There are lots of restrictions that doctors recommend when you are pregnant or breastfeeding. This is, in theory, to minimize as much as possible any risk to the baby. The fact is that there are no research studies performed on pregnant women.
Some risks are known well, and the recommendations come from a long history of experience. For example, there are many infections that are simple to treat in most adults which become deadly or damaging to the fetus if they happen when you are pregnant. For example– toxoplasmosis, a disease you can get from cat feces, shows up as a cold in most adults but can cause brain and liver damage in a fetus, as well as other bad effects. That’s why you can’t scoop the cat litter when pregnant!
But there are lots of things we also recommend you stay away from because we just don’t know what could happen. There have been no studies, so we just don’t know. Since it would be unethical to set up such a trial, we will likely never know. That’s why we recommend you stay away from most medications during pregnancy, unless they are absolutely necessary.
We do not recommend that you get Botox, Dysport or any neurotoxin treatment while pregnant or breastfeeding. Although we suspect the risk is low, we are simply not going to take that risk. Botox and Dysport are both shown to be taken up into the neuromuscular junction within 6 minutes of injections. The effect takes about 3-5 days for Dysport and 7-14 days for Botox. Neither has ever been shown to reach the bloodstream in any significant way when used in the proper doses for cosmetic use. This is why we do not see systemic effects when we treat wrinkles in the face. Despite this, we do not recommend taking that chance.
When breastfeeding, there is a concept of “Pump and Dump” when certain medicines or procedures are medically necessary. If you are breastfeeding, oftentimes a medicine is passed into your bloodstream, and could be secreted into your breast milk. If that is the case, the baby could be exposed by feeding on the breast milk. If a medicine is necessary, doctors will recommend that you use a breast pump to pump the milk and dump it, usually for 24 hours, to get it out of your system and not pass it along to the baby. This is called “Pump and Dump.”
Could you get Botox or Dysport and Pump and Dump for 24 hours? You could, but in general this is not recommended, since Botox or Dysport is always considered an elective procedure, and is not medically necessary. Doctors recommend using this technique only when medically necessary.
If you are receiving Botox or Dysport injections and then find out you are pregnant, we recommend that you immediately stop getting injections. As stated above, though the risk is low, there are no studies, and we consider any risk simply too much.
Because the most critical part of development of a fetus is in the first trimester, early pregnancy is considered the most vulnerable time of the pregnancy. We recommend that you stop Botox treatments before trying to conceive. This means that the best timing is during or right after your period has ended, long before the next ovulation. Because women sometimes can have some bleeding in the very beginning of pregnancy, sometimes this can look like a regular period. So if there is any possibility that you are pregnant, we recommend that you defer any Botox treatments.
In general, Botox is a Category C drug, and you should avoid using it during pregnancy because studies have not been done to establish that it is safe. However, studies of migraine patients have shown that people who have been treated with Botox for migraines while pregnant have no increased risk of birth defects. If migraines are severe and Botox is necessary, it has been used in patients who are pregnant. However, it is important to keep in mind that it should be completely stopped for any elective procedure.
Facials and Hydrafacials can temporarily smooth skin while you’re pregnant. Light chemical peels can help smooth fine lines and improve the texture and tone of the skin. Facials can be a great part of any skin care routine. Hydrafacial even has boosters that can provide other anti-aging ingredients to your skin.
Exfoliation treatments such as dermaplaning and microdermabrasion are safe during pregnancy, and can remove dead cells, revealing fresh new cells at the surface. This improves the skin tone, helping reduce pigment.
Most skin care products are completely safe during pregnancy. The ingredients to avoid are retinols, prescription tretinoin and hydroquinone. Most routine skin care products are safe, including
If you are not breastfeeding, you can resume after childbirth. If you are breastfeeding, we recommend that you wait to resume Botox treatments until completely done. Although the risks are low, we have a zero risk policy when it comes to the safety of your newborn. This goes for other products and procedures that are off-limits during pregnancy as well.
Cosmetic injectables do not affect fertility. If you have had Botox, Dysport or filler in the past, it will not hurt the chances of getting pregnant. But we do recommend refraining from injectable treatments once you decide to start trying to conceive.
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