Can You Get Botox During Pregnancy? Safety And Alternatives

Botox is one of the most hyped and sought-after cosmetic procedures that help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on your face, especially those pesky glabellar lines that develop between your eyes. But is Botox during pregnancy safe? The short answer: We cannot say that it’s entirely safe for pregnant women without a shadow of a doubt. 

Read on to find out more about this cosmetic treatment, and whether you should consider skipping it while pregnant or breastfeeding.

What is Botox?

Ever wondered how the process of Botox really works? Botox is actually the brand name of a product a neurotoxin, produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. When injected in small amounts, it can cause your facial muscles to paralyse, causing them to relax, and smooth away facial creases and wrinkles. 

Botox was originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for uncontrolled blinking and lazy eye syndrome. But nowadays, it is most commonly used as a cosmetic treatment and also treats other conditions like abnormal sweating (hyperhidrosis) and headaches.

Is Botox Safe During Pregnancy

While Botox is generally safe for most people, pregnant women should reconsider their decision of getting this cosmetic treatment. Here’s the reason—this cosmetic treatment falls into the pregnancy category “X,” which indicates that it is considered unsafe for pregnant women. 

It is labelled this way by the FDA because the risks involved in this cosmetic surgery clearly override potential benefits. In fact,  evidence suggests that getting this treatment during pregnancy may increase the risk of fetal abnormalities and hinder your baby’s healthy growth and development.

Given its risks, it’s best for you to play safe, and save this skin-smoothing and wrinkle-fighting procedure for a time when your baby is out of harm’s way. 

Common Risks of Using Botox During Pregnancy

One potential risk that you should consider is the spread of the toxin beyond the localised area. In case the toxin spreads beyond the original injection site, you could suffer from a potentially dangerous condition, known as botulism. This condition may cause the following symptoms

• Blurred vision or double vision
• Muscle weakness
• Difficulty forming words
• Hoarseness
• Trouble breathing or swallowing
• Loss of bladder control

These symptoms usually develop within a few hours of taking the injection, but in some cases may develop after several days or weeks. If you experience any of them, make sure to notify your healthcare provider immediately.

Is It Safe to Get Botox While Breastfeeding?

There is currently no evidence about the safety of Botox treatment during breastfeeding. However, the botulinum toxin may find its way to breast milk through blood. Since only a tiny amount of this purified bacterial toxin is injected into your blood during Botox treatment, the chances of it entering your breast milk are slim. 

But due to the absence of any conclusive studies, experts believe that it’s best to avoid botox treatment and injections while you are breastfeeding.

When Can You Resume Getting Botox?

According to the FDA, Botox is only considered safe once you are no longer pregnant or breastfeeding. So the safe bet is to wait until your child weans before resuming your Botox treatment. Also, if you are unsure about when to get back to using Botox, you can consider consulting your healthcare provider for guidance.

What If You Use Botox for Medical Purposes Rather than Cosmetics?

As discussed above, botulinum toxin A or Botox injections are also used for medicinal purposes. For instance, the FDA has given a go-ahead to botos as the only treatment for chronic migraine. It is also used to treat a condition called dystonia, which involves repetitive movements that originate from uncontrolled muscle contractions.

If you use Botox for medicinal purposes, then you should discuss with your doctor whether the risks outweigh the benefits, and only administer it if there are no other alternatives available. 

Pregnancy-safe Alternatives to Botox Treatments

Just because you can’t get Botox while pregnant or breastfeeding, doesn’t mean you throw your anti-ageing regimen out the window. You can use many safe alternatives to keep your skin looking its best. 

Though these aren’t medically aesthetic treatments, there are certain skincare ingredients that offer anti-ageing benefits and are considered safe to use during pregnancy. Some of the ingredients that you can consider adding to your pregnancy skincare routine include

• Glycolic acid: This ingredient is the most effective alpha-hydroxy exfoliant, which is renowned for its skin-renewing properties. In addition to smoothing fine lines, it helps improve your skin tone, and texture, treats sun damage, and enhances softness. 
• Hyaluronic acid: It is a water-soluble acid that helps attract and retain moisture, and treats and prevents fine lines by keeping your complexion hydrated and moisturised. 

Conclusion

Cosmetic treatments like Botox are an effective way to smooth unwanted fine lines and wrinkles and enhance your facial features. But it goes without saying that Botox during pregnancy should be avoided without much thought. Instead of cosmetic treatments and injections, you can switch to alternatives, such as using pregnancy-safe skincare ingredients to get rid of ageing signs and improve your skin texture. 

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