Alar Base Reduction to Thin Tip of Nose Alone?

Dear Vanessa,


An alar base resection usually leaves scars along the sides of the nostrils and will not address your concern

In the end, you want a result that you will love so see a rhinoplasty surgeon to discuss your concerns

He/She can tell you what is possible with different techniques

I would not worry about the invasiveness of the procedure, because it is just a means to an end (we do what we need to do to get the result you want)


Best regards,

Nima Shemirani

   An alar base reduction will not narrow the tip, and the reduction will round the tip and may make it appear larger.  To narrow the tip, your must narrow the tip.

Alar base reduction only narrows the base of the nose and not the tip. In fact, if the tip is not narrowed porportionately then alar base reduction can make the tip look wider. Narrowing nasal tip with a rhinoplasty is relatively easy and does not carry more risks than alar base reduction.

Thanks for your question Vanessa. Alar base reduction is performed at the base of the nostrils as they attach to the upper lip and nasal sil. Reduction of the ala really has no effect on the nasal tip itself. Tip refinement surgery requires modification of the nasal tip cartillages and this would need to be performed as part of a formal Rhinoplasty. Both procedures can be performed together if needed and this allows for recovery from both procedures at the same time.

Reducing the alar base will not narrow the tip of the nose, only the alar base.  The tip and the nostrils are 2 different anatomical subunits of the nose.  

An alar base reduction will not improve the refining of the tip itself.  It will only narrow the base or remove flare.

As noted by others, the tip is seperate from the alar base surgery. Alar base reduction is considered when the width of the nose (at the base) from a frontal view is beyond a perpendicular line dropped from the inner aspect of the eye (medial canthus). This is a rough gauge but pretty accurate. Alar base reduction is done in conjunction with the rest of the rhinoplasty to balance out the final result. See if your surgeon can offer imaging so you can better understand this.

Vanessa,

  Alar base reduction moves the ala and/or the sill (bottom of the nostril) in to narrow the base of the nose.  This does not affect the width of the tip.  This is determined by the cartilages and the skin thickness, which could be addressed with rhinoplasty.

Good luck!

Alar base reduction will not narrow the width of the projecting tip. You need to submit pictures or consult with a rhinoplasty specialist to answer your question about alternative techniques.