Summary
- Botox is not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as there is insufficient research into its safety.
- If you were unknowingly pregnant during a Botox treatment, there's no need to panic immediately; consult your doctor.
- Mild, superficial treatments such as facials, masks, and connective tissue massages are possible during pregnancy.
- Botox treatments may be considered for medical indications such as chronic migraines or teeth grinding, after consultation with a cosmetic doctor.
- Always have cosmetic treatments performed by an experienced and certified doctor.
The short answer is: no. In the following section, you will read more about Botox during pregnancy, Botox and breastfeeding, and what you can do for your skin instead of a Botox treatment.
Botox is a safe medicine
Botulinum toxin (Botox) falls under the Medicines Act, which means that before it was allowed on the market, years of research were conducted into its effectiveness, side effects, and complications. To date, no adverse long-term effects have been registered. Botox is therefore an exceptionally safe medicine.
Botox during pregnancy
Too little is currently known about Botox during pregnancy. Research does not rule out that Botox can cross the placenta, but there is also no evidence that it can happen. The decision of the professional group of medical cosmetic doctors is therefore that Botox is not recommended during pregnancy. Cosmetic clinics in the Netherlands follow this decision. Therefore, a Botox treatment is not possible during pregnancy. However, there are situations where an exception is made, which you can read about further on.
I didn't know I was pregnant, what now?
It sometimes happens that a client was already pregnant during a Botox treatment but did not yet know. A pregnancy is simply not as easy to plan as a Botox treatment. If that is the case for you, there is no need to panic immediately. Although not enough research has been done to guarantee the safety of Botox during pregnancy, there are some studies that may reassure you.
Li Yim and Weir 2010 [1] state in their research “Botulinum Toxin and Pregnancy—A Cautionary Tale” that the use of Botulinum Toxin is relatively safe during pregnancy. Morgan's research (2005) “Botulinum toxin A during pregnancy: a survey of treating physicians” [2] supports this.
William and his team also state in their research (2004) “Botulinum toxin type A therapy during pregnancy” [3] that a Botox treatment during pregnancy has no effect on the child's health.
So, there are some studies that indicate Botox can be used safely during pregnancy, but there is not yet enough conclusive evidence. We therefore advise you to consult your (cosmetic) doctor if you have found out that you were pregnant during the treatment.
Breastfeeding and Botox
If you are breastfeeding after your pregnancy, you still have to wait for a Botox treatment. Unfortunately, not enough is known yet about the dangers of using Botox during breastfeeding, which is why we advise against a Botox treatment during breastfeeding.
Research has shown that Botox, when injected locally into the muscle and skin, does not enter breast milk. No traces of Botox were found in breast milk or in the child's system in this study. However, not enough research has been conducted to state this with 100% certainty.
What kind of Botox treatments can you have during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, blood flow to the skin increases (Huidfonds, Skin changes during pregnancy, 2018), which can lead to small broken capillaries on your face. Therefore, opt for a mild, superficial treatment. Consider:
- facials,
- face masks,
- and for example, a connective tissue massage.
What kind of Botox treatments are not allowed during pregnancy?
- Botox is not allowed during pregnancy.
- Filler treatment is also not allowed during pregnancy, the reason here too is that too little is known about the effects.
- Chemical peels and creams with vitamin A are also not recommended during pregnancy. Therefore, get good advice when choosing an alternative.
Exceptions for Botox
For medical reasons, a Botox treatment during pregnancy may be possible. This includes, for example, chronic migraines and teeth grinding. In this case, it is up to the patient and the cosmetic doctor to carefully weigh the risks and benefits of a Botox treatment during pregnancy. The government therefore advises you to be well informed by an officially trained cosmetic doctor (Rijksoverheid, Stricter rules for cosmetic procedures, 2017).
Experienced specialists
The above clearly shows the importance of only having a Botox or filler treatment performed by an experienced and certified doctor. Make sure your doctor is BIG registered, preferably NVCG certified (Dutch Association of Cosmetic Medicine) and affiliated with the KNMG doctors' federation.
Conclusion
To make a long story short; studies have been conducted on the effect of Botox treatment during pregnancy. Overall, not enough research has been done to determine with 100% certainty that Botox has no effect on pregnancy and thus on the baby.
If you are in doubt about a Botox treatment during your pregnancy, always seek good advice from a certified cosmetic doctor. The doctor can advise you and discuss with you whether the Botox treatment has a cosmetic or a medical reason. It is very important to make a good assessment of the risks and benefits. And usually, during pregnancy, you are busy with completely different things than Botox and wrinkles!
Bibliography
- Li Yim, J.F.T., & Weir, C.R., (2010). Botulinum Toxin and Pregnancy—A Cautionary Tale. Strabismus, 18 (2), 65-66. https://doi.org/10.3109/09273971003793930
- Morgan, J.C., Lyer, S.S., Moser, E.T., Singer, C., Sethi, K.D., (2005). Botulinum toxin A during pregnancy: a survey of treating physicians. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 77, 117-119. https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/77/1/117.info
- William, J., Newman, B.S., Thomas, L., Davis, M.D., Bismal, B., Padaliva, B.S., Cassondra, D., Covington, B.A., Chandler, E., Gill, B.S., Anna, I., Abramovitch. B.S.P., David Charles, M.D., (2004), Botulinum toxin type A therapy during pregnancy. Movement Disorders, 19 (11), 1384-1385. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.20205
