A thick nostril is a disturbing deformity and one for which surgeons and patients may be reluctant to employ the traditional "piece of pie" skin excisions commonly described. As an alternative in selected circumstances, a method of internally thinning the nostril rim using an alar base groove incision known as alar rim excision is presented. An alar base resection can accompany this, or the incision can be used solely for access when reducing a bulky nostril, while avoiding additional scarring or the risk of alar rim elevation.