Whether for cosmetic or medical reasons, most people want their Botox injections to last as long as possible. Can Taking a Zinc Supplement Make Your Injection Last?
On TikTok, there are many posts from dermatologists and other creators who say that taking zinc can help make Botox injections last longer than they otherwise would. This hack has gained significant traction online.
“Take zinc five days before your treatment and five days after—this will increase the longevity of your neurotoxin,” said TikToker and nurse Ava LeClare. video it was viewed over 1.3 million times.
On TikTok, dermatologist Lindsey Zubritsky, MD, too added that taking zinc before a Botox injection “increases the effectiveness and duration of Botox by 30%.
However, others are not convinced.
Van Cam, a skin aesthetic injector, he said in a video that the hack is a “half-truth” and that there isn’t enough research right now to back it up.
Botox is an injection of the botulinum toxin, produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which blocks nerve signals and in turn causes the muscles to relax. This toxin—also given under brand names such as Xeomin or Jeuveau—has a number of applications, including smoothing wrinkles, treating chronic migraines, and controlling the body’s production of sweat and saliva.
But Botox isn’t something that lasts forever—the effect of the injections wears off between three and six months—and treatments can be expensive. So does taking zinc really make the effects of Botox last longer?
Here’s what the experts had to say about the research behind this hack and what you need to know before you start taking a zinc supplement.
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There is an established link between Botox and zinc, experts said. However, it is not entirely clear whether zinc supplementation can actually affect the staying power of Botox.
“We’re not 100% sure how zinc works [for Botox]but what we do know is that the Botox molecule requires zinc to help it bind to its target more effectively. Ife J. Rodney, MDsaid the dermatologist and founding director of Eternal Dermatology and Aesthetics Health.
In theory, if Botox can bind to tissue more easily and have better activation, a person could see a longer-lasting effect from the treatment. Cindy Wassef, MDsaid Rutgers Medical School assistant professor of dermatology Robert Wood Johnson Health.
Although the two are linked, researchers aren’t sure if increasing zinc levels automatically translates to improved longevity with Botox. There is some data to support the idea, but it is “soft”, Joshua Zeichner, MDdirector of aesthetics and clinical research in the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, said Health.
This includes a 2012 randomized controlled trial of 77 people who received Botox. In the study, participants received either 50 milligrams of zinc citrate and 3,000 PU of the enzyme phytase, 10 milligrams of zinc gluconate, or a placebo.
Patients who received zinc gluconate or a placebo saw no difference in how long their Botox lasted. But those in the zinc and phytase group had Botox effects that lasted an average of 30% longer than the others.
While the results look promising, the study isn’t perfect.
“Some have questioned the results of this study because the patients received different doses of zinc and no baseline zinc levels were done to show whether these patients were deficient or not,” Wassef said.
The study was also small, he added Gary Goldenberg, MDmedical and cosmetic dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology and pathology at the Icahn Sinai School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
“In real life, there is more variability, with some patients having a positive effect and others having no effect from taking zinc,” he said. Health.
While there isn’t a wealth of research to back up the hack, Rodney said it’s fairly common for dermatologists to recommend that their patients take up to 50 milligrams of zinc for four days before the Botox injection and on the day of the appointment. .
“I think taking zinc supplements before Botox injections can help the Botox last longer,” she said.
Short-term zinc supplementation should generally be safe. But these supplements aren’t completely safe — it’s possible to get too much zinc, and it can interfere with other medications you may be taking, she said. Scott Keatley, RDregistered dietitian-nutritionist and co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy.
“People should avoid taking zinc two hours before or four hours after taking an antibiotic, as it can reduce their effectiveness,” he said. Health. “The same goes for those using penicillamine.”
In a perfect world, a person should maintain the tolerable upper intake level of 40 milligrams of zinc per day. Jessica Cording, RDsaid a New Jersey-based health coach and author Health.
Otherwise, you run the risk of side effects like diarrhea, abdominal cramps and vomiting, he said. And, if someone takes high amounts of zinc for weeks, it can cause problems with copper absorption and lower immune function and HDL cholesterol in the body.
Even if a person gets smaller amounts of zinc, they could still be at risk for some of these side effects.
“Many multivitamins contain zinc,” Cording said. “If you take a multivitamin and add a zinc supplement on top of that, you may be approaching or exceeding that upper intake level.”
If you want to try it, check with your doctor and be honest about the medications and supplements you’re currently taking, she advised. It should be safe to take 50 milligrams of zinc for a limited time if your doctor gives you the green light.
If one prefers not to take supplements, there are other ways to increase the longevity of Botox. Provided you injected your face, certain exercises could help, Zeichner said.
“Studies have shown that facial exercises in the first hours after the injection speed up the time [wrinkle] improvement,” he said.
But the best way to make Botox last is to simply stick with the treatment.
“When patients do this consistently over time, the muscle weakens and [the effects] it might take longer,” Rodney said.
