Breast Milk and Restylane

Dear Avargas

It is very likely to be perfectly safe.  However, it is not reasonable or prudent.  It is not worth taking even a tiny risk with your baby to have Restylane while breast feeding.  It is not likely that we will ever have an answer for this because, unlike BOTOX which is medically necessary, there is not reason to using restylane filler while breast feeding.  BOTOX is used for important medically necessary indications, and it is possible that a doctor and patient may elect to use BOTOX off-label while pregnant or breast feeding.  Over time this created a body of experience with treatments in this time frame.  However, no one will be undertaking this type of study when the only reason to be using the product is to make mom look better-sorry.  FInish breast feeding and then we will get you treated, mom.  Please do not lie to your doctor about the breast feeding, you will feel devastated should something untoward happen to your baby.

Although it does not appear theoretically to be a problem to give Restylane to pregnant women or those who are breast feeding, as it is a natural substance in the human body, the FDA would not approve such a study because of the liabilities.

Hi Avargas.  Unfortunately, we don't have a recommendation for you for a lab to do a test, but we would doubt that if you did find a lab to test for this that you would find any traces in the breast milk.

As Dr. Persky has pointed out, this is not just about safety, it's about liability.  Most, if not all, practical physicians know that there is legal risk performing any elective procedure on a pregnant woman and will not do it because we live in a litigious society.  Even if you find a physician to inject you, we would still recommend waiting until you are done breastfeeding just to be sure.