Think about it: Which area of the face do you normally consider getting neurotoxin injections (better known as Botox, Dysport or Xeomin*)? Many women will tell you the crow’s feet, forehead and even “the elevens,” which are those pesky lines that form between the eyebrows. But you don’t often hear about bunny lines, the wrinkles that form at the top of your nose when you scrunch it. That’s likely because it’s an area that many of us don’t know can be treated because it hadn’t occurred to us in the first place.
“Women put makeup on in the mirror, but they don’t smile in the mirror or scrunch their nose when they do,” says Beverly Hills, CA, facial plastic surgeon, Karan Dhir, MD. “But when they’re out in public and interacting, that’s when the lines are apparent.”
And while bunny lines aren’t bothersome to everyone, for others, they may actually draw attention away from the eyes-an area that Dr. Dhir says should be a focal point of the face. “The mid-face is where people wear their sexuality, so you want to soften it and make it beautiful,” he says. “You want to bring out the most important part of beauty-cheekbones, large eyes, that’s important.”
Valencia, CA, dermatologist, Bernard Raskin, MD, adds that bunny lines can sometimes contribute to nostril flaring or look unnatural if they’re prominent. “Bunny lines might be cute and enhance a happy face in some people, but sometimes those same wrinkles just don’t look right.”
Of course, both doctors agree that treatment of the bunny lines depends on each person. “It’s all in how the individual perceives their own appearance,” says Dr. Raskin. But if the lines do bother you, the treatment is fairly simple and delivers subtle results that make a big difference. “It’s interesting that many people never consider bunny lines to be a problem-they just accept the lines as something normal. But when you pose the question about reducing them, surprisingly many patients are pleased that treatment is available,” Dr. Raskin says.
*May not be available
