When can I smile, laugh, eat solid foods, and wash my face after alar base reduction?

It is important to ask the surgeon who operated on you as many surgeons will have different preferences.  In patients I perform just alar base reduction on, they can shower the day after surgery and have no restrictions on eating, talking or any facial movement.  My only restriction is on physical activity, I prefer any heavy lifting or strenuous activity to be delayed for two weeks.

It's ok to eat solid foods right away, and you can wash your face gently but should avoid getting the suture line wet.  Very big smiles should be avoided for ~2 weeks to allow the incision line to heal completely before putting tension on it.  Keeping your incision line clean, and keeping it covered with antibiotic ointment, will result in the best healing.  

While we would like patients to be still, it is impossible to prevent laughing and smiling, etc..  I usually want patients to limit exertion activities as much as possible during the early post-op period.

Although you should check with your surgeon, I instruct my patients to limit facial expressions that put tension on the base of the nose for 10 days after surgery - this includes wide smiling and laughter.  Keep the area dry and apply a small amount of the recommended antibiotic ointment twice daily for 1 week.  Solid foods are okay immediately but perhaps best not to have anything that requires alot of chewing for the first week or so.