difficult to know for sure without more details on Amy’s medical history.
In 2021, Amy posted a photo of herself inside of what appeared to be a doctor’s office getting her face filler dissolved
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues and organs. According to the Mayo Clinic, side effects include fatigue, fever, joint pain, swelling, a butterfly-shaped rash on the face, skin lesions, shortness of breath, chest pain, and dry eyes.
Prednisone is also often prescribed for lupus symptoms.
Additionally, some X users suggested that Amy could have Cushing syndrome, which is when the body makes too much cortisol.
This leads to weight gain throughout the body, including in the face, as well as acne and slow wound healing.
In addition to the social media speculation, Amy has been open about her struggles with several other conditions.
In 2022, she opened up about her battle with endometriosis, which occurs when tissue grows around the uterus and gets trapped, causing debilitating pain and heavy bleeding, especially during menstrual cycles.
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In a CBS News interview, Amy called it a ‘lonely, lonely disease.’
Many patients with endometriosis take medications to regulate their reproductive hormones known as progestins.
According to Mount Sinai, taking these medications can lead to water retention, which can cause the face to swell.
In 2020, the actress also revealed that she was diagnosed with Lyme disease, which is transmitted by black-legged ticks carrying either the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi or, more rarely, Borrelia mayonii.
Common signs of Lyme disease, according to the Mayo Clinic, include a bullseye-shaped rash, fever, headache, extreme tiredness, joint stiffness, and muscle aches and pains.
Additionally, the condition can cause swollen lymph nodes, which can make cheeks look puffy.
And in 2021, Amy opened up about her experience getting face fillers, cosmetic injections that smooth lines and wrinkles.
A common side effect of these is facial swelling, and though she said she had the fillers dissolved, it is possible that she has gotten similar treatments again.
Though some trolls took the opportunity to make fun of Amy, other fans voiced their support of her and well wishes.
A user named JC wrote: ‘That’s a steroid to treat illness. Let’s be kind and mind our own business.’
Dr Tatiana Prowell, an oncologist in Maryland, said: ‘Let’s not. Instead let’s stop normalizing commenting on women’s faces/bodies for sport.’
‘Let’s stop inviting drs to speculate about the diagnosis of people whose history they don’t know. Let’s stop inviting trolls to fat-shame people. Let’s be better.’
And Olympic skiier Lindsey Vonn said: ‘Maybe just let her live. Why do people feel the need to judge people’s physical appearance? You have no idea what’s going on in her life so any comment here is pure speculation, unnecessary and hurtful.’