Can Botox Really Help Reduce Acne?

In our high-tech world, skincare treatments are advancing every day. Now there’s a brand-new solution for acne: Botox!

Most commonly associated with reducing wrinkles, Botox is now being used to treat large pores, oily skin and blemishes. The new technique, called intradermal Botox, is changing the face of acne treatments.

The difference between intradermal and regular Botox is where it’s injected: while regular Botox goes deep into skin’s muscles, intradermal Botox is injected into the skin itself. The injection of Botox into skin actually causes pores to constrict, reducing their size – an effect no topical treatment can replicate.

Because of its interaction with pores, Botox is effective for treating oily and acne-prone skin. The pores of the skin contain sebaceous glands that secrete oil, which can cause oily skin and acne if the glands are overproductive. By restricting the muscles of the pores, Botox mitigates the glands’ oil production, allowing acne to clear.

“Botox has been used for many years with the most notable targets being wrinkles. Throughout the course of the application of Botox for wrinkles, doctors were noticing a reduction in pore size and an overall matte finish on the skin,” says Manhattan plastic surgeon Dr. Kamran Jafri. “What we have discovered now is that Botox can be used for more than just wrinkles, and it can change the lives of those with acne-prone skin.”