Dermatologists say the changes, often described as runner’s face, are less about the sport itself and more about what your skin is exposed to while you train. "Runner's face is not a medical diagnosis," says Dr Geetika Mittal Gupta, medical aesthetician and founder of ISAAC Luxe. Sweat and dehydration then compound the impact, stripping away natural oils and weakening the skin barrier.”Who’s most at risk of runner’s face? “Long-distance runners, such as marathoners, are more likely to show signs of runner’s face compared to sprinters,” says Anand Thakur, fitness expert at Reaviva Holistic Health. The skincare playbook for runnersThe first hints of runner’s face are easy to miss: slightly flatter cheeks, deeper smile lines, faint under-eye hollows or sun spots that linger.