Botox use has become so frequent that youth-chasers are developing immunity to the injectable: Doctors

People are worried that they’ve become immune to Botox — not that you’d be able to see it on their face.

The wildly popular injectable temporarily reduces or eliminates fine lines and wrinkles and is popularly used to reduce the appearance of frown lines, forehead creases and crow’s feet near the eyes.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Botox injections were up 6% year-on-year in 2023.

While generally safe, the jabs could lead to side effects such as bruising and pain, flu-like symptoms, headache, nausea, redness and temporary facial weakness or drooping.

But now, some say they’re experiencing a new side effect: immunity to the injections after getting poked too many times.

That’s a real annoyance when you’re spending $662.20 on average for a treatment — adding up to a whopping $52,976.24 in a lifetime — in Manhattan.

Board-Certified NYC Cosmetic Dermatologist Dr. Michele Green explained to The Post that while the effects of Botox “typically lasting three to four months….some people may find that their Botox wears off sooner, which can happen if they develop a resistance to the treatment.”

In rare “extremely rare” occurrences, which only impacts approximately 1.5% of patients, people can develop immunity to the toxin, the expert shared.

“With repeated injections of the same neuromodulator, some patients may develop antibodies against the complexing protein added to the toxin. When this happens, patients can become resistant to the effects of the toxin, resulting in weaker and shorter-lasting results,” Dr. Green said.

She suggests those who are concerned they’ve become immune switch to another neurotoxin, such as Xeomin or Dysport, to get better lasting effects.

“There’s been a dramatic shift from people viewing these things as a form of cosmetic surgery or a medical thing to a form of grooming,” celebrity cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, founder of Manhattan’s PFRANKMD, previously told The Post.

“People look at it as a form of grooming, like getting their hair done, like getting their nails done.”

If there is little to no change in your ability to move the treated muscles after four weeks, you might have developed Botox resistance — where the body produces antibodies to neutralize it.

New York City facialist Jade Haifa Oueslati told the Daily Mail she’s “had clients who, over time, developed immunity to Botox and as a result sought alternative facial treatments to achieve similar outcomes.”

While “these treatments do not directly replace Botox, they can provide comparable benefits such as skin tightening, wrinkle reduction, and overall facial rejuvenation.”

She suggests microneedling, buccal facials and using retinoids and Peptides to maintain a youthful glow.

However, “more often, what people think is resistance is actually due to improper dosing or injection technique rather than actual immunity,” New York plastic surgeon, Dr. David Shokrian, of Millennial Plastic Surgery, explained to The Post.