By Dr. Natalie Ledbetter CRNA, DAcOM
Patients have been asking whether it is OK to get the COVID vaccine if they have recently received filler or Botox injections. Many clients are also wondering if they can they still get Botox or filler after the vaccine.
Our providers researched this issue when the Covid-19 vaccine became available. We found the risk of any problems to be low and any side effects that did occur are short lived.
Botox (and other neuromodulators including Dysport, Xeomin, and Juveau) are not the same as filler. Filler is usually made of hyaluronic acid and replace
s lost volume. Botox relaxes muscles to soften lines and wrinkles.
Complications?
No complications are reported of patients getting the COVID vaccine before or after receiving Botox. The CDC did report that out of 15,184 patients in the Moderna COVID vaccine trial, three patients who had gotten filler before the vaccine experienced facial swelling a day or two after the vaccination. But the swelling was short lived and resolved on its own without any other complications.
The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology published a study that found a total of nine reactions in people with dermal fillers to both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. The negative reaction may consist of swelling and nodules at the site of the fillers. This typically lasts only a few days and treatment varies from taking over-the-counter antihistamines to steroid medication.
Our recommendation:
To be conservative and minimize the risk of swelling, we recommend that you wait two weeks after the vaccination before getting injections whether it be Botox or filler. Vaccinations of any sort can cause some inflammatory response in your body, which is normal. The vaccine causes your body to build up antibodies to the injected material. This does involve some inflammation.
We recommend waiting two weeks between Botox or filler and the vaccine so that any potential symptoms from the vaccine can subside before getting cosmetic injections. This can minimize the risk of any potential swelling.
The guidelines provided by the CDC and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons agree. They state that they do not discourage the vaccination in patients who have a history of filler or Botox use. If you have further questions about this subject, feel free to schedule an appointment to speak to one of our nurse practitioners or physicians.
Follow Natalie Ledbetter on Instagram @NatalieLovesNeedles and @DrNatalieLedbetter or visit her website: DrNatalieLedbetter.com
If you want information about Botox- what it is and how it is used, click here: What is Botox, how does it work, and what does it achieve?
or here What To Know About Getting Botox From a Patient’s Perspective to hear directly from one of our patients about her Botox experience.
If you would like more information about dermal filler, click here: Filler Pre- and Post- Care. for information on how to prepare for getting filler and how to care for it afterward or here Juvederm Filler Family! to find out more about our family of fillers.
Interested in getting both filler and Botox? Check out this article below by someone who receives both treatments.