How do I improve my alar base scars? (Photo)

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your experience — I can completely understand how upsetting it must feel to have a scar in such a visible and delicate area, especially after putting your trust in your surgeon and hoping for a natural-looking result.

The good news is that an alar base scar like the one you describe can often be improved, even if it’s placed slightly outside the natural crease. When the incision is positioned too far from the alar crease, it can create that straight, noticeable line that doesn’t blend well with the surrounding skin. While it’s not possible to “erase” the scar completely, there are options that can help make it less visible and more natural-looking.

In some cases, a scar revision procedure can be performed to reposition or reorient the scar closer to the crease. This usually involves carefully excising the old scar and using fine, layered suturing techniques to minimize tension and help it blend better with the nasal contour. The healing process and outcome depend on your skin type, how your body forms scars, and how much healthy tissue is available around the area.

There are also non-surgical treatments that can soften and fade the appearance of the scar — such as laser resurfacing, microneedling with radiofrequency, or silicone-based scar therapy. These can help with texture and color irregularities even if the scar’s position can’t be changed.

You’re not alone in feeling this way, and many patients who’ve undergone alar base reduction have faced similar concerns. With the right approach, it’s absolutely possible to achieve an improvement that helps the scar appear more natural and less noticeable.

I'm sorry that this has has happened to you. Manual mechanical microneedling (no need for the added expense), which I have personally been performing for the past three decades is a time-tested and proven safe and effective for use in improving the appearance of all kinds of scars including those following surgery. It can help to better blend the scar in both color and testure with the surrounding normal skin You would be wise to consult an experienced, board certified cosemetic dermatologist scar treatment specialist. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Plastic surgery scars require attention after surgery so that they remain cosmetically-appealing and barely noticeable. In our office, we use a protocol for scars that minimizes their activity in the 6-8 weeks after surgery. If you have late plastic surgery scars, you may also require laser and RF therapy to help reduce the longterm effects of the scarring. Keloids, hypertrophic scars, widened scars, red scars, and hyperpigmented scars all require scar modulation with topical creams followed by lasers and RF therapy. Topical skincare should be directed to a specific need, whether for pigmentation or hypertrophy and our office can guide you through the process to obtain the correct Plato’s Scar cream or Melarase cream for hypertrophy and discoloration. In terms of lasers, we would employ the vbeam laser for redness, Venus Viva RF, PRP microneedling, chemical peels, and Morpheus 8, fractional erbium, or fractional co2. All of these have their individual benefits. Most of all, we recommend you visit a solid plastic surgeon who understands surgical scar revision, laser therapy, and RF therapy for scars.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon