I had rhinoplasty in 2009 to remove a hump on my nose. However, I did not have anything done to the tip. I am not happy with how bulbous it looks. My nose looks wide and looks even wider when I smile. Would alarplasty help balance my nose, or do I need revision? I am happy with my profile, however the size of my nostrils is what bothers me.
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Answers (3)
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Dear Marvees,
What you have is not alar flaring, but alar retraction with columellar show on the one side. This may be a consequence of prior rhinoplasty?, or could be natural anatomy. Is there some missing history? Correction of retracted ala can be performed with cartilage grafts. Good luck!
For patients who want a mild reduction in their alar base and minimal widening with smiling, I free the entire lower soft tissue of the nose from its bony attachment to produce a very slight general contraction of the entire area. I also add a cinching suture beneath the nostrils, which helps...
Alarplasty is almost irreversible. In order to reverse it grafts need to be taken from the ears and placed in the area of the missing tissue where the nose meets the cheek. It does widen the nostril but there are visible scars.
Regards
Dr. J