I am allergic to Botox and shellfish. How can I be tested before having a filler?

Allergies to shellfish should not translate into an allergy to Juvederm. However, if you are concerned, and easy way to test would be to have your physician inject a very small amount under the skin of your arm or some place where it can be monitored. This would be similar to a tuberculosis test. If redness and itchiness develop, this may indicate an allergy.

Thank you for your question. Although it is not necessary to have skin testing with the traditional dermal fillers today, if you are concerned, you can always inject a small amount on the back of your ear, forearm or somewhere more discrete to test your sensitivity.

There have been no reported cases of true allergy to Botox, so not sure if you would be the first.  Allergy to shellfish has no relation to either toxins or fillers.  The HA fillers should not cause you any problems.  We have hyaluronic acid in our bodies, so very rare to see any reaction to this.  There are a couple of fillers with bovine collagen in them, and you would need to be tested beforehand for that.     

Hyaluronic acid fillers are chemically different than Botox. Furthermore, the shellfish allergen (iodine) is also not present in fillers.Therefore, it would be very unusual for you to have an allergic reaction to the fillers most commonly used today.Discuss your concerns with your injector prior to deciding on treatment.

Thanks for your question.  I, too, have a shellfish allergy. There is no relationship between Botox and the primary allergen in shellfish, which is iodide.  The class of fillers most commonly used, hyaluronic acid based fillers, don't really have allergic potential; hyaluronic acid lubricates all of our joints and is thus a natural component of our bodies.  They also don't contain iodide. If you stick with these fillers, I don't think you will have any issues. Nonetheless, if you are still worried a dermatologist or allergist could easily test you prior to treatment if you wanted.  Keep in mind there is a difference between an "allergy" and a complication, side effect, intolerance, etc. all of which can happen with fillers. Hope this helps.

There are 2 limbs of the immune system that can be activated, immediate and delayed. The first, is unlikely, but can be tested by scratch testing, usually done by an Allergist. The second, more likely, can be determined by patch testing, usually done by a Dermatologist. The first question to answer before testing is do you have an allergy or a side effect. Either an Allergist or Dermatologist should be able to sort this out. The biggest problem for both tests is being tested with the appropriate allergen.        jlr