In the last weeks John Kerry’s eyes seemed less droopy than usual and his entire face seemed somehow wider.

Why did Secretary of State John Kerry look so different?

His personal spokesman Glen Johnson explained that John Kerry has been working non-stop with no vacation – and barely has had time to squeeze in a simple haircut.

 “It’s looks to me that he has limited movement on the left side of his face,” said cosmetic dermatologist Tina Alster.

“He doesn’t have any movement in his face at all,” said plastic surgeon Barry Cohen.

It could also be one of many other possibilities. Lack of sleep – no surprise, given the last couple of months with his wife’s illness and the Syrian crisis. Or something as simple as allergies, which could cause his eyes and face to puff up. It could be a minor cosmetic procedure like Botox or another injectable, or Bell’s palsy, a common virus which affects facial nerves and can mimic a minor stroke or bad Botox. Or simply stress.

John Kerry’s eyes seemed less droopy than usual and his entire face seemed somehow wider

“Stress can always make you look not like yourself,” said Tina Alster.

“It can definitely change how your face looks.”

John Kerry, 69, is no stranger to speculation about his classic patrician face. In the 1970’s, he had an operation to correct a malocclusion – a problem with his bite that caused clicking in his jaw. His smooth, unwrinkled appearance during the 2004 presidential race caused enough of a stir that his campaign was forced to deny Botox rumors directly.

In January of 2012, John Kerry showed up at the White House celebration for the Boston Bruins sporting two black eyes.

He denied any plastic surgery. Just the result of a nasty spill while playing hockey with family and friends over the New Year’s break, he said.

But the fact that the chatter arose again this week about whether his appearance was the result of exhaustion or some cosmetic snafu annoyed those close to him.

“Not only is it a little sad that this constitutes news by anyone’s definition in Washington when we’re debating the use of force in Syria, but the answer is simple: No, end of story. That’s not a denial, that’s a fact,” Glen Johnson said.

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