Can the Sides of the Nostrils Be Cut Only Instead of a Full Surgery? (photo)

Question

I'm 22 yr old female of Asian (Chinese) background. I have flat nose with weak cartilage on mid and lower nose making the tip look bulbous. I don't suffer from a noticeable hump but i really hate the downside of my nose. The skin over the tip and nostrils is very thick. When I smile or laugh, the whole area appears especially big. So what can be done to my nose? In case I don't want full surgery like only have bit sides of nostrils cut, is it even possible? and will the recovery process be fast?

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Yes, the nostrils and alar base can be reduced, but you may want to consider tip refinement as well.   The decision is yours.  Find a plastic surgeon with ELITE credentials who performs hundreds of rhinoplasties and rhinoplasty revisions each year.  Then look at the plastic surgeon's website before and after photo galleries to get a sense of who can deliver the results.

	Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

David A. F. Ellis, MD · Answer

From the photos, I see you have a wide nasal tip as well as a wide alar wide (nostril to nostril). The wide alar width can be reduced with surgery under local, However, the wide nasal tip will probably need surgery, but we are reporting on 30 cases of injectable rhinoplasty in which in some we have augmented the tip creating at the appearance of a narrower nasal tip. Injections are temporary.

	See a surgeon who can image you

Thomas Hubbard, MD, FACS · Answer

Yes limiting cosmetic surgery on the nose to just the "sides of nostrils" is sometimes a very reasonable choice but your main concern is a bulbous tip. That would not be helped with such limited surgery. You need to begin with a personal consultation with an experienced surgeon to know your options.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD · Answer

Please get in person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon. It is very unusual to only do nostril reduction without providing tip support.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Your nostrils appear wide and thick. You can have surgery to treat this area or anything else regarding your nose within reason. An exam in person would be essential.

Can the Sides of the Nostrils Be Cut Only Instead of a Full Surgery? (photo)

Answers (5)