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I Received Botox the Morning Prior to Conception. What Are the Risks?

asked 7 months ago by betsybetsy in Chicago, IL
Latest answer by Philip Young, MD
Question viewed 309 times
Tags: 6 weeks post-op, pregnancy, risk

I received botox (eyes/forehead) the morning prior to conception. I am now 6 weeks pregnant. What are the risks to my baby?

7 answers to I Received Botox the Morning Prior to Conception. What Are the Risks?

+1

Botox Before Pregnancy?

Hi Betsy. We're not sure that we can add much to the very comprehensive answer made by Dr. Altman other than to say that we believe you should try not to lose sleep over this. That is not meant to minimize your concerns but rather to help you feel better about the situation. Although there are no studies involving pregnant women or women trying to get pregnant that are also using Botox, the chance of the Botox making it to the fetus would be exceedingly low based on the... more
Harold J. Kaplan, MD

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.celibre.com

+1

Congratulations!

First off, congratulations on your pregnancy! While the fetus is only in the early cell stages, there shouldn't be any complications. I always recommend telling your OB that you had botox/dysport the day before you conceived. Best of luck to you!
Philip Young, MD

Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Botox injections prior to conception

Within 20 to 90 minutes after Botox is injected, botulinum neurotoxin type A can be detected inside the motor nerve endings. Therefore the muscles and nerve endings take up Botox very quickly before it can spread far from the injection site. I tell my patients they are free to do anything they choose 1 1/2 hours after their injections. This would include conception.
Mitchell Schwartz, MD

South Burlington Dermatologic Surgeon

dorsetstreetdermatology.com

+1

Risks to the baby of receiving Botox injection prior to conception

We don't know what effect any cosmetic procedure done during pregnancy may have on the baby, so it's not recommended that a woman who is pregnant or trying to become pregnant have any such procedures done. But if it happens accidentally, what do we do? We can analyze the risk of anything bad happening. In your case, I don't believe there would be any harm to the baby if you had Botox injections within hours before conception. Here are some facts to support... more
Emily Altman, MD

Short Hills Dermatologic Surgeon
+1

Congratulations on your pregnancy.

There are no known risks to the fetus when a mother receives cosmetic botulinum toxin prior to conception. This has become a very common issue and this questio comes up frequently on this forum. There is a tiny study of woman who were pregnant and received Botox. There is never going to be definitive studies on this question because the medical ethics to do justify undertaking such a study. While the risk of harm seems very low, possible zero, cosmetic Botox should not knowingly be... more
Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD

Los Angeles Oculoplastic Surgeon
+1

Botox during Pregnancy

Since Botox studies on pregnant women are not done, we do not know the exact risks to the fetus. Therefore, Botox is not recommended during pregnancy. However, in my personal opinion, it is very unlikely, if not improbable that the very small amounts of Botox that we use to inject into your face (where it attaches locally to facial muscle receptors) is likely escape this area and travel to a distant developing embryo in any appreciable amount, as to cause harm to the... more
Robert Strimling, MD

Las Vegas Dermatologist
+1

Botox and Pregnancy

Dear BetsyBetsy, Although we don't know the exact risks with botox and pregnancy, I think that you will be fine. I would never recommend botox during pregnancy, or while breast feeding. However, having botox just before you conceived is unlikely to affect the fetus at such a very early stage. If you think about the mechanism of Botox, it works on the receptor complex between the nerves and the muscles. While your fetus is only in the early cell stages, there shouldn't be any... more
Jennifer Reichel, MD

Seattle Dermatologist

www.pacificdermcenter.com

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