Discovering you’re pregnant is often one of the most exciting and joyful moments in life. As you eagerly anticipate the arrival of your little one, it’s only natural to have questions about your health and beauty routine, including skincare treatments.
Botox® is widely known for its fast, effective, and relatively affordable way to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and lines, offering a natural-looking result.
For many women, looking and feeling their best is just as important during pregnancy as at any other time, and maintaining a beauty routine can be a source of confidence.
However, when it comes to Botox® during pregnancy, many women understandably have concerns about whether it’s safe for both themselves and their growing baby. In this article, we’ll explore the safety considerations and offer insight into whether Botox® is recommended while expecting.
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Botox® is considered by the FDA to be a Category C drug during pregnancy, meaning there have not been sufficient or dedicated studies proving the drug to be safe or unsafe during pregnancy.
This indicates that a risk cannot be ruled out. In general, Category C means the benefits to the woman need to outweigh the potential risk to the fetus in order to recommend use of the medication. It is unclear whether Botox® can make its way into breastmilk, but again, the risks are there.
The good news is that during pregnancy your body naturally retains water. And while water retention wouldn’t be something to jump up and down about under normal conditions, in this case, water retention makes your face naturally appear fuller. Your skin also steps up its oil production when you’re expecting.
So, those wrinkles and crow’s feet can even out and miraculously disappear. Rather than getting Botox® while pregnant, pregnancy is the perfect time to bask in the beauty of your skin’s natural glow.
Studies involving Botox® and pregnancy don’t exist for obvious reasons. Botox® during pregnancy poses potential risks to both the mother and her unborn child. Conducting a study of the safety of Botox® during a human pregnancy would not happen simply because of the liability and risks involved in setting up such a study.
While Botox® is not proven to be harmful to the fetus during pregnancy, it is important for patients to understand that it has not been proven to be 100% safe either.
For this reason, the majority of patients and providers agree to defer Botox® injections until the patient has delivered their baby and finished breastfeeding.
With this information in mind, some women do have Botox® injections in the very early stages of pregnancy before they realize they are expecting. This is not a significant cause for concern because:
Women that undergo Botox® treatment and later find out they are pregnant usually have uneventful pregnancies. Worrying about the possible risks can be harmful to the mother and baby, so we want to give expectant mothers some peace of mind.
If you just found out that you are expecting, and recently had Botox® treatment to treat fine lines or wrinkles, do not worry. It is highly unlikely that Botox® will affect your pregnancy or the baby.
A retrospective review of 232 exposures over 24 years showed no differences in pregnancy and baby outcomes relative to what would be expected without exposure.
For women who aren’t yet pregnant and are ready to start a family, the answer to this question is also no.
While the negative reactions to Botox® treatment aren’t common, they still have the potential to cause problems during conception and pregnancy. As such, doctors recommend holding off on using Botox® while trying to conceive. It’s just not worth the risk.
For women who regularly use Botox® to stay looking smooth and youthful, the thought of giving up Botox® for nine months can be daunting. Again, as mentioned earlier, mother nature can help in the form of water retention and natural oils.
It’s also important to embrace lifestyle practices that help to keep your skin looking young while also keeping you and your baby healthy:
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