Alar base reductions
Procedure: Alar base reductions is surgery to change the size and width of the nostrils. It can correct either the size of the ala (nostril itself), the sill (the size of the hole), or both. Alar base reductions are generally performed under local anesthesia, or under general anesthesia when combined with a rhinoplasty or a revision rhinoplasty. It is an irreversible cosmetic procedure
The ideal candidate for alar base reductions is a patient with realistic expectation with wide nostrils.
Using our technique, alar base reductions take an hour to perform and last a lifetime. Final results take one year to show.
Benefits: The main benefits of alar base reductions are improvement in nostril width and improvement in harmony between the nose and the face.
Recovery time: There is no external dressing applied to the nose after alar base reductions. Small sutures will be removed approximately a week after surgery. If desired, you can plan a week of recovery from work, school, and social activites, but some patients choose to continue working and hide their sutures under a surgical mask. This procedure results in no or minimal bruising. Light physical activity can be resumed after a week, but you should refrain from heavy lifting for two weeks to prevent nosebleeds.
Risks: Pain, bleeding, infection, visible scarring, asymmetries, unsatisfactory cosmetic result.
Alternatives: rhinoplasty, non surgical nose job
Popular associated procedures: rhinoplasty, revision rhinoplasty, non surgical rhinoplasty