Can You Become Immune To Botulinum Injections?

You may have heard some people say, ‘injectables don’t work for me’ or ‘it just doesn’t seem to last as long as it used to.’ If this sounds familiar, you may simply need more of the neurotoxin to get to your desired result. But another explanation (although rare) could be the development of neutralizing antibodies.

Neurotoxin injections require repeated treatments approximately every 3-4 months, but there have been reports of failed treatments (not lasting quite as long or not working at all) due to the development of neutralizing antibodies to the toxin and the associated stabilizing proteins. These antibodies block the desired effect of the injection preventing it from freezing the muscles that cause facial wrinkles. So how do we deal with this issue and still smooth your skin?

There is some thought that if you develop antibodies to a neurotoxin, you may have a better response to another neurotoxin. For this reason, I recommend trying different products to see which works best for you.

If you are a lifelong neurotoxin user, this concept of neutralizing antibodies may sound nerve racking, but be reassured that the likelihood of not responding to a neurotoxin or forming antibodies is VERY rare (0.3-6% of the population). These products have been fine-tuned over many years of production, so the risk for developing antibodies has decreased. Injection of higher doses and increased exposure (getting your toxin too soon) may increase your risk of developing antibodies, so make sure you stick with your regular schedule of every 3-4 months. If you think it may be time to switch up your routine, or if you’d like to stick to your favorite neurotoxin, call our office to schedule your consultation today!