Subjective Discomfort during Botulinumtoxin Injections Dependent on Injection Site and Needle Size: A Comparison...

Area of Science:

• Aesthetics
• Dermatology
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Botulinumtoxin (BTX) injections are common for aesthetic and medical purposes in the head and neck.
• Patient-reported discomfort is a significant factor limiting BTX treatment uptake.
• Minimizing injection pain is crucial for patient satisfaction and treatment adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of needle gauge on pain perception during BTX injections.
• To compare patient-reported discomfort using 30G, 33G, and 34G needles.
• To determine if smaller gauge needles enhance patient comfort in aesthetic facial treatments.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study design involving 99 patients undergoing BTX treatment.
• Subjective pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) for forehead, glabella, and temple regions.
• Patients received injections using 30G, 33G, or 34G needles, with pain graded immediately and 15 minutes post-injection.

Main Results:

• A total of 189 treatment regions were analyzed across different needle sizes.
• Subjective discomfort was highest with 30G needles (Forehead: 3.9, Glabella: 4.3, Temple: 4.0).
• Pain scores were significantly lower with 33G (Forehead: 2.7, Glabella: 2.7, Temple: 2.2) and 34G needles (Forehead: 1.7, Glabella: 1.6, Temple: 1.6).
• All observed differences in pain perception between needle sizes were statistically significant (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Needles with gauges 33G and 34G result in significantly reduced discomfort during BTX treatments.
• The 34G needle demonstrates superior pain reduction compared to the 33G needle.
• Utilizing smaller gauge needles can improve patient experience in head and neck BTX procedures.