Nasal defect is very common in clinical practice. However, how to effectively reconstruct the normal anatomical structure and restore the aesthetics of the nose has always been challenges in reconstructive nasal surgery. The classical nasal reconstruction principle based on nasal aesthetic subunits provides important guidance for surgeons. Nevertheless, with the continuous development of the discipline and the increasing requirements of patients for aesthetics and functions, is the nasal aesthetic subunit principle still applicable? What have scholars done to supplement and improve this classic principle? How can this principle be effectively applied in the intranasal lining reconstruction? To address these issues, this review focuses on the anatomical basis, the development and application of aesthetic subunit principle, in order to provide reference for the selection of nasal reconstruction surgery.