Nose problems after Botox: overdone effect, drooping tip

The nose can be treated with botulinum toxin for two reasons: to soften the small diagonal lines that appear at the top of the nose when you wrinkle your nose or laugh, often called "bunny lines", or to slightly change the position of the tip. This page is part of our SOS atlas after a botulinum toxin injection, organised area by area.

What problems can affect the nose?

Two situations are presented in the atlas: an effect on the nose lines that is too strong, making the face less mobile than expected, and a nose tip that seems to droop. Each has its own page, which details what is known about its cause, when it appears and how long it lasts.

This needs saying clearly: these two situations are poorly documented. The official labels do not describe nose injections, since this is not an approved indication, and we have not found a reliable source giving the frequency of their adverse effects. What is known in general still applies: the effect of botulinum toxin is temporary, and an unwanted effect lasts at most as long as the effect of the product².

Which signs mean you should see a doctor quickly?

A nose that is a little too frozen is bothersome but not dangerous. See a doctor promptly if your upper lip or smile changes markedly enough to make eating or speaking difficult, or if an eye becomes painful or your vision blurred. Warm, painful redness spreading from an injection point may be a sign of local infection, which is among the possible reactions after an injection².

Any difficulty swallowing, speaking or breathing means calling emergency services (15 or 112 in France, or your local emergency number): these are the rare signs of the toxin spreading away from the injection site^1,2.

Before seeing a doctor, write down the date of the injection and the day the problem appeared. If possible, contact the doctor who performed the injection: only they know which points were treated and with which product.

Why is the nose injected?

The lines at the top of the nose are caused by a small muscle that creases the skin when you wrinkle your nose. An expert consensus published in 2004 lists these "bunny lines" among the areas of the face that can be treated beyond frown lines³. But no French label provides an aesthetic indication for the nose: type A toxins are approved for aesthetic use for frown lines, crow’s feet and forehead lines, depending on the product¹, and the short-acting botulinum toxin (serotype E) for frown lines only², approved as of 9 October 2026 in the European Union and Canada^4,5. It is therefore an off-label use. To understand why and how nose lines can be treated, see the page for this area in our atlas of treatment areas.

The nose sits next to the eye area and the smile area: if your problem affects the corner of the eye instead, see the page on problems around the eyes; if it affects the upper lip, the page on the smile after an injection.