‘Blowtox’ Injections Keep Hair Looking Good During a Workout — But Are They Safe?

Botox is used to combat underarm sweating. But some are turning to the treatment to combat scalp sweating, too. (Photo: Getty Images)

Women have long gone to great lengths to preserve their hairstyles. Back in the day, that may have entailed sleeping in roller sets or donning plastic rain bonnets. The modern equivalent? Dousing the scalp in dry shampoo after a workout, or to extend the life of a blowout.

And apparently, Botox injections in the scalp.

According to Fast Company, so-called “blowtox” is now a thing. Botox, which is approved by the FDA for uses ranging from wrinkle blasting to curing excessive underarm sweating, is now being used off-label in the scalp. The injection deadens the ability for nerves to trigger sweat glands, so that theoretically, even a hike up Mount Everest would leave the scalp dry and a hairstyle in place.

Experts say the demand has risen in conjunction with the growing popularity of group fitness classes. After a sweat-inducing workout, people may not have the time to wash, dry, and style their hair after every class (and before heading in to work). However, Doris Day, MD, clinical associate professor of dermatology at the New York University Langone Medical Center, warns that sweating from your scalp is a necessary function.

Related: Diary of a Sweaty Girl

“You sweat when you exercise to release heat and regulate body temperature — and that’s a normal, healthy process,” Day tells Yahoo Health. “It may be safe to do it, but it’s not smart,” she adds.

Day clarifies that Botox used underneath the arms to treat hyperhidrosis, or pathologic excessive sweating, is not the same thing as “blowtox.” For patients whose shirt-soaking daily sweating (unrelated to working out) affects their personal, professional, and social lives, Botox injections can be a life-changing solution, says Day.

Washington, D.C., dermatologist Noëlle S. Sherber, MD, has also talked inquiring patients out of the procedure for similar reasons: “This is one of those ‘just because we can, doesn’t mean we should’ ideas,” she says. (Though she notes she does use Botox to help some patients with excessive sweating.)

“I have some men, in particular, who notice they perspire in the frontal hairline where the forehead meets the scalp when under television lights – for them, I’ll treat the small area judiciously with Botox to limit that perspiration,” she says.

Related: Do You Sweat Too Much?

There’s also the logistical issue of treating an entire scalp; Day says it would likely take 150 to 200 units of Botox to get the job done (in comparison, according to RealSelf.com, a typical forehead treatment takes between 20 to 40 units on average), and would cost upward of $1,500.

If Botox injected in the scalp fares the same as it does elsewhere, the effect would likely last between three to six months before the procedure would have to be repeated again. “And if you go too close to the forehead, you could cause drooping of the brows,” says Day.

Both Day and Sherber are incidentally SoulCycle fans. On days when Sherber wants to make it straight from an early morning workout class to the office, she opts for air-conditioned Pure Barre classes instead – “The steam that accumulates on the mirrors in Soul Cycle is both the sign of great cardio and the death knell for a blowdry,” she says.

While Sherber is a fan of dry shampoo and uses it to get out the door in a hurry, she warns that you can develop serious scalp problems that can even trigger hair loss if you skip washing too long and rely too heavily on dry shampoos. “Imagine how unhappy your face would be if you didn’t wash it – especially after working out . For many people, the scalp is the same,” says Sherber.

Meanwhile, Day says there’s no getting around getting down with sweat to stay in shape or to lose weight. “I’ve been going to SoulCycle and I can tell you that if you do it right, no reasonable amount of Botox will stop all the sweat glands from messing up your hair.”

Read This Next: Don’t Sweat It! Tips to Control and Reduce Sweat

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