Question

Al-Salāmu ʿAlaykum:

Many if not all contemporaries find botox injections for cosmetic enhancement to be impermissible on the premise of it being “taghyīr khalq Allah.” If that is the reasoning for its impermissibility then shouldn’t women’s makeup be impermissible as well? One may object and say makeup is temporary, however, botox is also deemed temporary.

For arguments sake, one may agree to the above although ascertain the impermissibility of botox by virtue of its unlawful ingredients. If that is the case, would a halal botox injection be permissible?

We need to revisit what exactly taghyīr khalq Allah is. We understand what it means to make something abnormal normal. However, with the revolution of makeup, which has been accepted as permissible, one can quite literally alter the anatomical structure of their face. Often times makeup and lipstick can do a better job at puffing the lips then lip fillers so does that make either or haram? Where do we draw the line?

Lastly, where does an ascetic physician/plastic surgeon fall in all this? Would he/she have to change their job if it’s found impermissible to administer botox or inject lip fillers or are the laws pertaining to its administration different?

Answer

Waʿalaykum al-Salām wa raḥmat Allāh wa Barakātuh. 

In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful

1). Botulinum toxin injection -or Botox- for treatment of facial wrinkles is impermissible; it is a form of taghyīr khalq Allah. Altering or changing the normal function of a body part is included in the prohibited form of taghyīr. This is understood from the prophetic prohibition of castration.[i] The repetitive contraction of the underlying facial musculature -amongst other factors- causes the overlying skin to lose its elasticity or tautness which results in wrinkles forming. Contrary to what may be assumed, Botox does not restore the elasticity of the skin; that is why it is more effective for dynamic wrinkles[1] vs. static wrinkles.[2] The botulinum toxin paralyzes the muscle to its relaxed state, not allowing for the muscle to contract. Hypothetically, if one were to do Botox all over their face, they would essentially freeze their face; there would be no movement or expression. Yes, because it is almost always done locally, it gives the appearance of restoration. Paralyzing the muscle to one state is to remove it from its normal function, which is taghyīr.[ii] It is possible that a non-permanent change is categorized as taghyīr khalq Allah. Thinning and shaping the eyebrow (namṣ) is non-permanent, yet forbidden in the hadith. Similarly, tying human hair (waṣl) is prohibited, yet non-permanent.[iii]

2). The difference between applying a normal amount of makeup and Botox is clear from the above. In any case, makeup is by no means sacred such that it is unrestrictedly allowed. If makeup is applied in a manner which completely changes or disfigures one’s face -or violates other Islamic principles, ethics, and values- it will be impermissible.

3). Botox may be used for medical purposes, such as treating neck spasms. Similarly, plastic surgery for treating disfigurement is also allowed. Money earned through such procedures for permissible reasons is halal, and for impermissible reasons impure.[iv] 

4). The aforementioned points are all provided within the context of legal discussion. From a reformative point of view (iṣlāḥ), we say the following: Although we are discussing the issue of botox in and of itself, no fatwa is given outside of a context. The given context is the self-obsessing selfie culture and the dogma of temporal infatuation. Such procedures only feed into the candidates’ fascination, justifying -for them- spending hundreds -and even thousands- of dollars yearly on such extraneous physical details. This procedure is just one symptom of the desire to harness life in this world. Today it is a minimally invasive Botox procedure, and tomorrow it is genome editing. Considering both the legal and the reformative paradigms, we do not see any scope for allowing such a procedure.   

And Allah knows best.