Can You Get Botox While Breastfeeding?
Alright, let's face it. You made it through your whole pregnancy depriving yourself of Botox, and now you're postpartum, breastfeeding, exhausted, and just want to feel a little more refreshed and less haggard.. So… can you at least get a little Botox while breastfeeding?! In my opinion, yes, you can.
There are not great randomized controlled trials studying Botox in breastfeeding mothers (let's be honest, there rarely are when it comes to studies on breastfeeding women, or in women's health at all for that matter, but I digress 🫠). Here's what the research that we do have tells us:
When Botox is injected intramuscularly it is not detected systemically after injection, making excretion into breast milk unlikely.¹
75% of surveyed dermatologists report getting Botox while breastfeeding themselves, with no reported adverse effects.²
In a study where lactating women were injected with Botox and their breast milk was collected and analyzed, half had no detectable Botox at all, and the other half had low detectable amounts that were "well below the reported lethal oral dose for an infant."³
So while I always encourage you to have this conversation with your own provider and make the decision that feels right for you, the existing data that Botox is safe during breastfeeding is pretty reassuring.
If you're curious whether injectables might be right for you right now, I'm happy to talk through it. Come in for a consult or send me a DM over on Instagram.
References
¹ Russo A, et al. Safety of Onabotulinumtoxin-A for Chronic Migraine During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: A Narrative Review. Toxins (Basel). 2025;17(4):192. doi: 10.3390/toxins17040192.
² Cucalon J, et al. Practice Versus Protocol: A Survey of Current Botulinum Toxin Use During Lactation and Pregnancy in Dermatology. Dermatol Surg. 2025 Dec 31. doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000004997.
³ Hudson C, et al. Analysis of Breast Milk Samples in Lactating Women After Undergoing Botulinum Toxin Injections for Facial Rejuvenation: A Pilot Study. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2024;26(5):523-526. doi: 10.1089/fpsam.2023.0326.
