Alarplasty? Weir Incision? Or Base Reduction? (photo)

Question

Hello, my nostrils are like a little pig snout. Would you reccommend a weir incision or a base reduction? How prominent are the scars? I 'm half asian/portuguese, my skin is poreless, thick and olive. Will the scar be dramatic? Any other reccommendations?I don't want a tall westernised pointy nose- as I do want keep in harmony with everything. The bridge is suitable for my features- I just think my snout looks goofy and childish. Thank you in advance for any advice. :)

Donald B. Yoo, MD, FACS · Answer

Personally, I think your nose is cute and I would not advise getting Weir Incisions.  A rough guideline for normal width of the nostrils is the distance between the eyes - for you, they are about equal.

	Usually when patients refer to their nose as a "pig snout", it means they feel their tip is too upturned (over-rotated).  This could be corrected with a septal extension graft without modifying your alar bases at all.

Paul S. Nassif, MD · Answer

The width of your nostrils is proportional to your facial features. If your goal is to reduce the amount of nostril show and make your nose look less like a "pig snout", then I would recommend lengthening your nose slightly by counter-rotating the tip with something like a septal extension graft rather than performing alar base modification.

Charles S. Lee, MD, FACS · Answer

Your face is attractive and the nose is overall in good harmony with your face. You'll benefit most from a narrower nasal tip, reinforcement of the tip cartilage so it doesn't widen when smiling, and possibly reshaping the roundness of the nostrils but altering the internal cartilage (rather than removal of skin). Sharper photos and standard views will help immensely.

Gerald Minniti, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello,

	You have a lovely face and a very pleasantly appearing nose, and yes, your nose is 'youthful' in it's appearance. All the procedures you mentioned will not change the appearance of your nose in a way that you would want, as all those procedures deal with the connection of the ala to the lip, which is not the issue with you. It is the arch of your ala that is slightly high, exposing your nostril on your frontal view of your face.  'Correction' of this would depend on a thorough examination of your nose, but might include tip cartilage rotation, and/or the addition of a alar rim graft.

	All the best!

Eric In Choe, MD · Answer

Your face and nose are aesthetically very pleasing by any standard. The problem is you don't see your nose that way. If you are bothered that much,   then you need to have a pretty good idea how alarplasty might change the appearance of your nose before deciding on the surgery.

	 

	Through quality consultations with reputable doctors, you should be able to find out how you may look with alarplasty. Don't forget the risks either.

Alarplasty? Weir Incision? Or Base Reduction? (photo)

Answers (5)