Alar anaesthesia: A kinder method.

SUMMARY Local infiltration of anaesthetic in the ala of the nose is very uncomfortable for most patients. This is an area frequently operated on by dermatosurgeons under local anaesthesia as it is a common site for non-melanoma cutaneous malignancies. A simple method is described of providing more pleasant local anaesthesia for patients undergoing alar surgery by using nerve blocks prior to local infiltration.