How Can I Reduce Nostril Flare or Size?

This is commonly done, especially in patients of color, to reduce nostril flaring. It is called Alar Base resection. It is an incision on the outside of the nostril base which usually heals very well. One must be very careful when performing an Alar Base resection to prevent excess scarring and nostril asymmetry.

Very good question.  Reducing nostril flare in my opinion is one of the hardest and most commonly incorrectly performed parts of a rhinoplasty.  First of all yes you can reduce your flaring without touching the rest of your nose and I do that often.  Second the pain and downtime is not too bad.  The key is to make sure your surgeon shows you many examples of his or her nostril reductions.  So often the nostrils are left mishapened asymmetric and over reduced. Once this happens it is nearly impossible to correct.  Ask to see what"s called the worms eye view or the base view from underneath.  This shows a lot of these irregularities.  Also make sure you look for the scars as many times it is visible hence defeating the purpose of having the procedure done.  Good luck

Enlarged flaring nostrils are a relatively common problem. When this situation arises it’s not unusual for patients to request surgical correction. This can be easily accomplished with a procedure known as an alarplasty. This procedure involves resection of the alar base tissue at the junction with the cheek. It decreases the size of the nostril and hopefully minimizes alar flare.
                If you’re considering rhinoplasty surgery to correct enlarged nostrils with alar flare, it’s important to consult a board certified plastic surgeon. This surgeon should be able to formulate a treatment plan that addresses your anatomic findings and achieves your aesthetic goals.

In our experience, it is unusual for an isolated alarplasty to be performed without tip work - many with Hispanic flaring nostrils have oily tip skin and sometimes bulbous, droopy nasal tips.Feel free to re-ask your question with photos, or consider consulting with several rhinoplasty specialists so you could see what might be best for you.Hope this helps.Dr Joseph

This is a common correction and can be accomplished with only local anesthesia or mild sedation if you are an anxious type person.  The surgery consists of excising a small amount of the nostril at the lateral base where it meets the cheek.  This is certainly not a major surgery and the downtime is minimal.  You would have sutures in for 1 week.  There are scars in the crease of where the nose meets the cheek.  The most common complication is that the scar is conspicuous after surgery.  This is more common in people with thicker, oilier skin.  Usually the incisions heal well and are difficult to see after a few months.

And it is certainly possible to reduce only the nostril flare and leave the rest of the nose alone. That being said, it is important to make sure the more narrow nasal base continues to be in proportion to the size of the tip. Often nasal flayer surgery (typically called "alar base reduction"), requires incisions placed on the outside of the nose hitting between the nostril and the cheek skin. Perform correctly, it leaves a relatively unnoticeable scar. Furthermore, the nostril size itself can be corrected and reshaped.The limitation to nostril flare size narrowing is that the nostrils wide and upon smiling. The extent to which they wide and is due to the muscle action of the cheeks. This is a variable that cannot be corrected during surgery.

Large,
flared nostrils are among the most common ailments that patients seek
to change when undergoing a rhinoplasty procedure. What you described is
completely normal and relatively easy to change, provided that the
surgeon you chose is skilled and experienced. By narrowing the nostrils,
you can achieve a more natural, gentle look while keeping the rest of
your nose intact. Be sure to ask your surgeon for before-and-after
pictures upon your initial consultation, for this is the best indication
of what your new nose will likely look like.

Nostril flare is more pronouced in certain ethnic groups. Three anatomic components affect the nostril flare. 1) the length of the nostril from the tip of the nose to it's attachment to the face. 2) The width of the sill, ie. the distance from the outter columella to the inner allar margin. 3) the strength of the tip support. Each of these areas need to be evaluated and treated appropreatly to get the desired result.

The base of our nose or the with of our nostrils contribute significantly to the overall shape of the nose. Excess nostrils flare can be addressed using alar base reduction techniques.  These techniques require incisions on the external skin of the nose, to remove the excess skin contributing to the nostril flare.  These incisions tend to hide well within the natural creases of the nostril.

The easiest way to reduce nostril-show is often by shortening the septum (the cartilagenous tissue that separates the right side from the left side of the nose). In this way, what is known as a “hanging collumella” is reduced so that the nostril is not so visible. This may occasionally require narrowing the base of the nostrils surgically, as well. Instead of “open rhinoplasty”, these procedures can be performed in a “closed” fashion.