Products Info|Zinc and Botox: Can the Supplement Really Make Your Treatment Last Longer?

Whether for aesthetic or medical purposes, most people want their Botox injections to last for as long as possible. Can taking a zinc supplement ensure that your injection goes the distance?

On TikTok, there are a slew of posts from dermatologists and other creators who say taking zinc can help make Botox injections last longer than they otherwise would. This hack has gained considerable 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 injector Ava LeClare in a video viewed over 1.3 million times.

On TikTok, dermatologist Lindsey Zubritsky, MD also added that taking zinc before a Botox injection “increases the efficacy and how long the Botox lasts by 30%.”

However, others aren’t convinced.

Van Cam, a skin aesthetic injector, said in a video that the hack is a “half truth,” and that there isn’t enough research right now to support it.

Though there isn’t a wealth of research to confirm 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 leading up to their Botox injection, and on the day of the appointment.

“I believe that taking zinc supplements before your Botox injections can help the Botox to last longer,” she said.

Taking zinc supplements for a short period of time should generally be safe.

But these supplements aren’t completely harmless—it is possible to take too much zinc, and it can interfere with other medications you may be taking, said Scott Keatley, RD, registered dietician-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 told Health. “

The same thing is true for those using penicillamine.”

In a perfect world, a person should stick with the tolerable upper intake level of 40 milligrams of zinc a day, Jessica Cording, RD, a New Jersey-based health coach and author, told Health.

Otherwise, you run the risk of side effects such as diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and vomiting, she said. And, if someone takes high amounts of zinc for weeks, it can cause issues with copper absorption, and reduce immune function and HDL cholesterol in the body.⁵

Even if a person is taking smaller amounts of zinc, they still could be at risk for some of these adverse effects.

“A lot of multivitamins contain zinc,” said Cording. “If you’re taking a multivitamin and add a zinc supplement on top of that, you could be getting close to or exceeding that upper intake level.”

If you want to try this out, consult your doctor and be candid about the medications and supplements you’re currently taking, she recommended. It should be safe to take 50 milligrams of zinc for a limited time, if your doctor gives the go-ahead.

If someone would rather not take supplements, there are also other ways to increase the longevity of Botox. Provided you got the injection in your face, certain exercises could help, said Zeichner.

“Studies have shown that facial exercises in the first few hours after injection speed up the time to [wrinkle] improvement,” he said.

But the best way to get Botox to last is to simply stick with the treatment.

“When patients do it consistently over time, the muscle weakens and [the effects] can last longer,” said Rodney.