Botox Q&A
64%
WORTH IT RATING
"Worth It Rating" shows the % of consumer reviewers that stated the procedure was "Worth It" or not. See more RealSelf Worth It Ratings or Add Your Review
854 Reviews
Botoxbefore & after photos
View Before and Afters

Average Botox Cost: $425

Learn about Botox

3,016 people and 923 doctors are talking about Botox

Get Free Email Updates

Will Botox Expire if Left Unchilled for 24 Hours?

asked 1 year ago by Western cape in Western cape
Latest answer by Ritu Chopra, MD
Question viewed 874 times
Tags: expiration date, storage

I stored botox in a coolerbox with 5 icepacks at 09:00 in the morning.The following day at 14:00 I realised that I had forgotten to refrigeate it. Can it still be used, or is it now expired?

12 answers to Will Botox Expire if Left Unchilled for 24 Hours?

+1

Will Botox Expire if left Unchilled?

Hello Western.  It's really impossible to say unless you knew how cool it was in the box. The only way to really know the answer is to inject a patient and bring them back in a few days.  If they can't animate then it's still fine.
Harold J. Kaplan, MD

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.celibre.com

+1

Botox for Television.

We have used Botox onstage on my partner Drew Ordon's show, The Doctors.  We go through great pains to keep it cold but one time it was left out in our office overnight.  Unsure if it would work, we tried it out on our staff members.  It worked perfectly. We had very happy staff after that!
Ritu Chopra, MD

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
+1

Botox

If you are a physician, I would suggest contacting Allergan directly as they will be able to assist you. Best of luck!
Michael Sullivan, MD

Columbus Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Improperly stored botox

If your botox vials were not reconstituted there might be less of a concern to have been left in the cooler, but if it was diluted already and then left out, it could potentially increase the risk of bacterial growth.  If you are a licensed injector, then you should be able to contact Allergan and ask their scientific division your question. They may have privileged information that is not available on line.
Ronald Shelton, MD

Manhattan Dermatologist
+1

Unchilled Botox may be effective, but be extra cautious.

I agree with the other docs in regards to bacteriostasis. Trial and error will safely tell if it's effective, and keep note of those patients who get this Botox to offer them retreatment if less effective than usual, but I would have a much lower threshold for the time I'd be willing to use a reconstituted vial before tossing. And I agree about using bacteriostatic saline especially in this case.
Jessica J. Krant, MD, MPH

Manhattan Dermatologic Surgeon

www.ArtofDermatology.com

+1

Unchilled Botox

As long as the Botox was not exposed to heat it should be fine. If you are not satisfied with results after using this Botox, do supplemental injections on those patients.
Richard W. Fleming, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

The rules for botox storage are unclear.

The rules for botox storage are unclear. After reconstitution botox can remain in a refrigerator for a month or more. Our experience is that botox may be left a room temperature for 8 hours and still be effective.
Edward Lack, MD

Chicago Dermatologist
+1

Botox out of the cold

This has happened to me with a power outage, and the neurotoxin still worked. If it does not, let the patients know that they may need further injection (comped of course)
Purvisha Patel, MD

Germantown Dermatologist
+1

Can Botox left unrefrigerated overnight still be used

It is best to keep Botox refrigerated, but leaving it out of the refrigerator, especially since it was cooled part of the time, for one day should not affect its potency.
Emily Altman, MD

Short Hills Dermatologic Surgeon
+1

BOTOX® is very stable

As a practical matter, we have learned over the past 20 years that BOTOX® is a very stable formulation of BTX-A, and appears to retain full potency for at least several weeks at room temperature after reconstitution using Hospira brand normal saline with 0.9% benzyl alcohol preservative [pH ~5.0].  The fact that BOTOX® [uniquely among the BTX-A formulations commecially available in North America] has a full complement of protective proteins may contribute to its... more
Kevin C. Smith, MD

Niagara Falls Dermatologic Surgeon
+1

Botox Left Unchilled

I had a power outage and the Botox was not kept cold for 24 hours but still worked fine. I also always use bacteriostatic saline to reconstitute Botox. Make sure you follow up with the patient to see that it worked.
Mitchell Schwartz, MD

South Burlington Dermatologic Surgeon

dorsetstreetdermatology.com

+1

Good question

My guess? Yes. It will still work. I would only use, however, if preserved saline was used. Bacteria could grow at warmer temperatures if non-preserved saline was used to reconstitute. If the Botox does not work, you can always reinject. Let us know!
Mary Lupo, MD

New Orleans Dermatologist

Ask a question