What is the recovery time and complications for alar composite grafts?

Composite nasal grafts are usually used for reconstruction either after an accident or skin cancer.  I don't think it is a good idea for the cosmetic purposes you are considering.

 A full set of pictures are required before making any determination about specific techniques required. A composite skin graft is composed of both skin and cartilage, harvested from the ear and placed on the underneath side of the nostrils for alar retraction. When patients have a hanging columella, a columella plasty is performed. This is much more commonly done then composite skin graft. An alar rim graft is  used to when patient's have flail nostrils.

Hi there,You have a great question. Composite grafts are powerful technique to treat alar retraction.  Alar composite grafts are used to treat alar retraction in cases when the ala is missing cartilage support and inner lining. Here come some technical details. You can see if the ala is retracted on the profile view if you can see into the septum more than 2-3 mms or on the front view if you can see into the nostrils. The position of the columnella is also examined to make sure the columnella is not hanging low. If the columnella is hanging low, it can be repositioned superiorly. The ear heals very well and it is almost not noticeable. The grafts are secured well in place and shifting is not a problem. Unfortunately, placing composite grafts to treat alar retraction is not done under local. To treat alar retraction, a full rhinoplasty is still required to release the skin attachments and reposition cartilages to allow for the nostrils to rotate down. Not every retracted ala requires composite grafts, but it can be very effective in the right cases.Hope this helps!