Is It Possible to Reduce the Thickness of the Alar Itself?

Absolutely, yes it can be done. It is a direct excision that removes the central portion of the alar wall. This results in a thinner ala. The scar heals quite well as long as the incision has been made cleanly and not at an angle. 

Reducing alar width can be achieved using incisions at the alar base. Reducing alar thickness however depends on which layer of the ala is contributing to the thickness, whether it is skin/dermis, fibrofatty, muscle, or cartilage layers. Each of these areas are treated differently whether it be in a medical or surgical fashion. There are of course limitations to what can be achieved. I would happy to provide a comprehensive evaluation and discussion of possibilities for your particular case. Take care.

Hi Gen,

Yes, the thickness of the ala may be reduced through direct excision techniques.  Best to consult with a few rhinoplasty specialists and then choose your surgeon most carefully.

Good luck and be well.

Dr. P

 To my knowledge and experience, there is no way to narrow overly thick alar.  Narrowing the nostrils through Weir incisions can help make the tip appear thinner, but this is not going to narrow the actual alar rims.

Asians undergoing Asian Rhinoplasty commonly seek to decrease the width of the alar base at the same time to give a more refined result that still fits their face.  This procedure can be done in the doctor's office under local anesthesia so that you are awake during the procedure.

If you mean thickness of the skin of the nasal ala, then defatting or removing tissue below the skin would be full of problems. If you mean the widdened base of the nose there are several procedures to correct this

Without pictures, it is difficult to say what you need. The thick ala can be reduced but it will leave a scar along the rim. They can be shortened and reset more medially as well as raised which all will make them look thinner and closer to midline. Nasal implants can be used safely if done properly. Thereare hundreds of thousands of patients with nasal implants in Asia without any problem. Yes, there are complications as in other rhinoplasty techniques, but Asian patients need Asian rhinoplasty to achieve a satisfactory result.

Dear Genuine,

Reducing the thickness of the alar skin is tricky.  There is additional fibrofatty tissue that can be thinned, but care must be taken not to thin the skin too much as scarring and deformity will result and that is very difficult to correct.  A conservative approach is definitely advisable in this.  With regard to narrowing the alae, this can be done very easily and is done through incisions at the base of the nose where the ala meets the upper lip in the alar groove. 

Hi Genuine,

You've asked a very good question. Yes, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the nostril itself. This can be done by a combination of methods. First, most Asian patients seeking rhinoplasty have some thickness to the fibrofatty layer of tissue under the skin and this can be thinned somewhat throughout the tip during surgery. In addition, a sliver of skin can be removed directly from the inside edge of the nostril to thin the nostril itself. Choose a rhinoplasty surgeon who has a lot of experience with ethnic rhinoplasty.

 

 You can reduce the size of the alar base using incisions on the inside or outside (I prefer inside) of the alae.  Reducing the tissue, or bulk, or the alae themselves can lead to deformity of the alae and most surgeons will not perform this procedure as part of a Rhinoplasty.