Botox bunny lines: why and how are nose lines treated?

The nose is one of the eleven areas of our atlas of areas treated with botulinum toxin. This page is about bunny lines, the small lines on the upper nose: where they come from, what is known about their treatment, why it is an off-label use in France, and which questions to ask. It does not replace a consultation.

Why are bunny lines treated?

Bunny lines are vertical and diagonal lines on the sides of the upper nose, between the inner corner of the eye and the bridge of the nose. They are attributed to the contraction of the nasalis, the muscle that scrunches the nose¹. They show when you wrinkle your nose or laugh.

An anatomical study published in 2025 looked more closely at what lies beneath these lines¹. In volunteers examined by ultrasound and in dissection specimens, it found a small area without muscle, surrounded by several muscles: the procerus (between the eyebrows), the nasalis, the orbicularis oculi and a muscle that lifts the side of the nose and the upper lip¹. The authors conclude that injections should target the edges of these muscles rather than the line itself¹.

Treatment of this area is described in expert consensus documents on botulinum toxin in aesthetics, from 2004 and 2010^2,3. The 2010 one was written by an expert board convened around one manufacturer’s product³. The 2010 consensus also describes treatment of a drooping nose tip³.

What the toxin does not do: it does not change the shape of the nose, does not correct a bump or a deviation, and does not act on lines caused by skin quality.

When is the toxin used?

There are no official criteria for this area, since no French label provides for it. The expert consensus documents stress individual assessment before any treatment². In practice, the question mostly arises when these lines bother the person, at rest or in motion.

The contraindications in the labels apply whatever the area: allergy to the toxin or to a component of the product, a generalised disorder of the muscles and of the junction between nerve and muscle (myasthenia gravis, Lambert-Eaton syndrome), an infection at the injection site^4,5. Treatment is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding^4,5.

Which toxin for bunny lines?

The type A toxins approved for aesthetic use in France cover frown lines and, depending on the product, crow’s feet and forehead lines^5,6. None provides for bunny lines. The short-acting botulinum toxin (serotype E) is approved for frown lines only, in the European Union and in Canada^4,7. For this area, any injection is therefore off-label, whatever the toxin. The expert consensus documents cited concern type A toxins^2,3.

Is it right for me?

Your doctor will look at how your nose wrinkles, at rest and when you smile, and whether you have already had injections in neighbouring areas. They will take into account your medical history, your treatments and any pregnancy plans.

Questions to ask your doctor: is this treatment off-label, and why are you suggesting it? Where will you inject? Could my smile change? How long should the effect last, in your experience? What are the alternatives?

Onset and duration

No label gives an onset or duration for this area, and the abstracts of the consensus documents consulted provide no figure^2,3. We therefore prefer not to give one. For the approved areas, type A labels describe an improvement within a few days and an effect lasting up to about 4 months^5,6.

How these timelines work in general is explained on the page about how quickly botulinum toxin takes effect.

What are the risks in this area?

For any botulinum toxin injection, the labels describe injection-site reactions: pain, redness, swelling, a small bruise⁴. The upper nose is surrounded by muscles used for facial expression, including a muscle that lifts the upper lip¹. Spread to these muscles could, in theory, change the smile. The smile and its muscles are covered on the page about the gummy smile, and the neighbouring lines at the corner of the eye on the page about crow’s feet.

Difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing requires immediate medical attention⁴. A visual disturbance should also be checked by a doctor promptly. If you are not happy with the result, the page on the nose after an injection describes the most common situations.