When viewed from underneath, the tip of the nose and the nostril appear as a triangle, which is called the pyriform aperture. In order to reduce the nose width, a surgeon will modify the pyriform aperture.
They can effectively reduce the nose width by making the angles of this triangle steeper at the juncture where the nostrils connect to the face.
Board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Gary Motykie provides rhinoplasty to patients in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, and surrounding communities.
What is Nasal Base Reduction?
A nasal base reduction is a rhinoplasty technique that enables the surgeon to make the nose base narrower in cases where it is too broad for the face structure. Nasal base reduction in some form is a standard part of revision rhinoplasty and rhinoplasty procedures.
The reduction of the nasal base is even more common in ethnic rhinoplasty procedures. Nose reshaping surgeries on African American, Asian, and Middle Eastern noses often involve nasal base reduction as these ethnicities tend to have a wider nose base.
Most patients seeking rhinoplasty complain that their nose appears excessively wide or large at the base. The base is typically measured from one nostril’s outer margin to the outer margin of the other nostril.
Ideally, the width of the nasal base should not be more than the distance between the two eyes. If there was an imaginary vertical line running down from the corner of the eye (inner canthus) on either side, the nose base should lie between these two lines.
However, it is vital to understand that this is the aesthetic ideal for a Caucasian nose. In the case of ethnic noses, this measurement may not be appropriate. Many ethnic rhinoplasty candidates will be able to attain more natural looking results if the nasal base is slightly wider than this measurement.
Anatomy Involved in Nasal Base Reduction
The surgeon must have in-depth knowledge of the nasal base anatomy to develop an appropriate surgical plan for individual nose surgery patients.
The columella is a column-like structure located in the middle of the nasal base. It bifurcates the nostrils into left and right portions. The alar base insertion refers to the portion of the nostril side wall that inserts into the junction of the upper lip and cheek. The nasal sill region is the area between the columella and the alar base insertion point.
A Wide Sill Area
Some nose surgery patients have a broad nasal base along with an excessively wide sill area that adds extra width to the nose. If the sill area is very wide, it could lead to a more horizontal type of nostril shape. This is commonly seen in patients with a wide nasal sill.
Cosmetic surgeon Dr. Gary Motykie receives patients from Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, and nearby areas for rhinoplasty.
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