Would alar base reduction be enough?

Hello and thank you for your question. Based on your
photograph, you may benefit from a tip refining rhinoplasty. Your surgeon can
accomplish this by trimming, suturing, and reshaping the cartilage in your
lower nose. In order to better evaluate your dorsum, a true lateral profile view would be very helpful.  Make sure you specifically look at before and after
pictures of real patients who have had this surgery performed by your surgeon
and not just a computer animation system. The most important
aspect is to find a surgeon you are comfortable with. I recommend that you seek
consultation with a qualified board-certified plastic surgeon who can evaluate
you in person.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Hello,Issues that bother a potential patient enough to have a rhinoplasty are many. These are subjective and very personal; the surgeon's job is to elucidate those issues and design a remedy.  Occasionally, the surgeon should guide a patient toward treating other issues as well that may contribute positively towards the patient's aesthetic goal.  In your case, I see that much improvement to your nose can happen with a more comprehensive rhinoplasty that involves the tip and bridge, not just the ala.  Go visit a few qualified surgeons for a consultation that includes digital simulation of so you can see your appearance after a proposed surgery.  Best of luck!

Thank you for the question and the photo. It's very difficult to make a clinical recommendation based on a single photo... That said, an alar base reduction as a stand-alone procedure is not frequently the best solution. Your nasal tip appears a bit wide, and reducing the alar base can actually accentuate this if the tip is not addressed. Many patients have an incomplete understanding of what alar base modification does. It is best thought of as the icing on the cake of a complete rhinoplasty, allowing for a subtle improvement in symmetry after other changes have been made. Best of luck moving forward!