Q. I’m wondering whether swelling after alar reduction can recover within a week

Hello, I’m Director Kim Hyeong-taek of Cowon Plastic Surgery.

The nose is located at the center of the face, so even small changes can have a big impact on the overall image.

In particular, when the alar area looks wide or spreads outward, the nose can appear larger than it actually is.

That is why many people want to create balance through procedures such as alar reduction.

During consultations, I make sure to listen enough to the areas causing discomfort and the direction the patient wants,

and I try to find the optimal surgical method together based on each person’s facial structure.

Rather than an excessive procedure, it is important to achieve natural harmony through only the methods truly needed for the individual.

I also explain realistically the changes that may occur after surgery and the recovery process,

so that the patient can achieve a stable result within a predictable range.

Today, based on a real inquiry, I will answer questions related to recovery after alar reduction surgery.

Q.

My nostrils look wide, which makes my nose seem larger, so I’m considering alar reduction surgery.

I’m making this decision somewhat suddenly, so my reservation may be a bit late, but would it be okay if I take about 2–3 days off after the surgery?

It’s fine as long as the swelling is not too severe and I can still manage daily life.

Also, I heard that alar reduction surgery does not require a splint. Is that true?

#nose surgery #rhinoplasty #alar reduction #alar reduction swelling #alar reduction one week #Cowon Plastic Surgery

A.

Hello. This is Kim Hyeong-taek, a plastic surgery consultant on HiDoc-Naver Knowledge iN.

When only alar reduction is performed, no separate splint is used.

Also, when only alar reduction is done, the swelling is not very severe, so as you mentioned, even with just 2–3 days available, daily life is usually not greatly affected.

However, right after surgery, the sutures along the side of the nose may be visible, and if you are okay with that, you can still be active even after a short rest period.

In addition, if you wear a mask, the stitched area will not stand out as much, so it will be less noticeable, and the recovery period can be more comfortable.

In general, the stitches are removed around one week after alar reduction, and until then the sutured area will remain visible.

Also, even after removal, the stitched area may look red for about 2 more weeks, but it gradually fades and recovers.

In summary, alar reduction surgery does not require a splint, and because the swelling is not severe, returning to daily life relatively quickly is possible.

However, scars or redness may remain for a certain period, so you should monitor the progress for at least one week after alar reduction.

There is no need to worry too much, and it will gradually recover over time.

I hope you have a good result.

I hope this consultation was helpful. Thank you.

Source

https://kin.naver.com/qna/detail.naver?d1id=7&dirId=70110&docId=177389466&page=1#answer1

Everyone’s nose size is different, but wide nostrils can give a somewhat stuffy impression.

People who want a refined and feminine image also consider improving this along with tip surgery.

I will explain this while looking at a case review of alar reduction surgery performed at Cowon, a well-known place for nose surgery.

In this case, the woman was worried because her nose was small but also low.

The tip spread out to both sides, giving it a typical East Asian nose shape that looked less three-dimensional.

From below, the cartilage was spread widely, making the nostrils look flattened.

Because she wanted a natural shape, we performed nasal heightening together using the relatively less noticeable tip cartilage tying method.

During this process, I explained in advance the swelling that may appear immediately after surgery.

From the front, the bridge of the nose was low and tilted to one side.

Because there was a form of deviated septum, Cowon, a well-known place for nose surgery, performed correction at the same time as the surgery.

When the nose is low, the degree of deviation is not very noticeable, but once it is raised, it can stand out more, so correction was needed.

Even during this correction process, swelling around the alar area may occur initially, but it gradually stabilizes over time.

Comparing the before-and-after photos of the tip surgery, the shape of the nostrils became much sharper than before.

By lifting the low, blunt tip, the impression changed to something clearer and cleaner.

For a natural result, 4 mm silicone was used, and the overall facial features appeared more refined.

The insufficient septal cartilage was reinforced with ear cartilage to design the height.

While correcting the spread alar area and tip cartilage, non-incisional alar reduction was also performed.

Even from the front, the spread-out appearance of the nose was reduced, giving a sharper impression.

In general, stitches are removed around one week after alar reduction, and after that the healing process gradually becomes more natural.

If you do not want scars left on the side wing area of the nostrils, a non-incisional method is also possible.

At Cowon, a famous plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam, the design is carefully considered so that scars are less visible and recovery can proceed naturally.

Immediately after surgery, redness may remain, but it usually fades enough not to stand out after more than one week following alar reduction.

For those who want to improve the height or shape of the nose, it is important to find the method best suited to them.

Make a consultation appointment at Cowon!

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