Adhesive nasal strips were first created in the early 20th century not for people but for racing horses. Horse trainers found that their horses raced better with the strips in place. The original nasal strip for human use is credited to Bruce Johnson in 1991. Johnson was looking for a way to remedy his own nasal congestion. After many attempts, he found that an adhesive patch with spring tension applied to the outside of the nose provided good results. Johnson patented his Breathe Right device and, with help of a marketing team, began selling the product in 1992.
Nasal strips’ popularity among consumers took off in 1994 when Johnson and his team sent samples to several National Football League teams. The NFL’s Herschel Walker is credited as the first NFL player to use the strip on national television, along with the San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice.1