Will Cartilage Grafts to Nostrils Make Nose Seem Longer?

My nostrils are retracted and rounded, and a doctor suggested reducing the view from the front with cartilage grafts from my ear. But will this make my nose seem longer overall? I want to avoid that..

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8 Doctor Answers | Asked by 1229anon in Los Angeles

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Cartilage grafts to reduce the rounding and retracting to your nostrils without making nose longer looking

Cartilage grafts to reduce the rounding and retracting to your nostrils can be done without making your nose longer looking. There are techniques in rhinoplasty that can be done to decrease the roundness of the nostril. Usually it entails placing the cartilage as a graft along the rim of the nostril, above the nostril to push it down and sometimes grafts that have both cartilage and skin that are placed inside your nose to push the rim of your nostril. All of these techniques serve... more

Philip Young, MD

6 reviews

Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

Cartilage grafts to the nostrils will not lengthen nose

Cartilage grafts to the nostrils will not make the nose seem longer. The idea behind the cartilage grafts is to reduce the alar retraction and bring the alar rims down to be in better balance. It will not make the nose look longer.

Cartilage Grafts to Nostril Rim

Cartilage grafts to treat alar rim retraction will not make the nose look longer, but will make the nostril margins proportional to the exxisting nasal length. In fact, this surgery will camouflage the present length and actually give the illusion of a shorter nose.

Richard W. Fleming, MD

9 reviews

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.bevhills.com

Retracted alar

Your nose should not look longer if grafts are used to improve the appearance of retracted alar rims.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Composite Ear Graft to Correct Retracted Arched Nostril

Hi, When composite (skin and underlying cartilage) ear grafts are used to lower a retracted nostril, the nose should not look longer. Your rhinoplasty can best answer your question, with photos those of us out here in RealSelfLand may be better able to advise you. Good luck and be well. Dr. P

Michael A. Persky, MD

21 reviews

Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

drpersky.com

Cartilage Grafts to the Nose

Without a photograph it is impossible to address your particular situation. Cartilage grafts are used for reconstructive, structural or purely cosmetic reasons. Depending where in the nose the grafts are placed and how they are placed has huge impact on the function and appearance of the structure they are placed in. In general, cartilage grafts placed in the nostril brace it against collapse without lengthening it.

Cartilage grafts to nose should help retracted ala

Alar batten and alar strut grafts strengthen a collapsed nose and improve nasal breathing in addition to correcting a pinched nose. Alar rim grafts along the ala itself may help with a retracted ala or nostril. Ear cartilage is very useful for these types of grafts as it is soft and curved in the direction of the ala. It should not make your nose seem longer, but perhaps more balanced with less nostril show on profile. Hope that helps

Alar Grafts

I believe what your doctor is talking about is alar graft to help with the retracted alar. There are many different grafts that can be used in the nose to help do just about anything that the surgeon wants it to do. But from what you have posted, I am assuming it is an alar graft. Good luck.