Vein imaging laser reduces bruising in bruise-prone botulinum toxin injected patients.

BACKGROUND: Injection-related bruising is a common complication of many injectable treatments including facial injections of botulinum toxin (BTX) for aesthetic use.

OBJECTIVE: We have investigated the use of a vein imaging laser (VIL) to observe otherwise non-visible subcutaneous blood vessels in 40 patients who had a history of bruising with past BTX injections to the face during the previous 12 months.

METHODS: Over a 4-month period 40 patients, who previously had developed bruising after injectable BTX to the face, were treated with further BTX to the same areas as previously, but using a VIL during the injections. Patients were evaluated for their severity of bruising.

RESULTS: 40 patients out of 2400 patients had experienced bruising with a severity score total of 92 (mean per patient 2.3) with BTX injections before VIL use. On injection using the VIL 6 of the 40 patients had bruising with severity score total of 7 (mean 1.16).

CONCLUSION: The use of a VIL significantly reduced the frequency and severity of bruising associated with BTX injections.