Reconstruction of the retracted nasal alar margin.

Disruption of the integrity of nasal alar subunit as a result of previous ablative surgery or trauma may cause severe retraction or notching. This article presents a technique of successful reconstruction of the severely retracted alar margin due to prior ablative surgery or trauma by utilizing a turn-in flap brought from the nasal skin adjacent to the alar defect for inner lining, an auricular cartilage graft for alar margin support and a two-stage nasolabial flap for skin coverage.