Alarplasty, Alar Base Reduction, Nasal Sill Surgery (Nostril Narrowing) - San Francisco, CA

I am thinking of getting alarplasty... But I am wondering if you had problems breathing immediately after? Also were you instructed to sleep with head elevated just like with regular rhinoplasty?

Thanks for your reply. I actually have an identical twin brother and did not want a drastic change to my nostrils. A little bit of narrowing was just enough to make me happy. :)

awesome! glad u got what u wanted :)

Hi! Sorry for the late reply. The procedure took about 45 minutes and I was awake during the whole procedure with local anesthesia. I decided to have it done on Saturday so that I can heal during the weekend and also Monday before going back to work on Tuesday. I had no breathing problems before and after the alarplasty whatsoever. After the first hour, the anesthesia wore off and I only took pain killers for two days because there was no longer any pain. I was instructed to put ointment on my sutures until the day of the removal of my stitches which was 6 days. I healed very nicely. Dr. Chiu- Collins truly has gifted hands! She will ask you if you want a dramatic or natural result. I totally recommend Dr.Chiu-Collins for your alarplasty. If you have anymore questions don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks so much for answering my questions! So did you sleep elevated as usually instructed for rhinoplasty? Or regularly? I'm so nervous. I'm a pain phobe and I'm afraid of complications and infections. I'm assuming you also asked for a conservative approach? I wanted to have an alar base reduction but it sounded like Dr Chiu only does nostril narrowing

Hi, You are very welcome! I hope this information helps. I took an antibiotic the night before and the morning of the surgery. The doctor will give you a prescription for antibiotics, pain killers (I hardly had any pain) and ointment on your pre-operation appointment. She also recommended taking Arnica Montana which they sell at the office as this really helped diminish swelling and bruising. I was only swollen for like one day around the inner walls of my nostrils but no bruising at all. Are you getting a full rhinoplasty or alarplasty only? On the day of the surgery, I washed my face thoroughly with a gentle face-wash they provided in the office. Do not wear contact lenses or jewelry. The operating table was very comfy and they played soft music in the background which was very calming. It eased a little bit of anxiety I had. Dr. Chiu-Collins numbed my nose with local anesthesia and I didn't feel any sensation of pain the whole time. It was as if nothing happened, but she did accidentally pluck one of my nose hairs as she was sewing me up and I felt that.... ouch lol. The procedure was about 40-45 minutes. If you are worried about pain during your Alarplasty, you shouldn't be. It's just like going to the dentist where they numb your gums before a tooth extraction. As far infection goes, I took very good care of my incisions daily with hydrogen peroxide once a day at night and applied ointment (Bacitracin) every four hours to keep the incisions moist. I slept wIth my head elevated on three pillows for the first two days only. This helps with swelling but I didn't have swelling after the first day. Five days after my Alarplasty, my sutures were removed. The sutures were blue in color and in dim lighting, many of my family members and co-workers didn't even notice until I told them. Once my sutures were taken out, the wounds had a light red and pinkish color. Dr. Chiu-Collins said my scars were healing great and I didn't need aftercare scar treatment. It needed a few more days to completely heal and I was applying sunscreen SPF50 on them three times a day. My scar is barely visible now and fades a lot every week. Don't forget to put your sunscreen ok! Just to let you know with any facial surgery, it can look very frightening afterwards with the sutures, blood, etc., or just the simple fact knowing you altered your face. I have a tip for you- do not take selfies and refrain from looking at the mirror while you heal. Give it a few days to heal and settle down before obsessively looking at your nose. Trust me, after all the healing has taken place, everything will look so much better. I believe that the term Alarplasty, Alar base reduction and nostril narrowing all means the same thing. Alarplasty is the name of the medical procedure. Yes, I wanted a conservative result. I really like my nose and I had no desire in changing the bridge, dorsum or the tip. However, I always wondered if my nose could look a little more aesthetically pleasing with smaller nostrils. My wide nostrils have always been something I was always self conscious about ever since high school. During my consultation, Dr. Chiu Collins evaluated me and using her artistic judgment, she marked my nostrils with a pen and showed me how much nasal skin she was going to remove that would best compliment my Filipino nose. I definitely didn't want my nose to look too pinched! She even said that in the future if I ever decided to go more narrower, it was totally possible with the same operation. I am very happy with my results! I wanted just a few millimeters taken off but not too much that I would look different from my identical twin brother. Good luck! This procedure has positively changed my life. If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask :)

Hi!
I am Filipino also! I'm so excited for you and you are in good hands. I've always been self conscious about the size of my nostrils and I would have never even considered any type of surgery on my nose until I saw before and after pictures of Dr. Chiu-Collins patients in her office. I can honestly say that my Alarplasty has been life changing! :) I am so happy I made this decision.

I was awake during the 45 minute procedure with local anesthesia only. The pain after the operation is very minimal. I only took 1 Ibruprofen that night. I didn't need any blood or lab work done prior to the procedure. In addition, I purchased Sinechh
(homeopathic tablets) to decrease swelling and bruising from Dr. Chiu-Collins office. This really helped me recover faster.

I only took a day off of work and when I came back, my coworkers could not see my stitches unless I told them. My stitches were taken out six days later. The scars will remain pink for about a week but it should get lighter and by the 6th week, you can barely see it. It gets lighter everyday. I didn't bleed as much after the surgery. The swelling subsided the next day. I didn't need any other creams other than the Bacitacin antibiotic cream and no scar gel was used. Make sure you put sunscreen on it everyday after it has healed suggested by Dr. Chiu Collins. If you have any more questions, just let me know. Like I said, I'm very excited for you.

Thanks so much!!! I feel more comfortable now! I have a very low tolerance for pain and glad to hear that it went well for you! I'm also soooo glad to hear that the scarring is not as bad that was my initial concern

Thank you!