Alarplasty to Become Wide Again?

        An alarplasty will reduce the alar base, and, once healed, the result should be long-lasting.   Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of rhinoplasties and rhinoplasty revisions each year.  Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.

Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Following an alarplasty, the nostrils will not become wide again. I would recommend consulting with a board certified rhinoplasty specialist, as they will be able to provide you with advice. I hope this helps, and I wish you the best of luck.

I have never experienced lateral drifting after an Alar base reduction. I suppose anything is possible but it would be most unusual.

Dear bryans05,


If the goal was to narrow the nose by taking in the alar bases, it should not become wide again

The skin is removed and will not grow back


Best regards,

Nima Shemirani
 

Alar plasty or alar base reduction is permanent. Therefore, it should be done very conservatively as the changes that are made can be very difficult to impossible to correct.

Michael Kim, MD

There are a number of different ways to perform alarplasty, but all methods remove both skin and some subcutaneous tissue around the base of the nose to permanently narrow the alar base.  The exact location of the incisions used for this procedure depend upon the relative width of your alar base and the flare of your nostrils.  Something to note is that alarplasty requires incision in the skin around the nostrils and stitches.  These incisions are on the outside of the nostrils, but generally heal quite well.

Nostril reduction via alarplasty (aka alar base reduction) is not temporary and the excess width will not return.

After taking in the alar bases, and removing skin, the nose will not become wide again.  Consult with a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who specializes in Cosmetic Rhinoplasty surgery.  Best wishes!