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Pregnancy is a beautiful journey, but it is also challenging and involves many changes. Your body and skin are affected and can experience significant changes.
You need to give up many food options like sushi and alcohol. You might also have to stay away from some beauty treatments too.
So, can you get Botox while pregnant? The most straightforward answer is NO. You can not get Botox 1while pregnant.
Even though there is little evidence and research, professionals recommend against it. If someone offers you the procedure, it might be unsafe and shady.
Don’t get any treatments done from a non-licensed medical doctor.
1. What is Botox?
When you think of doing any cosmetic procedure on your face, the first thought is Botox. Botox is a great way to achieve smooth skin with minimal (or zero) wrinkles and fine lines. Chemically, Botox is known as Botulinum Toxin. It is produced with the help of Clostridium Botulinum bacteria. It temporarily paralyzes the muscles in the area it is injected into.
Botox injections are used to treat concerns such as crow’s feet, frown lines, forehead lines, and fine lines around the mouth. But not all neurotoxins are Botox. Botox is just a brand name and is often misunderstood as all cosmetic neurotoxins.
If you use Botox regularly, it might be difficult not to have Botox while pregnant. You can keep your skin plump with other options, too.
2. Botox Treatments for Other Reasons
Botox also helps treat various medical conditions besides just aesthetic and beauty treatments. Some examples are:
- Crossed eyes and eyelid spasms: It was created to help patients with crossed eyes. Also, people with narrowed eyelids and uncontrolled blinking have seen a lot of improvement.
- Migraines: It helps in reducing headaches by preventing nerve signals from firing.
- Foot Pain: People with foot pain, such as athletes and those who constantly wear high heels, saw improvement in overacting sweating and tight muscles.
- Overactive bladder: People with an overactive bladder had improved symptoms after getting these injections. Botox helps the bladder relax and fill up more.
3. Can You Get Botox While Pregnant
Botox has been administered safely to most people. There is not a lot of data and studies related to the usage of Botox in pregnant women. No pregnant woman wants to join a study trial with the risk of harming their unborn child.
Botox has been labeled as a Category C drug by the FDA, and there are risks associated with that. As there are many medical reasons for which people need Botox, it cannot be completely avoided. It can be used if the potential benefits outweigh all the risks that can come with it.
Experiments have been done on pregnant mice. They did not affect the placenta or the fetus. However, animals and human bodies are different, so they can not be completely accepted as safe. If you are looking for Botox only for cosmetic reasons, then you should avoid Botox while pregnant.
4. Effects of Botox While Pregnant
Botulinum toxin (Botox) is kept in the pregnant category ‘X’ and is deemed harmful to be used during pregnancy. Animal studies have been done with pregnant rabbits and some of the potential risks are birth defects.
If Botox spreads in any area other than the injected site, then you can develop botulism. Botulism is a rare disease. However, it can be fatal in some cases.
In this case, the toxin attacks the patient’s nerves and causes breathing issues and paralysis or even death.
Some fetal abnormalities seen during animal studies and even human pregnancy are:
- Premature births
- Placenta hemorrhaging
- Missing or malformed body parts
- Low bone growth
5. What if You Got Botox Just Before Getting Pregnant?
Life is full of surprises. If you saw those two pink lines some weeks after getting Botox, don’t panic. There have been some studies done to know the effects of getting Botox before getting pregnant. And they have shown no issues or untoward effects. So, only Botox while pregnant is harmful.
There won’t be any issues with your pregnancy. And your child will also be safe. So enjoy your journey stress-free. But make sure not to get any Botox after a positive pregnancy test. Botox while pregnant can cause various health issues for your child.
6. How Long Do You Have to Wait After Birth?
The next question that comes to mind is how long you need to wait to get Botox after giving birth. This varies for every person. It also heavily depends on whether the mother is going to breastfeed the newborn or not because botox treatment while you are breastfeeding is not advised.
Again, there is not enough data and research done on the effects of Botox on breast milk. But if a small amount of toxin passes through breast milk it can be harmful to your child.
So, it is advised to avoid Botox for some time, especially if you are getting it solely for cosmetic reasons.
But if you use Botox for medical reasons, compare the potential risks and benefits and go ahead after getting botox while breastfeeding, patients are advised to pump and throw away any breastmilk for the next 24 hours.
7. Alternatives To Botox While Pregnant
Pregnancy is a beautiful journey, but it can be equally taxing. Your body is going through a lot of physical and hormonal changes rapidly. But you can handle almost every situation if you look your best with that pregnancy glow.
No licensed provider will give you Botox while pregnant. But that does not mean you have to say goodbye to your plump and glowing skin. There are a lot of pregnancy-safe alternatives to Botox that you can use to keep your skin healthy and glowing.
The struggle with fine lines and wrinkles is real. Various skincare products have wrinkle-fighting ingredients.
Some ways are listed below:
7.1 Hydrafacial
Typically a hydrafacial involves a hydradermabrasion device that performs three tasks. It cleanses and exfoliates the skin and thereafter pushes serum through the skin pores. It is different and gentler than traditional dermabrasion.
It leaves your skin more hydrated and plump and brightens your complexion. It has various skin smoothening benefits and also helps those with sun damage. You can achieve hydrated and glowing skin even when you are pregnant.
7.2 Chemical Peel
A chemical peel t involves applying a solution to your face that helps in removing dead skin cells and also increases the growth of new skin cells.
The results vary for every procedure. If you get superficial or medium peels, you need to get them done again to maintain the results. But the effects from deep peels last much longer.
Wearing and reapplication of sunscreen is a must as your skin is more sensitive to the sun after a chemical peel.
7.3 Topical Products
While some products, like retinol, are not recommended for use during pregnancy, you still have many options. These acids and serums help you achieve healthy skin without any Botox treatment.
7.3.1 Vitamin C
Vitamin C 2is used by most of the people who are into skincare. It helps the skin by protecting it from harsh UV rays. It also fights hyperpigmentation and helps achieve even skin tone. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen afterward!
7.3.2 Hyaluronic acid
This is infused in various creams and serums to hydrate the skin. It retains moisture and helps seal it in.
7.3.3 Glycolic acid
Most dermatologists often recommend it for skin exfoliation. It has skin-renewing abilities and also helps in collagen 3production.
7.3.4 Bakuchiol
Retinols 4are strictly not used during pregnancy but this plant-based ingredient is a safer alternative. It provides similar effects and helps fight signs of aging.
7.3.5 Argireline
Argireline, a peptide, has been known to work like Botox. It also works to minimize wrinkles by reducing muscle activity. Though it happens to a smaller extent, argireline 5is pregnancy-safe.
8. Conclusion
Botulinum toxin6 or Botox is commonly used to treat wrinkles or fine lines. There is not a lot of research done to know whether it affects a pregnant woman or the child. However, it is not recommended to get Botox injections while you are pregnant.
Risks and benefits need to be checked properly before using Botox for any medical reasons. Your doctor can help you know about any risk to you or the baby while breastfeeding7.
There are various other methods to keep your skin glowing. Try to choose pregnancy-safe skincare for hydrated and healthy skin. Contact your provider before adding anything new to your routine.
The overall soft tissue swelling during pregnancy can keep your skin plump and smooth, so you don’t even need Botox!
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- Colunga Biancatelli, Ruben Manuel Luciano, Max Berrill, and Paul E. Marik. “The antiviral properties of vitamin C.” Expert review of anti-infective therapy 18.2 (2020): 99-101. ↩︎
- Rezvani Ghomi, Erfan, et al. “Collagen‐based biomaterials for biomedical applications.” Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials 109.12 (2021): 1986-1999. ↩︎
- Olsen, Thomas, and Rune Blomhoff. “Retinol, retinoic acid, and retinol-binding protein 4 are differentially associated with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity: an overview of human studies.” Advances in Nutrition 11.3 (2020): 644-666. ↩︎
- Mousivand, Zahra, et al. “Hybrid electrospun scaffold loaded with Argireline acetate and Dexpanthenol for skin regeneration.” International Journal of Polymeric Materials and Polymeric Biomaterials 72.15 (2023): 1179-1190. ↩︎
- Truong, Daniel, et al., eds. Manual of botulinum toxin therapy. Cambridge University Press, 2023. ↩︎
- Lawrence, Ruth A., and Robert M. Lawrence. Breastfeeding: a guide for the medical professional. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2021. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology