A Doctor Explains Why Selena Gomez’s Face Seems 'More Rounded and Puffy' Lately

The medical explanation behind Selena Gomez's round face has been recently put to light by a doctor. After the actress and singer shared a video of herself using her Rare Beauty cosmetics brand, Dr. Sermed Mezher, a renowned London-based doctor and published academic author, went to his social media account to respond.

As reported by the Mirror, in the video, Dr. Mezher explained, "So many people commented after she posted this video. I personally think she looks great. But, what they were getting at is that her face is more rounded and puffy, and I'm going to explain why." He went on to remind the audience that Gomez had to have a kidney transplant in 2017 as a result of her lupus. Systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus, is a long-term autoimmune disease that causes swelling of the skin, joint discomfort, and extreme tiredness.

He further highlighted, "As doctors, we try to match kidneys with their recipients as closely as possible, but even in twins there's still a chance of rejection. If that happens, that can cause the recipient to become rapidly unwell and make the new organ fail, which is why we need to give the patient immunosuppressants. Not just to prevent rejection, but to also control the underlying disease process, which is the immune system attacking our own bodies. A huge part of this immunosuppressive treatment is steroids likely prednisone. They can cause side effects, like water retention, weight gain and something called 'moon face', where we become puffy and more rounded."

Gomez first spoke up about her health in an interview with Billboard in 2015, when she said that she had been diagnosed with lupus. She checked herself into a rehabilitation facility to get therapy after suddenly ending her 2013 tour, and the announcement followed. She said at the time, "I was diagnosed with lupus, and I’ve been through chemotherapy. That’s what my break was really about. I could’ve had a stroke."

Additionally, the singer has been quite outspoken about her battle with an autoimmune illness. Gomez also discussed the many instances of body-shaming she has encountered as a result of the negative remarks directed towards her weight, which has fluctuated owing to her lupus medication. In a March 2023 episode of the Apple TV+ series Dear..., Gomez revealed, "My weight would constantly fluctuate because I would be on certain medications. And obviously, people just ran with it. It was like they couldn't wait to find a thing to bring me down. I was being shamed for gaining weight because of my lupus."

Gomez went on to say that, while she normally uses social media to reassure her followers that she is unaffected by criticism and to be compassionate when discussing sensitive topics, the actress confessed that she frequently cries when she is alone. She confessed, "I lied. I would go online and I would post a picture of myself and I would say, 'It doesn't matter. I'm not accepting what you're saying'. All the while, being in the room posting and crying my eyes out because nobody deserves to hear those things."