How complicated and costly is a reduction of alar cartilage? (Photo)

Hello and thank you for your question.  When looking at your nose, it appears that, from top to bottom, you could benefit from a septoplasty and spreader grafts to improve the curvature of your nose and tip-refining cartilage modification to improve the nasal tip symmetry. Recovery would be 1-2 weeks
where you would wear a nasal splint for the first week and notice
significant improvement in swelling over the next week.  Costs of a rhinoplasty will vary based on the region and expertise of your plastic surgeon.
The next step for you is to find the right aesthetic plastic surgeon. 
In your rhinoplasty
consultation, be sure your plastic surgeon addresses all your aesthetic goals and concerns
specifically, and discusses the surgery details including the position and size
of the incisions used (with actual photographs and not just digital animations),
the risks and benefits of the procedure, recovery time, and post-operative
course.  Also, be sure to see plenty of before-and-after pictures in women
who have a similar nose appearance to yours, and preferably at different time
frames (3 weeks out, 3 months out, etc) to more accurately predict your own
surgical outcome.

And lastly, I think the most
important component of the consultation is to establish a good connection with
your plastic surgeon.  It’s the connection that allows you to clearly define your desired nose outcome
goals, the first step of this whole process. If you don’t feel you have a
good connection with your plastic surgeon after your consultation, he/she may
not be the best surgeon for you.
Please refer to the link below for any further questions about Rhinoplasty.

Good luck.

Mark K Markarian, MD, MSPH

Harvard-trained Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon

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. You may also benefit from a septoplasty and spreader grafts to help straighten your nose.  Cost varies based on geographic region and surgeon expertise.  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