Do White Noise or Music Relieve Pain Caused by Botulinum Toxin Injections?

To investigate the impact of music and white noise on the pain caused by cosmetic botulinum toxin injections.

Seventy-six participants between the ages of 18 and 45 who requested cosmetic botulinum toxin application to the upper face were enrolled in the study in three groups: favorite music (20), white noise (31), and control (25). The first and second groups listened to their favorite music and white noise, respectively, during and 10 min after the procedures, while the control group was exposed to background noise only. The participants rated their pain levels during the procedure and the impact of the sound on their stress level using a visual analog scale ranging from 0 to 10. Additionally, the participants in both the music and white noise groups were surveyed regarding their preferences for sound intervention for future botulinum toxin procedures.

The pain scores (95% confidence interval) for the control, music, and white noise groups were 6.80 [6.37-7.23], 5.7 [5.13-6.27], and 5.52 [4.99-6.04], respectively. Both the white noise group and the music group had significantly lower pain scores compared to the control group. Furthermore, individuals receiving botulinum toxin for the first time reported significantly higher pain scores than those who had prior experience with the treatment.

Listening to white noise or music during cosmetic botulinum toxin injections can effectively reduce procedure-related pain. However, further studies are required to reveal the mechanism of action of sound applications in pain management during cosmetic procedures and to determine the selection of appropriate candidates and specific application conditions.