Can you have hyaluronic acid injections during pregnancy?
There are not enough studies to guarantee the safety of aesthetic hyaluronic acid injections during pregnancy.
Pregnant women are not included in studies of aesthetic treatments. Available data on filler use during pregnancy are therefore very limited.
In the absence of a medical benefit justifying the injection, the precautionary principle leads to postponing treatment until after childbirth.
Is hyaluronic acid dangerous during pregnancy?
Yes, hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the skin and many tissues, but this does not establish that an injectable product is risk-free during pregnancy.
Products used for injections are medical devices formulated to persist for varying lengths of time in the tissues. Depending on the product, they may also contain lidocaine or other components.
Above all, every injection carries its own risks: inflammatory reaction, infection, nodules and, much more rarely, a vascular complication.
The natural origin of hyaluronic acid is therefore not sufficient to justify an aesthetic injection during pregnancy.
What are the risks of hyaluronic acid injections for the mother and baby?
The main problem is the lack of sufficient scientific data to assess the safety of hyaluronic acid injections during pregnancy.
It is therefore not established that injected hyaluronic acid causes malformations or poses a risk to the foetus. Studies that could precisely confirm or exclude these risks do not exist.
However, the usual injection complications remain possible for the mother. Managing them could require additional medication, investigations or treatments during pregnancy.
As hyaluronic acid injections are aesthetic procedures that can be postponed, it is therefore recommended that they are not performed during pregnancy.
Can you have hyaluronic acid injections during the first trimester of pregnancy?
No. The recommendation to postpone aesthetic injections applies throughout pregnancy, not just during the first three months.
The first trimester is a particularly important period of embryonic development, but this does not mean injections are possible from the second trimester onwards.
For a non-essential aesthetic treatment, there is no benefit in seeking a supposedly more favourable period during pregnancy: treatment can simply be postponed.
I had a hyaluronic acid injection before knowing I was pregnant: should I worry?
An injection performed before discovering a pregnancy does not mean that a complication will occur in the baby.
The recommendation not to inject during pregnancy is based above all on the lack of safety data and the non-essential nature of treatment.
The doctor overseeing the pregnancy should be informed of the injected product and the injection date. If known, the exact product reference can also be provided.
There is no need to dissolve hyaluronic acid simply because a pregnancy was discovered after the injection.
What happens if hyaluronic acid injected before pregnancy is still present?
The presence of hyaluronic acid injected before pregnancy does not require removal of the product.
Fillers gradually break down in the tissues. Some can remain present for several months or longer, depending on the product, the amount injected and the treated area.
Discovering a pregnancy while a product is still present in the lips, cheekbones, chin or another area is therefore different from deciding to have a new injection during pregnancy.
In the absence of a complication, no treatment is performed solely to eliminate a previously injected product.
Why can the face change during pregnancy?
Pregnancy can temporarily change the appearance of the face and skin.
Hormonal variations and changes in fluid retention can cause facial swelling or temporarily alter certain volumes. Pigmentation can also change, with melasma appearing or becoming more pronounced.
The face observed during pregnancy therefore does not always reflect its appearance after childbirth.
Postponing an aesthetic correction also allows the face to be assessed once these pregnancy-related changes have subsided.
Can you have lip injections during pregnancy?
No. Hyaluronic acid lip injections are also postponed during pregnancy.
Having previously had several injections without complications does not change this recommendation.
A lip injection can cause swelling, bruising and, like any hyaluronic acid injection, rarer complications. Repeating treatment during pregnancy solely to maintain a previous result is therefore not justified.
Can you have non-surgical rhinoplasty or dark circle treatment during pregnancy?
No. The recommendation is the same regardless of the area injected for aesthetic purposes.
Lips, dark circles, cheekbones, temples, chin, jawline or non-surgical rhinoplasty: none of these indications requires treatment during pregnancy.
Certain areas also carry specific vascular risks independently of pregnancy. Injecting a small amount of product therefore does not make the procedure necessary or risk-free.
What should you do if the results of previous injections change during pregnancy?
It is generally preferable to wait because some observed changes may be associated with temporary facial changes during pregnancy.
A feeling of swelling or a change in volume does not necessarily mean that a previously injected product has moved or that another injection is needed.
On the contrary, a correction performed during this period could become inappropriate as the face gradually returns to its usual state after childbirth.
However, pain, significant redness, unusual swelling or any other abnormal reaction in a previously injected area requires medical assessment.
When can injections resume after pregnancy?
Injections can be reassessed after childbirth, once general health and pregnancy-related changes have stabilised.
There is no single timeframe for all women. The appropriate time depends, in particular, on recovery after childbirth and breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding should be discussed separately because available data on fillers during this period are also limited.
Which aesthetic medicine treatments are not recommended during pregnancy?
Most non-essential aesthetic medicine treatments are not recommended during pregnancy and should be postponed until after childbirth. This particularly concerns injections and many procedures performed solely for aesthetic purposes.
This recommendation often relies on a precautionary principle: for many treatments, available scientific data are insufficient to confirm safety during pregnancy. It therefore does not mean that a risk to the foetus has been demonstrated for every procedure.
The situation differs when dermatological or medical treatment is necessary. The doctor then specifically assesses its benefits and risks during pregnancy.
When can injections resume after pregnancy in Geneva?
After pregnancy, it is preferable to wait before resuming injections to allow the face and skin to change after childbirth.
Pregnancy can cause weight gain or loss, water retention and hormonal variations that temporarily change facial volume and skin appearance. Some aesthetic concerns present during pregnancy may therefore lessen or change after childbirth.
In Geneva, a new assessment determines whether the concern persists and whether injections are actually indicated.
Article written by Dr Valeria Romano
Dr Valeria Romano supports each patient through a comprehensive approach to facial, body and intimate aesthetics, as well as skin and hair quality. Every treatment is based on a personalised medical assessment.
Learn more about