Is it possible to shorten nose and nostrils? (photos)

And this appears to be associated with a hanging columella and excessive nostril show. Depending on your examination, rhinoplasty surgery techniques may be considered for achieving a less projected and less distracting nasal appearance, with repair of your hanging columella and improved nasal tip projection. You may wish to visit several reputable rhinoplasty specialists who offer for computer Imaging so you could see what to expect. Thank you for this question. Sincerely, Dr Joseph

In rider to alleviate the tightness of the upper lip you would need to have the bridge lowered. The nostril show can be corrected easily. I recommend closed rhinoplasty in the situation

It is very difficult to give you good advise based on limited information from these photos. Nostrils shape and size can be changed if needed, usually by shortening the nostrils in the area where they meet cheek/lip. Nose can also be shorten when needed. I am not sure that you need any of these? Only in-person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon, expert in rhinoplasty, can help you to understand your condition and options to treat it. Hope this helps.

A front view photo is needed for full evaluation of the nose. In the profile photos, it appears that the hanging columella contributes significantly to the visibility of the nostril. Correction could be done with incisions inside of the nose (endonasal). This would greatly improve the nostril show from the side view.
From the base view, the columella is wide. This can be reduced with a procedure that brings cartilage in this area together (medialization of the medial crura). The alar flare seen on the base view is mild. Most surgeons might consider a wedge excision or nothing at all. Wedge excision decreases the alar flare. The other alar surgery is a sill excision. This decreases the alar base width, but does not adjust the flare. These are most often done along with a wedge for noses that are very wide or platyrrhine.
Of note, it is common to have mild asymmetry of where the nostrils attach to the face. It is also common to have nostril shapes that differ from side to side.
It is rare to adjust the nostril attachment to the face toward the midline. In these cases, a V to Y advancement is used where the single limb of the Y component is placed in the nasolabial fold (see article named "A Simplified Approach to Alar Base Reduction" by Drs. Russell Kridel and Richard Castellano. Mar/Apr 2005 in journal: Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery)

It is possible to modify the nostrils slightly. The procedure can leave visible scars, and should only be attempted by those who have extensive experience. Whether this is a worthwhile pursuit is something that needs to be discussed carefully during in person consultation.
The most important decision, and the appropriate first step is to find the most experienced talented rhinoplasty surgeon in your community. I suggest doing that by scheduling multiple in person, consultations with plastic surgeons in your community who have a proven track record with rhinoplasty surgery. During each consultation, ask each provider to open up their portfolio of before and after pictures and show you their entire collection of previous patients who had similar facial characteristics to your own. An experienced plastic surgeon should have no difficulty showing you before and after pictures of at least 50 previous patients. Highly experienced surgeons should in fact have hundreds or preferably thousands of before and after pictures to choose from.
The biggest mistake patients make is not being selective enough and scheduling only one consultation and then scheduling surgery. Complex final plasty surgery is not easy or straightforward and should be done by those who have a proven track record and the experience to deliver, consistent quality results.
Your answer doesn’t have a simple yes or no answer. Understanding what the procedure can or cannot accomplish is much more involved and requires a thorough in person consult.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD