Cosmetic medicine injections – such as those with hyaluronic acid or Botox – would be discouraged by health professionals during the period of vaccination against Covid-19.
Cosmetic medicine and surgery are no longer a taboo subject. According to the national syndicate of reconstructive and aesthetic plastic surgery (SNCPRE), the appointments to perform an act of aesthetic medicine would have increased by about 20 to 30% during the year 2020. Figures confirmed by IMCAS (International Master Course on Aging Science) which predicts a growth multiplied by three in ten years (over the period 2014-2023) for the global medical and surgical aesthetics market. Botox and hyaluronic acid injections have never been in greater demand. However, there are precautions to take before starting.
Recently, a doctor also launched an alert. Under no circumstances should you jump into the first available niche to carry out your injections of Botox or hyaluronic acid. Choose the place well, but also the period. “Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting introduction of new vaccines, questions have arisen within the medical community as to whether or not it is safe to have cosmetic injections before or after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine, and how long to wait. “, explained Dr Anne Mendelovici, expert doctor in aesthetics and founder of the Dr Anne Mendelovici Clinic, during an interview with Glamor UK.
An increased risk of side effects
Indeed, aesthetic medicine injections can be exposed to side effects such as inflammation or swelling; and these could be increased in this time of pandemic. According to this preliminary study, exposure to protein S (Covid-19 spike protein) could increase the risk of side effects; therefore during contamination with Covid-19 or during vaccination against Covid-19 with a vaccine containing this protein such as Pfizer or Moderna. “It’s a new topic and very few studies have been done so far, but the general guideline is that patients should wait two weeks between the Botox treatment and the Covid vaccination (or contamination) and three weeks for fillers (hyaluronic acid), simply because practitioners do not have enough knowledge about the potential risks or reactions. ” said Dr Anne Mendelovici.