After a rhinoplasty, are the muscles in the nose still able to function and flare your nostrils?

The muscle that flares the nostrils will still be intact after rhinoplasty. There may be some swelling after rhinoplasty which impedes the function for a while, but it should gradually go back to normal. However, sometimes and alar base reduction is done for wide nostrils, and the introduction of scar tissue to that area may restrict nostril flaring some.

A rhinoplasty should not obstruct your ability to “flare your nostrils.” Your question often gets asked by my patients who are actors in the film industry, as they need preserve their ability to emote and covey nuanced emotions. In order to best reach your aesthetic goals, please consult with a board certified plastic surgeon with a wealth of experience and knowledge in rhinoplasty surgery.

Dear Merta3, Thank you for your question. It is possible to flare your nares following this procedure. Best of luck to you.

Hello and thank you for your question. The short answer is 'yes'. You should still be able to flare your nostrils voluntarily. Having said that, alar base reduction (if performed) can change the shape and size of your nostrils. My best advice is that you discuss your concerns and aesthetic goals with a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience in performing rhinoplasty. I would ask to see before and after pictures of their real patients. It's important that you trust your surgeon's skills and ability to achieve the results you are looking for. In particular, pay attention to your surgeon's experience with rhinoplasty. Best,
Pejman Aflaki, M.D.

Johns Hopkins-trained double board-certified plastic surgeon

Yes, you can still flare and move your nostrils after any rhinoplasty. After surgery, the nostrils can still voluntarily move but if a nostril flare reduction, aka alar flare reduction, is desired, this can be accomplished through an alar base modification. Such modification, though, does not impact the ability to still move the nostril voluntarily. Best wishes,Thomas Walker, MD, FACS

Hello and thank you for your question. Rhinoplasty can be designed to change the nostril shape in a favorable manner.  After surgery, the nostrils can be still voluntarily move (long-term) but the overall amount of flare can be reduced significantly.  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.  You should be able to view numerous pictures of actual patients with noses similar to yours performed by your surgeon.  If you cannot find enough real before and after pictures, then consider continuing your search for a surgeon. Best wishes and good luck.


Richard G. Reish, M.D. FACS

Harvard-trained plastic surgeon
 

Hello and thank you for your question.
Your nostril shapes can be change with rhinoplasty in a suitable way. You can have your nostrils moved voluntary after the procedure. Flare amount ,however,can change. You can discuss this situation with your doctor.
Sincerely
Dr Serhan Derin

The nasal muscles should be able to function normally after a rhinoplasty. Patient may notice that they have decreased function in the immediate period after surgery as swelling limits this motion. However, as swelling resolves the function should return. One exception to this is the nasal depressor muscle fibers that are sometimes intentionally disrupted by the surgeon to limit how much the tip turns down when someone smiles.

 Yes, it is still possible to flare your nostrils after a rhinoplasty procedure.  Always best to discuss with your operative surgeon.

Whether performing an open or closed rhinoplasty, the soft tissue (skin, fat, and muscle) are separated from the bone and cartilage of the nose. It is the cartilage and bone that is manipulated to change the shape and improve the function of the nose. The soft tissue will then conform around the resulting bone and cartilage construct.There is also a muscle in the upper lip that pulls the tip of the nose down. This muscle can be divided, in the right patient, to prevent the tip of the nose from dropping when a patient smiles. If needed, the nostril shape and size can be changed as well. This is often performed at the very end of the procedure.