Alarplasty Before and After, Does It Change Your Face and Help It Look Balanced?

Key points

• To the question “Does alarplasty change your face?”, this procedure can reduce wide alae and adjust the proportions of the face so it looks more balanced and better overall, depending on each person.
• A personal assessment and nose design are important for choosing a method that is in proportion with your forehead, eyes and chin.
• Rhinoplasty with the open or semi-open technique can help lengthen the nasal tip and pull the alae narrower, so in some cases alar base reduction may not be needed.
• Caring for the wound properly after surgery helps reduce scarring in the crease of the alae, so the wound heals well and blends smoothly with the skin.

Many people wonder whether alarplasty changes the face. The answer is that it can make the face look more defined, because reducing the width of the alae helps the face look more balanced and slimmer. For people whose wide nose draws attention away from other features, adjusting this area helps the face look more in proportion, especially the middle of the face, which then lines up with the inner corners of the eyes.

In this article, S45 Clinic brings together information on reducing the size of the alae, including inner and outer incision techniques and how to tell which alae features may need correcting, to help you study the details before you decide.

Does Alarplasty Change Your Face? How Does the Face Change Afterwards?

“Does alarplasty change your face?” This procedure can help the face look more in proportion, because it narrows the middle of the face and reduces a wide, thick nasal base so it looks slimmer and suits the rest of the face. You may notice these changes in the shape of the nose:

• the existing nasal bridge stands out more
• the nostrils change from a wide horizontal shape to an upright oval
• a narrower nasal base reduces the width of the middle of the face
• the nasal tip looks slimmer because excess tissue is removed

These changes become clear once the wound has fully healed, in about 1 to 3 months.

Why the Face Changes a Lot for Some People but Hardly at All for Others

Results differ from person to person and depend on 2 main factors:

• The original width of the nose. If your nasal base is clearly wide and flared, removing excess tissue makes the middle of the face look much slimmer, so the change is very noticeable. If the alae are only slightly flared, trimming just a few millimetres focuses more on making the nostrils look even than on changing the overall shape of the face.
• Whether it is combined with rhinoplasty. If you have alarplasty together with rhinoplasty, the higher nasal bridge tightens the skin between the inner corners of the eyes, so the nose looks slimmer and the face changes more clearly. Alarplasty on its own can reduce the width by about 10% to 15%, so the overall face may not change much, but the focus is on proportion and a soft, balanced look.

Which Alae Features Are Worth Adjusting to Help Your Confidence?

Alae recommended for correction are those wider than the inner corners of the eyes, or thick alae that flare out to the sides clearly when you make facial expressions. These features can make the nose look flat and the middle of the face lack definition. Reshaping can help bring the proportions of the face into better balance.

Wide nostrils, alae that hang down over the area above the upper lip, or alae that sit at clearly different heights are also features worth correcting. The surgeon assesses the angles of the nose to remove a suitable amount of excess tissue, aiming to keep the width within the standard range of no more than 2mm to 4mm, measured from a vertical line through the inner corner of the eye.

A Simple Way to Check the Size of Your Alae Yourself

You can check whether your alae are too wide by looking at the vertical proportion from the inner corner of the eye downwards. You can assess this yourself with these simple steps:

1. Look in a mirror facing straight ahead with your facial muscles relaxed.
2. Hold a ruler in a straight line from the inner corner of the eye down to the alae, parallel to the nasal bridge.
3. See whether the outermost edge of the alae extends past the vertical line from the inner corner of the eye.

If the outer edge of the alae goes more than 2mm past this line, the alae are considered wider than the standard proportion for the rest of the face. Knowing this gives you basic information to discuss with the surgeon when planning to reshape the nose so it balances with the inner corners of the eyes and the jawline.

How Many Alarplasty Techniques Are There, and Which Suits You?

Choosing a surgical method that suits your own anatomy helps the lower face look symmetrical and balanced with the lips and brow bones. There are 3 commonly used alarplasty techniques.

Inner Incision Alarplasty to Hide the Scar

Inner incision alarplasty is an option to reduce the width of the nasal base with the incision hidden on the inside. The incision is made in the lower inner crease of the nostril, so the stitches cannot be seen from the front. It suits people with moderately wide alae who want a shape that blends smoothly with the face.

After surgery, the surgeon uses very fine stitches that usually dissolve on their own, or removes the stitches within 7 to 14 days. Care for the wound by gently wiping away blood and clear fluid with clean cotton buds dipped in saline 2 times a day, to prevent dirt building up in the crease.

Outer Incision Alarplasty for Very Flared Noses

The outer incision technique suits people with thick, wide or very flared alae. The surgeon makes an incision in the outer crease at the base of the alae to remove excess skin, then rolls the alae inwards and closes the wound. This method can clearly reduce the width of the nasal base.

Caring for an outer wound after surgery needs more attention than an inner wound because it is on the outside of the skin. The surgeon usually closes the wound with very fine stitches to reduce tension on the skin, and removes the stitches within 7 to 14 days after surgery to help prevent a long-term scar.

Combined Outer and Inner Incision Technique

Combining outer and inner incisions reduces the width of the alae and reshapes the nostrils at the same time. This method lowers the chance of a noticeable scar in the cheek crease and makes the nose look in proportion with the forehead and chin.

So does alarplasty with this technique change your face? It can make the nose slimmer, so the width of the alae lines up with the inner corners of both eyes.

The surgeon hides part of the incision in the inner curve and trims excess skin on the outside a millimetre at a time. The wound is closed with very fine 0.1mm stitches to reduce tension on the skin. This method may shorten bruising and swelling to about 5 to 7 days, depending on each person, and the stitches can be removed within 14 days after surgery.

Does Alarplasty Make the Nose Look Higher?

Alarplasty does not directly raise the nasal bridge, because this surgery only reduces the width of the nostrils and the alar tissue. It focuses on making the lower nasal base look narrower in proportion with the forehead and chin, which helps the nose look slimmer and more in proportion.

The surgeon assesses the golden ratio, in which the ideal distance between the alae equals the width of 1 eye, or about 3cm to 4cm. Removing the excess creates a visual effect that makes the existing nasal bridge look higher and more defined from the front, without actually raising the nasal bone.

The Width of the Nasal Base and How High the Bridge Appears

Reducing the width of the nasal base creates a visual effect that makes the existing nasal bridge look more defined without adding a silicone implant. When the nasal base spreads out to the sides, light and shadow spread widely, so the middle of the nose looks flat and blends into the cheeks.

Narrowing the alae to line up with the inner corners of the eyes helps light fall in a straight line along the midline, so the nose looks slimmer, higher and more defined.

Combining Alarplasty With Rhinoplasty for the Facial Proportions You Want

Combining alarplasty with rhinoplasty can adjust the proportions of the face to look more balanced and defined than either procedure alone. Doing both at the same time lets the surgeon assess the height of the nasal bridge and adjust the width of the alae to match in one operation, with one recovery period instead of two separate ones.

This method suits people with a wide nasal base or thick alae that clearly flare out to the sides. Raising the nasal bridge lifts the skin of the nasal tip to some degree, and reshaping the alae at the same time can change wide, flat nostrils into an upright teardrop-shaped oval that suits the nasal tip. The surgeon usually sets the width of the alae to line up with the inner corners of the eyes at an angle of about 45 degrees for symmetry.

What Should You Watch for With Alarplasty, and What Side Effects Can Happen?

Alarplasty uses only local anaesthetic and takes about 30 to 45 minutes, so soreness afterwards is usually fairly mild compared with other types of plastic surgery. After the local anaesthetic wears off, the wound may feel tight for the first 2 to 3 days.

The main risks to watch for are raised scars or keloids in the crease of the nose, and nostrils that may not be even. Temporary side effects you may get include redness around the stitches and tightness, which gradually ease within 14 days. Cleaning the wound with cotton wool dipped in saline 2 times a day and applying a thin layer of antibiotic ointment can help prevent crusts of blood from building up.

Preparing for Alarplasty and Looking After Yourself to Help the Wound Heal

Preparing your body before surgery and caring for the wound properly can help shorten bruising and swelling. For 2 weeks before surgery, stop taking supplements and aspirin-type medicines to prevent slow blood clotting.

For the first 3 days after surgery, apply cold compresses around the nose regularly to reduce swelling, and follow this advice:

• clean the wound gently with cotton wool dipped in saline 2 times a day
• sleep with your head raised on high pillows for the first 5 days to help circulation and help the swelling go down
• avoid pickled or fermented and spicy foods and seafood for at least 14 days, to lower the chance of an itchy or inflamed wound

Why Choose S45 Clinic for Alarplasty

When reshaping the alae at S45 Clinic, the surgeon analyses how flared the alae are and how thick the alar tissue is, together with your goals, to recommend a suitable technique rather than using the same technique for every case. This helps ease worries about whether alarplasty will change your face, because the surgeon aims to keep your own features by designing a technique that suits each person.

S45 Clinic also puts emphasis on surgical standards and on lowering the chance of complications. For cases combined with rhinoplasty that need a general anaesthetic, an anaesthetist looks after you on a 1:1 basis. Our aftercare team also follows up for 3 to 6 months after surgery and gives detailed advice on wound care.

FAQs About Alarplasty Changing Your Face

Will the Alarplasty Scar Make My Face Look Odd, or Will the Stitches Be Obvious?

The scar from alarplasty does not usually make the face look odd or leave obvious stitch marks when it is hidden in the crease of the nose. The surgeon uses very fine stitches and hides the knots in less visible spots. The redness of the stitched wound gradually fades and blends with the surrounding skin within 1 to 3 months.

Will Alarplasty Alone, Without Raising the Nasal Bridge, Change My Face?

Alarplasty on its own can change the face for the better, especially for people who already have a fairly high nose but whose alae flare out to the sides. Removing excess alar tissue narrows the nostrils, so the nasal tip looks slimmer and more drawn in. Reducing the width of the nasal base creates a visual effect that makes the existing bridge look sharper and higher, without adding a silicone implant.

Will Alarplasty Make a Man’s Face Look Too Soft?

Alarplasty for men does not make the face look softer. The surgeon designs the shape to keep the sharper, more angular lines of a male nose. Narrowing wide, flared alae helps balance the proportions of the face for a neat, distinguished look.

If I Have a Wide Face and Full Cheeks, Will Alarplasty Alone Make My Face Look Slimmer?

Alarplasty on its own cannot make a wide face or full cheeks look slimmer, because the shape of the cheeks depends mainly on the jaw muscles and fat layers. However, reducing wide alae can make the middle of the face more symmetrical and the overall look more balanced, which answers the question of whether alarplasty changes your face once the swelling has fully settled, in about 3 to 6 months.

Summary

Does alarplasty change your face? Reducing wide alae can make the face look more balanced, because the middle of the face becomes narrower and suits the rest of the face. The features around it look more in proportion, and the existing nasal bridge stands out more once the wound has fully healed, in about 1 to 3 months.

If you want to improve the look of your face, choosing a technique that hides the scar in the crease of the alae, together with careful self-care, can lower the chance of scarring in the future.

Surgery and medical procedures carry risks. Find out about them and consult a doctor before you decide. Results depend on each person.