Nasal Dorsum Augmentation with Botulinum Toxin A: A Pilot Study.

[BACKGROUND] Botulinum toxin type A (BTxA) is used for cosmetic procedures, but its use for nasal dorsum augmentation has, to our knowledge, never been studied.

[OBJECTIVE] Here, we describe a method for using BTxA injection for nasal dorsum augmentation.

[METHODS] This was a pilot study. Participants aged 20 to 60 years were recruited and injected with BTxA in the upper nasal area with either Xeomin (Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Frankfurt, Germany) or Dysport (Galderma Laboratories, Fort Worth, Texas). The primary outcome measured was the upper nasal area's volume change from baseline, calculated using a Quantificare camera (San Francisco, California). The volumizing effect was subjectively graded by two blinded dermatologists and participants, and pain scores and adverse events were recorded.

[RESULTS] Fourteen participants, including two men and 12 women, aged 35.78±9.16 years were recruited. Overall, the volume of the upper nasal area increased after BTxA injection (<0.001). The volume increase immediately and, at one week after injection, presented a statistically significant difference from baseline, with median (interquartile range) volume differences of 0.095mL (0.010-0.205; <0.001) and 0.095mL (0.0475-0.155; <0.001), respectively. Two blinded dermatologists and all participants observed volumizing of the nasal dorsum. The effect appeared to last for one month.

[CONCLUSION] This study suggests that injecting BTxA in the upper nasal area is a convenient, minimally invasive technique with minimal side effects for nasal dorsum augmentation.