Answering All Your Questions About Alar Reduction Surgery!

Hello.

This is Vibe Plastic Surgery.

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A surgery that is just as popular as eye surgery

is rhinoplasty.

There are various surgical methods for rhinoplasty.

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Among them, alar reduction surgery

is not as widely known,

so many people might be unfamiliar with it.

When alar reduction surgery should be done,

and why it is needed—we will take a detailed look

into alar reduction surgery.

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When viewed from below or from the front,

this is a surgery that reduces a wide-looking alar,

or the nasal wings.

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In particular, when viewed from below,

if the nasal wings are flared outward significantly,

undergoing alar reduction surgery can provide

highly satisfactory surgical results.

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Whether you are a case that requires alar reduction

should be accurately diagnosed first

before deciding on the surgery.

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Because alar reduction surgery

involves removing skin and tissue,

once the surgery is done,

it cannot be reversed.

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Usually, Asians or those considering rhinoplasty

often have a low and droopy nasal tip.

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In this case, simply elevating the nasal tip appropriately

can create an alar reduction effect.

Since there are cases where only nasal tip surgery is needed,

rather than thinking you must do alar reduction first,

if alar reduction is still needed after rhinoplasty,

we recommend doing it at that time.

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For alar reduction,

there is an incision method that does not affect nostril size at all,

and a surgical method that can reduce

the nostril size itself.

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Therefore, even if the nostrils are small,

if the skin and tissue on the outer nasal wings are thick,

it is possible to perform alar reduction

without altering the nostril size.

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For this reason,

it is best to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon

before deciding on alar reduction surgery.

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If there is a lot of unnecessary skin flaring outward,

and that part can be excised and gathered inward,

you can achieve the most effective results.

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Outer incision and inner incision—

it can be broadly divided into these two.

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The outer incision is made along the outer groove,

so because the incision is made there,

the scar can be hidden along the inner groove,

making it a surgical method that minimizes scarring.

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The inner incision uses the floor inside the nostril

to make the incision, so compared to the outer incision,

it is a surgical method that can hide the scar even more.

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The muscles we use to smile

pull from the outside of the nasal wings to both sides,

and include these pulling muscles,

and since there are also pulling muscles below the columella,

it is natural for the nose to flare on both sides whenever you smile.

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However, if it flares too excessively when smiling

and causes stress,

we recommend a procedure or surgery

that can slightly suppress the smiling muscles themselves.

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- Botox procedure

- Alar tying

- Incision method

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If it cannot be suppressed even with a Botox procedure,

we recommend a closed, or less invasive method,

which is alar tying.

Alar tying uses threads

to tie the nasal wing areas together,

reducing the flaring phenomenon when smiling.

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The incision method is the most active treatment

among the three methods above.

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Through the incision method, or alar reduction,

by removing the flaring tissue itself,

excessive flaring can be prevented.

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When it comes to alar reduction injections,

they usually use ingredients that shrink the skin and fat tissue itself,

or a slight mix of Botox.

This is what is generally known to be used.

Because of this, not only is the effect very temporary,

but if the nose skin is thick or flares significantly,

it can be difficult to achieve satisfactory results.

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Since everyone has a different alar shape

and there are various suitable surgical methods

accordingly,

we hope you proceed with alar reduction surgery

through a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to get alar reduction surgery?

It is recommended to have nose surgery first, and then consider alar reduction as an additional procedure if needed. This is because if the nasal tip is low and drooping, simply raising it appropriately can achieve an alar reduction effect. Since removing skin and tissue is irreversible, a careful decision is necessary.

Is alar reduction possible for people with small nostrils?

Yes, surgery is possible regardless of nostril size. Even if the nostrils are small, if the skin and tissue on the outer alar part are thick, the alae can be effectively reduced through an incision method that does not affect the nostril size.

Will alar reduction surgery leave significant scars?

Scars can be minimized depending on the incision location. Lateral incisions are made along the outer alar groove to hide scars, and internal incisions utilize the inner floor of the nostril, making scars even less noticeable than with lateral incisions.

How can I fix my nostrils flaring wide when I smile?

This can be improved with Botox, alar tying, or incision methods. There are non-invasive methods such as Botox to suppress the movement of smiling muscles or tying the alae with thread, and the most active method is an incision to remove the flaring tissue itself.

Can alar reduction injections alone provide permanent effects?

No, the effects of injection procedures are temporary. Alar reduction injections use a mixture of ingredients that contract skin and fatty tissue or Botox, so the duration of effect is short, and it may be difficult to achieve satisfactory results if the nasal skin is thick or significantly flared.