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Can Botox Cause Acne?

I have had several treatments of low dose accutane as a teenager. Recently, at the age of 23, I received botox injections in my forehead for migraines and brow treatment. I have never broken out on my forehead before (even as a teenager). Where I received the injections, I am developing puss like papules and painful cysts. I have been using retin-a to see if this will help with the forehead breakouts and nothing seems to work.

I called the reps for botox and they do believe that there is now a correlation between botox and acne - could it be that it is expedited by those have undergone accutane treatments? Or could this be due to the fact that I no longer can sweat out of those pores so they become plugged with toxins? Please help. I have talked to several other people who are experiancing the same symptoms.

Asked 40 months ago by questions please in New York, New York

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side effects

Acne from Botox

We have not seen or read of any link between Botox and Accutane. In addition, Accutane works by shrinking the sebaceous (oil) glands. Using Botox and/or Accutane would not prevent you from sweating out of these glands. We would suggest going back to the physician that injected you or visiting your primary care physician to address this issue. We do not believe it is related to the Botox.

Doctor's Website

Harold J. Kaplan, MD

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Acne breakout after Botox injection

Hi NYC, Of the hundreds of patients that I have injected with Botox, I have not seen any have acne flare ups related to the treatment. I have seen a handful of patients who have a "pimple" or two at the site of injection. In those patients we now give them prophylactic acne treatment (tetracycline, cleocin) for a few days before and after their injections. I will be interested to hear what other experts experiences have been with this side effect of Botox injections that you... more

Michael A. Persky, MD

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Botox doesn't cause acne, but worth seeing a dermatologist.

Botox does not cause acne, but there are several reasons you may have developed acne around the Botox area, that can be hard to identify online. For example, if you recently stopped a birth control pill, it can lead to an unexpected acne flareup that might just coincide with your injections. Or if you decided to use more Retin-A recently after not using it for a while, and are using too much, this can also lead to an acne flare, ironically. Please see a board-certified dermatologist... more

Doctor's Website

Jessica J. Krant, MD, MPH

Manhattan Dermatologic Surgeon

Acne and Botox injections - Cure for acne?

A recent study showed that Botox injections can actually be used to treat patients with acne. This approach is very costly and is not a first line treatment, of course.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD

Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon

Botox and acne

I have never heard of Botox causing acne, although that would be interesting to research a bit further. Interesting that the rep has heard this before. The flare up may have no correlation with the Botox treatment.

Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Botox does not cause acne.

Botox is a powerful and effective medicine that works by entering the muscles and relaxing them. It is injected under the level of the skin and into the muscle. I have heard of no causal connection between Botox and acne.

B. Pat Pazmino, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Botox with possibly contaminated needle.

Hi. Botox does not cause acne in anybody, that's for sure. I honestly don't know what happened to you. It is possible that the needle was accidentally contaminated, and so you got an infection at each injection point. If that's what it is, it will go away.

George J. Beraka, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Botox and Acne

Botox is not generally known to cause Acne. In fact there are some reports that Botox can actually improve the Acne. The mechanism of this effect on the sebaceous glands is not known but maybe similar to the effect Botox has on the sweat glands

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

ASAPS ASPS

Botox does not cause Acne

I agree, Botox does not cause acne and there is no mechanism from which Botox would cause acne. It sounds like it is just a coincidence. A time table of when you developed the acne would be helpful. Do you get the acne a day or two after the Botox or several weeks after the Botox? Hopefully you are doing well now. Good luck.

Doctor's Website

David Shafer, MD

New York Plastic Surgeon

ASPS

BOTOX and acne

Neither have I seen any acne flareups from BOTOX, nor has it been reported in the scientific literature. There is no plausible scientific explanation for such a relationship.