Is it okay to get Botox while waiting for IVF? I'm starting another round in October.

IVF is a enormous investment is time, energy, and expense. It occurs on a difficult journey to conceive when things have not gone they way the might if you were 20. If you get botox and your IVF cycle does not work, how will you feel? What is my evidence that it might be an issue? I don't have any and no one else does either. But you may have regrets. Don't get botox or any other services now. If you do get pregnant and it is a year before you can have botox again, have your really sacrificed that much?

Thank you for your question Morningmist. I understand your concern. Botox is a purified protein used to address wrinkles associated with facial expression. When injected into the skin Botox will relax the muscles and smoothen out the overlying wrinkles. The most common areas of treatment are in the upper face. These include the horizontal lines seen on the upper forehead when one raises the brows, the vertical lines seen between the brows when one frowns (frown lines), and the crow's feet seen around the eyes when one smiles.It is difficult to make an assessment without a formal exam where the entire medical history is reviewed. However, I hope the information provided here is useful.The safety record of Botox is well established. The product has been used for over 20 years for a variety of treatments with minimal side effects. Botox is amongst the safest treatments for treating facial wrinkles.Although Botox is one of the safest treatments offered, there are some situations where it is not appropriate. The safety and efficacy of Botox treatments have not been determined in women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breast feeding. There is also no evidence that Botox crosses the placental barrier, but such studies have not been published. While some physicians are comfortable treating women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breast feeding, in the absence of data I err on the side of caution and recommend that my patients avoid Botox and other such cosmetic treatments until they are no longer breast feeding.Patients usually enjoy the results of their Botox treatment for three to four months, which means it is in the body for at least that long. Therefore I recommend that my patients avoid such treatments for at least three months before trying to become pregnant. If I had a patient with the concern described here I would advise against having a Botox treatments one or two months prior to fertility treatments.With any injection, there are risks such as pain, bleeding, bruising, redness, swelling, tenderness, and infection. We take special precautions to minimize these risks such as using a painless technique. We also treat bruises with a laser as early as the next day. Bruises usually resolve within two weeks if untreated. After a laser treatment bruises usually resolve in 1-3 days, but may still take two weeks for full resolution. In addition to these risks, with Botox there is also a risk that the product spreads or diffuses to nearby structures. Spread to nearby muscles can lead to side effects such as the temporary appearance of droopy eyelids or a temporary asymmetric smile.

After a Botox treatment, I recommend that my patients avoid heat exposure, alcohol consumption, and strenuous exercise for 24 hours and not lie down flat for four hours. This is because all of these activities may possibly lead to the movement of the product and consequent side effects such as droopy eyelids. Although there have been no definitive studies shown that these actually occur and some physicians do not provide such aftercare instructions, in the absence of data I err on the side of caution and recommend that my patients avoid such activities.

Please consult with a doctor for specific recommendations. Good luck!

To my knowledge there have been no studies to validate the safety of botox in pregnancy and there is no reason to take that risk.