See how alar wedge excisions can be used to narrow a wide nasal tip with thick nostrils in a Hispanic rhinoplasty patient.
In my last post I discussed what goes into creating more narrow nostrils using various rhinoplasty techniques. As promised, today I'll review an actual patient's before and after Hispanic rhinoplasty photographs so you can see alar base reduction in action.
Assessing the wide nasal base
This patient came to me wishing to improve the overall size and bulbosity of her nose. Focusing on her nostrils, you can see how they are quite thick and extend significantly past an imaginary line dropped down from the corners of her eyes.
Where are alar wedge excision incision lines placed?
To improve the thickness and width of this patient's nostrils I performed an alar wedge excision. This photo shows where the incisions are placed to remove the proper tissue.
How the alar base wedge excision incisions heal
The beauty of this method is that the resulting scar is hidden in the existing crease between the nostril and cheek (also known as the alar-facial groove).
This frontal before and after surgery view allows for the best assessment of how well the alar wedge excision is able to narrow the patient's thick, wide nostrils.
The patient's nose now appears more refined and the nostrils much less wide. You can also see how the nostril thickness is also improved. Interested in seeing what else was done to improve the appearance of this patient's nose? View more of her before and after rhinoplasty photos here.
