Application of Three-Dimensional Technology in Evaluating Muscular Type and Muscle-Fat Pad Mixed Type Nasolabial Fold with Botulinum Toxin-A Treatment


 
 
 Botulinum toxin-A（BTX-A）is used in the treatment of nasolabial fold (NLF). However, light and clinician subjectivity play a big role in evaluating the efficacy of this treatment.
 
 
 
 With the application of three-dimensional (3D) technology, this study aimed to quantitatively evaluate the effects of muscular type (M) and muscle-fat pad mixed-type (MF) NLF with BTX-A injection.
 
 
 
 BTX-A was injected into the bilateral mark points of the NLF, where the levator labii alaeque nasi(A), zygomaticus minor(B), and zygomaticus major(C) pull the skin to form the NLF (2 U at each injection site). Pretreatment and posttreatment 3D facial images were captured with static and laughing expressions. The curvature, width, depth, and lateral fat volume of the NLF were measured to compare the therapeutic efficacy of patients with type M and MF NLF.
 
 
 
 Thirty-nine patients with type M and 37 with type MF completed the follow-up data. In these patients, the curvature, width, and depth of the NLF showed a significant reduction at 1 month and gradually recovered at three and six months after treatment, with more significant improvement when laughing than when static. Variations compared to the pretreatment values of type MF were greater than those of type M at each time point. The lateral fat volume of the type MF NLF was significantly reduced (P < 0.05).
 
 
 
 Three-dimensional technology can quantitatively evaluate the effects of type M and MF NLF treatments with BTX-A injection. BTX-A has a better effect on the NLF of type MF than that of type M.
