Nose wrinkles have a charming nickname, but they do not always feel cute. Bunny lines, the diagonal creases that appear along the sides of the upper nose when you smile or scrunch, often show up earlier than people expect. Makeup can collect in them, photos accentuate them, and once you notice them, it is hard to unsee. The good news is that they respond beautifully to precise Botox treatment when done by an experienced injector who understands the nasalis muscle and how it works with surrounding facial anatomy.
I will walk you through what bunny lines are, who is a good candidate for Botox injections, how the procedure works, and what to expect in terms of results, safety, and maintenance. I will also touch on how this area fits into a broader aesthetic plan that includes the forehead, frown lines, and crow’s feet, because the face moves as a unit. Good outcomes come from a coordinated approach.
What exactly are bunny lines
Bunny lines form in the nasalis muscle, a fan-shaped muscle that compresses the nose and pulls the skin obliquely toward the bridge. If you smile widely, laugh, sniff, or scrunch, you will see those diagonal lines originating near the upper side of the nose and running toward the inner corner of the eye. In some people, they are faint and come only with strong expression. In others, they etch into the skin and stay, especially after years of dynamic movement or after treating the glabellar complex and crow’s feet, which can sometimes shift more expression into the nose.
I see bunny lines in two patterns. The first is youthful, hyperdynamic movement in the late twenties or thirties where the skin is still thick and springy. These lines vanish at rest but imprint heavily when someone laughs. The second pattern shows up in the forties and fifties, where the repeated folding has softened the dermis and created fine etched lines at rest. Both can benefit from neuromodulator treatment, although dosing and expectations differ.
Why Botox is often the right tool
Botox cosmetic is a neuromodulator, which means it quiets the nerve signal to the muscle. In this case we are targeting the transverse part of the nasalis so it cannot scrunch as hard. This softens the diagonal creases without freezing the smile. The aim is not to eliminate all motion. It is to reduce overactivity just enough to stop the constant folding that deepens lines over time.
Compared to fillers, which add volume, Botox for bunny lines addresses the root cause. Placing filler in this area is rarely appropriate and can create puffiness or an unnatural ridge along the nose. Laser and microneedling can help with etched-in texture later, but as a first step for dynamic wrinkles on the nose, wrinkle relaxer injections are usually the most effective and the most natural looking.
Candidacy and the art of subtlety
If you have diagonal wrinkles along the nose that deepen when you smile or sniff, you are likely a candidate for Botox for bunny lines. It is especially helpful if:
- You notice those lines more after treating your 11s or crow’s feet, because expression has shifted. Your midface is expressive and you tend to scrunch when you laugh or talk. Makeup collects in the creases and you prefer a smoother canvas around the bridge.
On the other hand, if the lines are present at rest and the skin is thin and etched, Botox injections will soften movement but may not erase the static creases. In those cases I plan a two stage approach. First, reduce movement with a low dose of neuromodulator. Second, once the muscle has calmed, add skin quality treatments such as light fractional laser, radiofrequency microneedling, or a series of chemical peels. Occasionally, a tiny amount of diluted hyaluronic acid can be considered off-label for micro texture, but only after a careful assessment to avoid lumpiness.
A word of caution from the chair. The nasalis does not live in isolation. Nearby muscles lift the upper lip and shape your smile. Too much diffusion or incorrect placement can cause an upper lip droop or a snarl-like change when you grin. If you have a gummy smile that you like to manage with a lip flip or gummy smile Botox, mention it. The plan can be coordinated so each area supports the other rather than fights it.
What a typical Botox procedure for bunny lines looks like
A focused appointment starts with a detailed assessment. I ask patients to smile, laugh, sniff, and talk, and I watch where the skin folds and how strongly the nasalis fires. I palpate the nose gently to feel thickness and note any asymmetry. I also check the glabella and crow’s feet because over-treating one area can push expression elsewhere.
For dosing, a common starting point is 2 to 5 Botox units per side, placed in one or two micro spots along the upper lateral nose. Many patients do well with 4 to 8 total units. If you have strong scrunching or are a male with thicker muscle, the dose may run a bit higher. Baby Botox or Micro Botox techniques, which use smaller aliquots spread out, can work well here to preserve natural expression.
The injections themselves take less than two minutes. A very fine needle deposits tiny amounts just under the skin. Stinging is mild and brief. Most people rate the discomfort a 2 or 3 out of 10. There is no significant downtime. You can head back to work or errands right away.
Aftercare that actually matters
There is a lot of conflicting advice online. Here is what I have found reliable over hundreds of sessions and through published guidance from manufacturers and professional societies.
- Stay upright for 4 hours, and avoid pressing or massaging the injection sites that day. Keep workouts light for 24 hours. Skip hot yoga, saunas, and steam rooms until the next day. Hold off on facials, nasal strips, or heavy glasses pressing on the bridge for the first evening. If you bruise easily, an ice pack for a few minutes can help. Arnica can be used if you prefer, though evidence is mixed.
Expect a few tiny bumps for 10 to 20 minutes where the fluid sits under the skin. Mild redness fades the same day. Makeup can be applied after a few hours if the skin looks calm.
Onset, longevity, and what “good results” look like
Botox results start to show in 3 to 5 days, with full effect around day 10 to 14. The first change you will notice is that you cannot scrunch the same way, yet your smile still feels like you. The lines soften during expression, then over the next few weeks the skin begins to look smoother at rest as it gets a break from constant folding.
How long does Botox last in this area? Most patients enjoy 3 to 4 months of improvement. Metabolism, dose, and how animated you are all play a role. A runner with a fast metabolism who loves big, expressive laughing may be closer to 10 to 12 weeks. A lower movement baseline might reach 4 to 5 months. Over time, with consistent maintenance, you may find you need fewer Botox units because the muscle learns a quieter baseline.
I like to schedule a light touch up at two weeks if needed. If one side still scrunches more or a small diagonal persists, a micro dose of 1 to 2 units can balance the look. The two week window is when the effect is stable and accurate for fine tuning.
Safety, side effects, and the importance of anatomy
In skilled hands, Botox for bunny lines is safe. Common side effects include pinpoint bruising, mild swelling, tenderness for a day, and a rare small bruise that lasts up to a week. Headache can occur, though it is unusual with this low dosing.
The main risk worth understanding is diffusion into nearby lip elevators. If Botox drifts or is placed too medially or too low, it can weaken the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, which lifts the upper lip and flares the nostril. That can cause a flattened smile or difficulty lifting the lip for a few weeks. The fix is prevention: precise lateral placement, conservative dosing, and attention to the vector of the nasalis when you smile. If it does happen, it is temporary and usually mild, but no one wants it in the first place.
Allergies to neuromodulators are exceedingly rare. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, hold off. If you have a neuromuscular disorder or are on certain antibiotics, you will need a more detailed discussion and possibly to avoid treatment. A thorough Botox consultation is the right place to review these.
Cost and value, without the mystery
People often whisper the price question at the end of their Botox appointment. It is better to address it openly. In the United States, the Botox cost per unit typically ranges from 10 to 20 dollars depending on geography, injector seniority, and clinic overhead. Bunny lines usually use 4 to 12 units, so you are looking at 40 to 240 dollars per session. Most patients land around 80 to 160 dollars.
Be wary of cheap Botox deals that sound too good to be true. Counterfeit product and over-dilution exist. Affordable Botox can still be high quality, but the clinic should be transparent about units, vial handling, and the injector’s credentials. Ask how many units you received, and keep a record so your maintenance can be consistent.
If you bundle areas, such as crow’s feet or a subtle eyebrow lift, some med spas offer Botox specials or discounts. Combined treatment can provide better facial balance, and you may save on total cost.
How bunny lines link to other facial zones
The face is interconnected. When we relax one set of muscles, others pick up the slack. For example, after treating the 11s and the corrugator supercilii in the glabella, some patients recruit the nasalis more when frowning, which highlights bunny lines. This is not a failure, it is an adaptation. Planning small supporting doses along the nose can maintain a harmonious result.
A similar story plays out between crow’s feet and bunny lines. Softening the orbicularis oculi can shift crinkling slightly toward the upper nose, so we anticipate and balance both zones with a few extra units as needed. A light brow lift with Botox can also change how the midface moves. The takeaway is that a natural, rested look comes from choreographing these areas together, not hitting one muscle in isolation.
Choosing your injector and setting expectations
Skill matters more than brand. Whether you choose Botox, Dysport, Xeomin, or Jeuveau, the molecule is a botulinum toxin type A neuromodulator, and results largely depend on placement, dose, and understanding your expression patterns. Different brands have slightly different diffusion and onset. Dysport can kick in a bit faster. Xeomin is naked, without complexing proteins, which is useful for some patients. Jeuveau tends to behave similarly to Botox cosmetic. An injector familiar with all four can tailor the choice to your needs, but the technique decides the outcome.
If you search Botox near me, look for a Botox dermatologist, plastic surgeon, or an experienced Botox nurse injector with a strong track record in facial aesthetics. Read reviews, ask to see Botox before and after photos for botox Orlando, FL bunny lines, and during your Botox consultation, notice how much time they spend watching your natural expressions. The best Botox provider will talk you out of over-treating and will plan a conservative Botox dose, especially for a first time Botox patient.
First-timer notes and maintenance strategy
For a Botox beginner, less is more. Start with a conservative number of Botox units and give it two weeks. You can always add a touch. Most people like to maintain results with a Botox appointment every 3 to 4 months. If you pair bunny lines with Botox for crow’s feet or for frown lines, it often makes sense to treat on the same schedule.
Here is a simple maintenance framework that works well in practice: first visit sets the baseline with a small dose. Two week check adjusts asymmetry. Second visit at 3 to 4 months replicates what worked. Third visit fine tunes dose and placement based on how long your results lasted and whether any lines tried to recruit. After that, you will usually be on a predictable Botox session cadence.
How bunny lines fit into age and gender differences
Bunny lines do not respect age brackets, but patterns emerge. In your twenties and early thirties, preventative Botox can curb overactive nasalis movement before it etches. This is the Baby Botox approach, using micro doses to retain youthful motion while avoiding long-term creasing. In your forties and fifties, combining neuromodulator treatment with skin quality work pays off. If you have deep wrinkles, the expectation shifts from erasing to softening. With men, thicker skin and stronger muscle often mean slightly higher dosing, but the goal is the same: keep the smile, drop the scrunch.
I also see a subset of patients managing other concerns with neuromodulators. If you are using Botox for migraines, TMJ, or bruxism, ask your provider about timing. Large therapeutic doses for the masseter or temporalis can be coordinated with cosmetic injections, but spacing them a week apart can make tracking side effects easier. The same holds for Botox for excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis under the arms. Planning appointments together is convenient and helps maintain a consistent overall effect.
Photos, expectations, and the reality of lighting
Bunny lines appear and disappear depending on how you hold your face for the camera. Harsh overhead lighting catches every groove. Soft, diffuse light hides them. When evaluating Botox results, compare photos taken with the same lighting and facial expression. No one smiles exactly the same way twice, and a half degree change in head tilt can alter how diagonal creases show. In clinic, I take standardized Botox before and after photos with consistent lighting, forehead relaxed, and then smiling hard with teeth, so we can make a fair comparison.
When not to treat
There are moments to wait. If you have a cold or sinus congestion and are scrunching your nose constantly, reschedule so we can assess your baseline movement. If you have a lively upper lip that you recently treated with a lip flip or gummy smile Botox, give it two weeks to settle before adjusting bunny lines. If you are heading to an important event in fewer than three days, know that onset may not be complete. You can still treat, but set expectations that photos that week will show partial improvement. Finally, if your skin shows active dermatitis or an infection over the injection sites, it is safer to delay.
A brief note on combinations and alternatives
Neuromodulator treatment is the backbone for bunny lines, but it is not the only tool in the aesthetic kit. Light fractional laser, gentle peels, or radiofrequency microneedling can improve dermal texture if static lines linger. Topical retinoids and diligent sunscreen use help keep collagen strong. If the nose bridge shows volume loss or irregularities unrelated to nasalis action, dermal fillers can be used elsewhere under careful hands, but the diagonal bunny lines themselves almost always respond better to wrinkle relaxer injections than to filler.
If you are deciding between brands, all are viable. Botox vs Dysport vs Xeomin vs Jeuveau will come down to injector preference and your prior experiences. Some patients feel one lasts a touch longer. Others appreciate a slightly faster onset. The differences are subtle. What matters most is technique.
Practical signals that your injector understands bunny lines
These are the small tells I notice when I watch colleagues work. They ask you to smile, then sniff, then attempt a fake scrunch, and they note whether the nasalis pulls more on one side. They palpate the sidewall of the nose for thickness. They mark lateral to the nasal sidewall, not too close to the midline. They use small aliquots, with the needle bevel pointing superficially to avoid deep diffusion. They warn you about possible minor bruising and discuss aftercare briefly but clearly.
If your consult sounds like a script that treats every face the same, keep looking. The best injectors vary dose and map by individual pattern. They also talk about how bunny lines interplay with crow’s feet, 11s, and even subtle jawline tension. If you already get Botox for jawline slimming, for chin dimpling, or for neck bands, your injector should plan your visits so the overall facial balance stays natural.
The bottom line for patients
Bunny lines are small, but the impact of softening them is larger than you might expect. The bridge looks smoother in photos. Eyes look brighter because the diagonal creases no longer point into the inner corners. Makeup sits better. The change is subtle, and friends usually cannot pinpoint it. They just say you look rested.
If you are ready to try it, book a Botox appointment with a seasoned injector. Ask about dose range, where they place injections, and how they manage touch ups. Be honest about any prior treatments, from Botox for forehead or glabellar lines to Botox for lip lines or an eyebrow lift. Share your timeline for upcoming events. Then commit to a light maintenance plan. The entire Botox procedure for bunny lines takes minutes, recovery is essentially nil, and the results last a season.
When patients tell me they hesitated for years, it is almost never because the lines were severe. It is because they worried about looking different. This is one of the gentlest fixes in cosmetic injections. With the right hands, you will keep your smile, lose the scrunch, and gain a small but meaningful refresh that fits seamlessly with the rest of your facial rejuvenation plan.
Quick reference for patients who like specifics
- Typical dose: 2 to 5 units per side, 4 to 12 total units, adjusted to muscle strength. Onset and peak: first changes in 3 to 5 days, full effect by day 10 to 14. Longevity: about 3 to 4 months, sometimes a bit more with consistent Botox maintenance. Price expectations: 10 to 20 dollars per unit, roughly 40 to 240 dollars per treatment. Aftercare essentials: stay upright 4 hours, no heavy exercise or heat that day, no pressing on the bridge.
With a careful plan and a light hand, Botox for bunny lines is a small intervention that pays off every time you smile.