Can the Sides and Base of my Nose Be Made Narrower And/or Thinner?

Question

I had a primary rhinoplasty (three weeks ago) &although I know it is still swollen, I am pretty unhappy with the parts that were left alone. In my procedure my doc thinned my bridge down & rounded it out more as it had been very flat. Also my tip was supposed 2be thinned out &lowered a little since I had an upturned nose which isn't obvious yet. My question is could the sides (alar skin) have been thinned? My base & sides just seems so wide for a feminine nose &I want my eyes 2seem bigger. Help!

James C. Marotta, MD · Answer

The base of the nose, nostrils or ala can be made to be both narrower and have less flare.  That can be done as part of a primary rhinoplasty or even under local anesthesia after the primary rhinoplasty has healed and swelling has gone down.  It is usually reserved for patients with excessively large or flaring nostrils which doesn't seem to be the case from your photos.   I would hold off on judging how small, narrow or thin your nose is for now because at 3 weeks you are definitely still swollen.  The majority of the swelling will be gone by 6 weeks but some changes in the skin particularly at the nasal tip may not be apparent for even up to a year.

Frank Agullo, MD · Answer

There are procedures available to make your nose thinner and narrower, including your alar base. From your pictures, it seems that you are still swollen and recovering. I would advice against doing anything before six months after your surgery, sometimes even a year. Allow for the swelling and scarring to settle down, then reevaluate yourself down the line.

Nima Shemirani, MD · Answer

The skin along the ala can thin out over time.  The surgery itself causes inflammation when you separate the skin from the cartilage.  It is still very early how much the skin will thin out, but I would be patient.  it very difficult to get an exact amount of skin to be thinned out, usually we remove some fat from the underneath the skin layer and let the forces of healing do the rest.  Some people just have thicker skin and it can be hard to it to thin out in a reliable fashion because everyone heals differently.  I would just wait and see what happens when all the swelling comes down, it is still very very early in your healing process.

	 

	Best,

	Nima Shemirani

Michael L. Schwartz, MD · Answer

You are way ahead of yourself. You are still very swollen and it will be months before you see how your nostrils and and sides will sit. Don't even think about doing something else yet. Be patient.

David A. Bray, Sr., MD · Answer

You are too early in the hrealing cycle to advise. Yes you can narrow your nose but, from what I see, I wouldn't advise it. Alar base narowing changes the natural shape if over done. You look fine at this stage

Can the Sides and Base of my Nose Be Made Narrower And/or Thinner?

Answers (8)

Answer: Thin nose

Answer: Thin nose

Answer: Thin base

Answer: Thin base

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Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

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Can the Sides and Base of my Nose Be Made Narrower And/or Thinner?

Answers (8)

Answer: Thin nose

Answer: Thin nose

Answer: Thin base

Answer: Thin base

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Rhinoplasty

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.