Curious about Botox and pregnancy? Sounds like you’re thinking about getting pregnant, you’re trying to get pregnant, or you’re currently pregnant! What an exciting time in your life. Being curious about Botox and pregnancy is perfectly natural, and you’ve come to the right place for answers.
But hold on a second… what exactly is Botox and why does everyone love it so much? Simply put, Botox is a purified protein that can be safely injected into the skin. Trained professionals inject Botox into particular muscles, temporarily blocking or freezing motor nerve impulses. People use Botox for all sorts of conditions and cosmetic treatments, whether that means reducing fine lines and wrinkles or decreasing the pain of chronic migraines. There is also a clear difference between Botox and dermal fillers, so be sure to keep that in mind when you’re researching your options.
Botox and Pregnancy
Can you get Botox while pregnant? You would be surprised how often we hear this question from our clients. Prioritizing the health and safety of you and your baby during pregnancy is an absolute must, so you definitely do not want to cut corners with your research.
So is it safe? The short answer? No. Scientific research simply cannot tell us enough about the potential benefits or harms of injecting Botox while pregnant. Despite advances in modern medicine and increased accessibility and inclusion for pregnant people, the research is simply not there.
How can we be sure? Back in 2017, researchers Dr. George Kroumpouzos, Dr. Jenny Murase, and Megha Trivedi published a straightforward article about pregnancy and cosmetic procedures in the International Journal of Women’s Dermatology. According to their research, “the safety of cosmetic procedures in patients who are pregnant… is a complex clinical question surrounded by uncertainty.” Pregnancy already has plenty of stressors and unknowns, so there is no reason to introduce additional uncertainty into the equation.
Sure, there’s a chance that the procedure is safe because the toxin will probably not absorb into the placenta, but why take that risk? The same applies to hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating, and to anyone who typically gets Botox for migraines.
What happens if you find out that you are pregnant right after getting Botox? There is no need to panic. Take a deep breath. The good news is that there is no concrete data or research to show that Botox can influence your pregnancy in any way. We know that Botox is extremely localized to where it is injected. The protein is absorbed into the nerve endings at the spot of injection, within four hours of your treatment.
Botox and Breastfeeding
Did you just have your baby? Congratulations! You are probably curious about the potential benefits and risks of getting Botox after your pregnancy. You may be wondering, can you get Botox while breastfeeding? Is it safe to do? This is another common question that we hear all of the time from people who visit our clinic.
The short answer? Yes! Getting Botox while you’re still breastfeeding is safe and simple to do. To protect your baby and your breast milk, you can try a simple technique called pump and dump. Before your Botox treatment, pump enough breast milk to feed your baby for the next 24 hours. Once you have done that, you can safely get your Botox treatment. Then comes the dumping part. Within the following 24 hours, it’s important to pump again and dump out the breast milk instead of using that for your baby. This will give your body enough time to safely regenerate milk for your baby. Afterwards, you should be good to go! You can also switch your baby over to formula during those 24 hours if that works better for you and your child.
We asked one of our team members about her experience getting Botox while breastfeeding, and here’s what she had to say:
“Being able to get Botox while breastfeeding really helped me feel better about myself. Not being able to sleep makes you look older and more tired, so Botox helped reverse that and made me feel good again! I was very excited.”
Putting Your Safety First
At Medical Rejuvenation Centre, we care immensely about your health and safety. We recognize that there’s a lack of research into the effects of injecting botox during a pregnancy. That means playing it safe and holding off on any Botox treatments until after your pregnancy. Keep in mind that our blog is for educational only, so you should definitely consult with a medical professional before booking any treatment.
Our policy at MRC is not to do any treatments during pregnancy, because pregnancy obviously takes priority in life over. But, there are plenty of treatments that are perfectly safe to do while you’re breastfeeding. Once your pregnancy is complete, you could absolutely enjoy treating yourself with a deluxe HydraFacial, or perhaps one of our Thermage or Ultherapy treatments. We do recommend waiting until after your hormones balance out to do any serious laser treatments, just to be safe. Feel free to book a consultation with our expert laser technician manager and consultant to learn more about your options and discover which treatment or skin care solution is right for you.
