Wide Noses

Anil R. Shah, MD answers: Can Rhinoplasty narrow a wide nose and still look natural?

my nostrils are very small but my ala is really wide esspecially when i laugh. Is there a way the doctor can bring in my ala or prevent it from spreading when i laugh! without again affecting my nostrils? or are there ways to bring it in and make my nostrills bigger?

how can a wide nose be brought in without it appearing unnatural?


Anil R. Shah, MD
10 months ago

You asked a few different questions so here are answers: -- can you reduce the size of my alar base without reducing the size of my nostrils-- yes, alar base reduction can be performed a variety of techniques not all of which will reduce the size of your nostril. --can you prevent my nostrils from widening with smiling-- the nostrils are typically widened with smiling. The facial muscles responsible for this are important for several functions so you would not want to sever them. you can prevent a nose from plunging with smiling, but it is much more difficult to prevent your nostrils (alar base) from widening with smiling --can you bring in my (alar base) and make my nostrils wider-- this is a complex three dimensional question which depends on what part of your nose you want wider.

There are a variety of grafts which can be placed in your nose which can help widen the nose in different areas but widening a too narrow nostril is generally one of the more difficult tasks in rhinoplasty --the key to bringing in a wide nose in without it looking unnatural-- planning, surgical experience, knowledge of sophisticated rhinoplasty techniques, etc. Good luck

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