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How permanent is alar cinching?

I just consulted with a surgeon who said he would do a 2 mm skin excision from my nostrils and alar cinching for a greater result, while still keeping it as natural-looking as possible. If alar cinching isn’t permanent, then wouldn’t that mean that in the end, my nostrils would end up no narrower than if I had just done the 2 mm skin excision by itself?

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Dr. Ronald J. Edelson, MD
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Dr. Ronald J. Edelson, MD
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Answered on Sep 10, 2026
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Dr. Tanveer Janjua, MD
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Dr. Tanveer Janjua, MD
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Answered on Sep 10, 2026
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More Alarplasty Questions

Would I be a good candidate for alarplasty to reduce the width of my nose and to make my nostrils even? (Photos)

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Donald B. Yoo, MD, FACS

Alarplasty in isolation will cause your tip to look slightly wider in proportion to the width of your nostrils. That would be an important thing to consider - whether an alarplasty alone is sufficient, or the tip should also be reshaped at the same time.

+1 answers

East Asian, female, and have pretty thick scar-prone and oily skin. Are my alarplasty expectations reasonable? (Photos)

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Donald B. Yoo, MD, FACS

Alarplasty can reduce the width and flare of nostrils, and improve the symmetry between the size of the nostrils. DIfferences and asymmetries in terms of the nostril shape, circular vs. triangular or oval shape, and alar rim, require rhinoplasty with structural grafts.

+3 answers

Can revision alarplasty correct excess width without causing alar retraction? (Photos)

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Donald B. Yoo, MD, FACS

Alarplasty alone should not cause alar retraction. Based on your post-procedure photo, it appears that a rhinoplasty technique (such as alar rim graft) would be necessary to reduce the retraction of the ala.

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Is there a procedure that will lower the alae wings? (Photo)

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Donald B. Yoo, MD, FACS

A few rhinoplasty techniques would lower the rims of the nostrils, and two of the most effective are alar rim grafts and composite grafts. These would lower the nostrils so that there is not as much visibility from the side.

+2 answers

Am i a good candidate for alarplasty to reduce the width of my nostrils? (Photos)

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Donald B. Yoo, MD, FACS

A view of your nose from the base view would be necessary to accurately assess your candidacy for alarplasty in isolation. Sometimes when you narrow the width and flare of the nostrils without reshaping the tip, the tip can end up looking wider and more bulbous in proportion.

+3 answers

Would I be a candidate for the surgery to close my nostrils slightly to hide the cut in my nasal sill?

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Donald B. Yoo, MD, FACS

The amount of narrowing you're demonstrating with the Q-tip is probably not achievable surgically. There are options to reduce the visibility of the sill incision, which may include scar resurfacing procedures in addition to revising the alarplasty/lip lift scar.

+2 answers
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