Alar Reduction - SM Plastic Surgery

Alar reduction at SM Plastic Surgery is designed so the nostril shape does not fold in and the nose keeps a form that fits your face. Over-excision is avoided, and the procedure follows each person's facial proportion.

Yes — alar reduction can be done on its own. It takes about 30 minutes, under local anaesthesia or sedation.

Yes. Doing rhinoplasty (bridge and tip) and alar reduction together lets the proportions of the whole nose be set at once, so a more harmonious result can be expected.

The incision follows the crease line of the ala and is finely sutured, so the scar is barely visible, blending in further as time passes.

A return to daily life is possible 5–7 days after surgery, with sutures out after 7 days. Follow-up visits number around 2–3, with no hospital stay.

A wide alar base can make the nose look comparatively low and blunt. An imbalance between the width of the alae and the bridge gives a similar impression. Reducing the alar width to suit the facial proportions can make the nose look less low, though the degree of change varies from person to person.

The surgical method is chosen according to the type of alae. We first analyse the width and thickness of the alae, the symmetry of the nostrils, and the balance with the tip, then decide in which direction and how much to reduce. Using a method that does not suit the type can leave the nostril shape unnatural, so this analysis matters.

Alar reduction takes about thirty minutes. No hospital stay is required, and two to three follow-up visits are made to check healing. When it is combined with other nasal surgery, the total operating time is longer.

Alar reduction is performed under local or sedation anesthesia. Which one is used depends on whether it is done on its own or together with other nasal surgery. The method is explained at the consultation after your health status and the extent of surgery have been reviewed.

Stitch removal is based on about one week, as early as five days and as late as two weeks. Healing speed differs between people, so the actual timing is set while checking your progress. After removal, the incision line stays reddish for a time and then gradually fades.

The incised and sutured area settles gradually as it heals. The final width varies between individuals depending on the healing process and the condition of the skin tissue. At follow-up visits we check the alar width together with nostril symmetry.

Narrowing the alar width also changes the size and shape of the nostrils. At SM Plastic Surgery the design keeps the nostrils from folding and aims for symmetry between the two sides. How much they are reduced is decided by looking at alar thickness and the balance with the tip.

The pre-operative analysis checks alar width, thickness, and nostril symmetry on each side separately. The design then uses different amounts of excision on each side to bring the two closer together. Complete symmetry is not achieved, and results vary between individuals.

How much the alae spread with facial expression depends both on muscle movement and on the width of the alae themselves. Reducing the width can make the flaring less noticeable, but the movement that comes with expression does not disappear. The degree of improvement varies between individuals.

Before surgery we analyse alar width and thickness, nostril symmetry, and the balance with the tip. The design also works out an alar width that suits the facial proportions and the length of the nose. Whether to reduce the alae alone or combine the procedure with other nasal surgery is decided at this stage as well.