The present invention relates to external devices for dilating nasal passageways and to the manufacture thereof. More specifically, the external nasal dilator of the present invention usually comprises a resilient sheet, an adhesive layer, and an adhesive-protecting sheet. In some embodiments of the external nasal dilator, the resilient sheet defines a groove for reducing the peel force that results from bending the dilator over the bridge of the nose. In addition to the groove or in lieu thereof, some embodiments of the external nasal dilator comprise a nasal passage region having a reduced width to reduce the peel force. Finally, the dilator can comprise a sheet of adhesive tape, which in some embodiments can provide an instant tack surface to facilitate application of the dilator.