Can You Use Cannabis When You Have Botox?
Most beauty doctors advise against alcohol use some 24 hours before a Botox or filler treatment, and at least 24 hours after having one. Should the same caution for Botox and other injectables also be practiced for cannabis?
There’s something that we have to admit here. Cannabis has many strengths and it can help with many things. Among those things are CBD beauty products, topicals, balms and creams that can nourish the skin and promote a healthy look. But there are far more powerful weapons to combat aging with.
What works much better than hemp topicals is Botox and fillers. So, if you are someone who uses or wants to use both cannabis and Botox, it’s legit to ask whether there might be some contraindication between the two.
How Botox and Filler Injections Work?
Botox works in a way that it inhibits chemical signals from nerves that cause muscle contraction. Botox injections last for around three months and the result is relaxed facial muscles and absence of wrinkles during that period.
Fillers are gel-like substances typically made of hyaluronic acid, a biomolecule that is naturally found in skin and cartilage. When injected beneath the skin, fillers restore the lost volume in that area. Fillers can last for more than six months, so they are the next level of Botox. Very often both Botox and fillers are used in combination.
Is It Safe to Use Cannabis Before Botox Appointment?
Cannabis does not directly affect Botox. The two have different mechanisms in how they work in the body. Botox has a specific target protein that it reacts with, and it only binds with that protein. On the other hand, cannabinoid compounds are lipids, meaning they are fats not proteins. So, there’s really small chances that cannabis will have any role in the result of Botox injections.
Still, Botox or filler injections are an aesthetic treatment and that counts as a medical procedure. There are needles going into your skin. Like with every other procedure, there’s a small rare chance that something might go wrong and the reason for that can be just about anything you consume prior or after the procedure. The list of things to be cautious with include weed.
Being pricked with a long needle is certainly not something extremely comfortable or enjoyable. But if you’re going for a treatment, see it the same way as going to the dentist. It’s good to be sober and with your head not flying around for the duration of the treatment.
Why You Shouldn’t Be High When Taking Injectables?
While there isn’t really a contraindication to using cannabis products and getting dermal filler injections, that doesn’t mean you are supposed to show up high as a kite for the appointment.
Doctors do recommend avoiding alcohol as well as any blood-thinning medicines, after and before getting Botox or fillers, and the reason for that is that these things can increase bleeding and bruising around the injected areas. Cannabis might also cause the same. The chances are extremely small but it can happen.
As always, it does matter how much cannabis the person takes. If it’s a small amount that helps you to relax before a procedure, that would be okay probably.
You definitely don’t want to be too high in a procedure that involves needles, and especially if needling makes you nervous and anxious. For any procedure performed, a patient is also required to give informed consent. So showing up stoned is not okay just like it’s not okay showing up drunk.
Or imagine a situation where you are too high to know what you’re really asking for. Not knowing to explain to the doctor how much filler you want and where you want, or what you expect following treatment.
In conclusion, there is no significant interaction between Botox and cannabis. The results of your Botox and filler injections would 99% not be impacted by cannabis use. Still, if you have to use cannabis before or after an appointment, make sure it’s in moderation and that it does not cloud your judgement.
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Stephen Andrews
