How are bunny lines treated?
Treatment options for bunny lines target several underlying causes including overactive nasalis muscles, lost elasticity and collagen and loss of facial fat contributing to the worsening appearance of wrinkles. Treatment options include:
- Targeting muscle overactivity: An overactive nasalis muscle draws your skin towards the midline of your nose causing horizontal creases. The nasalis muscle tends to be especially overactive in those who have had muscle-relaxing treatments in other areas of the face. Targeted treatment to the underlying nasalis muscle causes a controlled relaxation of bunny line wrinkles, resulting in a smoothed appearance of the area.
- Resurfacing treatments: Co2 lasers can resurface the skin and create an intensive collagen stimulation that turns the skin back 10 years, smoothing the appearance of bunny lines. While Co2 is the most effective skin resurfacing modality, depending on your unique circumstances your treating practitioner may also suggest RF needling, 1540 Fractional Non-ablative laser, Q-switch laser or Micro-needling.
- Volumising treatments: These are reserved for unique cases and not often performed in this area owing to the increased risk of placing volumising products in this highly vascular area.
Do Bunny Lines treatments hurt?
Bunny lines treatments are usually well tolerated by our patients. They consist of one to two micro injections per side of the nose in an area that isn’t overly sensitive.
Topical numbing cream is used to decrease the discomfort of the procedure, and nitrous oxide happy gas is available on request for those looking for an added level of comfort.
What age do bunny lines appear?
Bunny lines are present during early adulthood, sometimes childhood. These lines are a completely normal facial feature and are present for most people in their youth only during facial movements.
It isn’t until the late 20s or 30s that bunny lines become more visible, especially in those with lost collagen due to sun damage and those with expressive facial movements.
What causes bunny lines when smiling?
Bunny lines are a normal facial feature when smiling. They are caused by activity of the nasalis muscles either side of the nose working in harmony with the crows feet muscles to show an expression of happiness, gratitude or delight.
What is the best product for bunny lines?
Skincare products are unlikely to make a large difference to the appearance of bunny lines. However, some of our patients prefer to trial more gentle approaches to facial improvements and avoiding injectable options. Some suggestions on ingredients and products include:
- Collagen stimulating peptides, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramides and Niacinamide. These ingredients act in harmony to thicken tired skin, intensively moisturise and restore a faulty skin barrier. Our product of choice here is The Quartet from Ilumae.
- Skin resurfacing retinal. From the retinoid family, retinal is a faster acting, less irritating form of retinol that has powerful effects on improving skin cell turnover, stimulating collagen and significantly reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. We recommend The Intensive Nightly Retinal. This product is powerful, so we recommend using it every third night initially, progressing to nightly as your skin tolerates for a powerful skin renewal.
Does retinol help Bunny Lines?
Yes. We recommend the more active form of retinol, retinal. This is one step further along in the conversion retinoid conversion process
retinol > retinal > retinoic acid
Retinol is the cheapest form and slowest acting of the three. It requires two conversion steps within the skin before it is in its active form.
Retinal is as close to a prescription strength as you can get without needing a prescription. It is faster acting and less irritating when delivered in its encapsulated form. We recommend The Intensive Nightly Retinal.
Retinoic acid. You will know this as tretinoin. This requires a script from your GP. We rarely use this at Contour Clinics as we find the balance between irritation and results are unfavorable over and above a retinal.
How to get rid of Bunny Lines naturally?
There is no natural method for getting rid of bunny lines once they have formed, but certain lifestyle and skincare practices can help minimise their appearance or slow progression.
- Facial muscle relaxation
- Becoming mindful of excessive frowning, squinting or scrunching can help reduce repetitive muscle movement that leads to deepening of bunny lines
- Sun protection
- Excessive UV damage causes degradation of collagen and elastin fibres, which results in more obvious lines of facial expression including bunny lines
- Skincare products
- Those containing:
- Niacinamide supports a healthy skin barrier and reduces damage caused from daily stressors. An option here is The Soothing B3 Serum.
- Peptides: Collagen stimulating peptides can strengthen the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines. The Quartet has multiple intensely collagen stimulating peptides
- Retinoids– to increase skin cell turnover, rejuvenate and resurface the skin reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The Intensive Nightly Retinal is our treatment of choice
What muscle causes bunny lines?
There are two groups of muscles responsible for bunny lines.
The levator labii alaeque nasi
- The narrow facial muscle that runs alongside the nose and is responsible for elevating the upper lip and dilating the nostrils.
The nasalis
- This muscles function is to compress the bridge of the nose and is often activated when frowning or squinting.
