What’s all the buzz “behind” this popular, yet controversial procedure?
Unless you haven’t been “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” you’re probably aware that the new ideal dimensions for your derriere have grown in size. Gone are the days of waif-like supermodels with skinny legs that go for miles and extend up into barely-there bums. This decade has embraced celebrating your curves and accentuating your “assets” with an almost zealot like fervor.
Instagram is flooded with images of tiny waistlines off-set with curvy hips and round, high buttocks. This rapidly increasing popularity for all things “rump-related” has caused a massive spike in women seeking products, treatments, and surgeries to enhance the volume, lift, and shape of their buttocks. One procedure, in particular, the Brazilian Butt Lift, has gained particular notoriety not only for the shapelier behinds it creates, but also for how dangerous it can be when performed by an unlicensed or unqualified provider..
What makes a bottom beautiful?
They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This adage is certainly true when it comes to ideal standards for buttocks. Preferences vary greatly depending on age, race, ethnicity, culture, and even the area of the country or world you inhabit. Regardless of personal preference, scientific research has found that a waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) of 0.7 in women is generally considered to be the most attractive by men. Anthropologists hypothesize that this may have something to do with perceived fertility in women. Many surgeons use this ratio as a foundation for mapping out a patients’ ideal proportions when performing such surgeries as liposuction and the Brazilian Butt Lift.
At the end of the day, the most beautiful butt shape and size is the one that makes you feel your most confident!
What is the Brazilian Butt Lift?
As one of the most prominent plastic surgery meccas in the world, with beaches upon beaches of thong bikini-clad women and men, it’s no wonder that Brazil is the origin of the Brazilian Butt Lift surgical technique. During a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), fat is first harvested from the patient’s abdomen, flanks, hips, lower back, and/or thighs with liposuction. This removed fat is then cleaned and purified before being strategically injected back into the buttocks to enhance volume, lift, and overall shape to this area. As only 30-50% of these harvested fat cells will survive, it is common for surgeons to initially over-fill the treatment area to compensate for this gradual decrease.
Many patients are attracted to this surgery’s “two birds, one stone” approach. A Brazilian Butt Lift not only improves the shape and appearance of “problem areas” where fat is initially removed, but it repurposes that same fat to another area of your body where you desire more shape and volume. No implants are required, the surgery is less invasive than traditional butt lift surgery, and results last for years.
Contrary to its name, the Brazilian Butt Lift is NOT a traditional lifting procedure. If you have an excess of loose, sagging skin around your buttocks and hips, you may be a better candidate for butt lift and/or thigh lift surgery.
Who is a good candidate for Brazilian Butt Lift?
Genetics plays a pivotal role in the size and shape of your buttocks and overall midsection. Furthermore, your skeletal structure and how your body stores fat influences the appearance of your entire lower body. Although you may be able to build your glute muscles and reshape your behind slightly through diet and exercise, many people are still dissatisfied with the flatness, and lack of shape and lift to their buttocks, regardless of their healthy lifestyle.
A Brazilian Butt Lift can off-set your genetics and enhance not only your buttocks, but also surrounding areas such as your hips, abdomen, low back, and thighs..
You may be a good candidate for Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery if:
- You want to accentuate the curves of your lower body and create a more appealing waist-to-hip ratio
- You have adequate fat stores in common problem areas like your belly or flanks, want to improve those areas, and also want to add fullness to your buttocks
- You want your clothing to fit better and to feel more confident in tight-fitting clothing
- You want a more youthful-looking behind that achieves a better balance with the rest of your body’s proportions
- You desire minimal scarring
What is the recovery like after a Brazilian Butt Lift?
There’s no getting around it; we are humans, and we tend to sit on our behinds for a large portion of our day. Recovering from a Brazilian Butt Lift takes some special modifications after surgery, as you will not be allowed to sit or lie directly on your buttocks for around two weeks after your procedure. After this time, your surgeon may recommend that you use a donut cushion when sitting and that you sleep with a pillow between your knees to avoid pressure on the buttocks. Pain is generally minimal and easy to control, and most patients return to work 10-14 days after surgery and normal “sitting” activities 6 to 8 weeks after surgery.
How long will my Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery results last?
Expect your results with BBL surgery to last for many years. When fat cells are removed from an area of your body with liposuction, they do not return to that area. The portion of the fat cells that survive fat transfer during your surgery will remain in your buttocks for several years. Significant weight fluctuations may affect your results, so it is advisable to maintain a stable weight if possible.
Your final results are typically seen six months after surgery, as it takes time for post-surgical swelling to subside.
What is all the controversy surrounding Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery?
As previously discussed, the popularity of BBL surgery has sky-rocketed over the past decade. Unfortunately, any time this trend is seen with an elective procedure, many unqualified providers surface and jump at the chance to cash in on the demand. It then becomes common for physicians who practice in specialties of medicine with very little surgical training to attend a two to five-day training on the Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery and then market themselves as Cosmetic Surgeons. This non-recognized title can be misleading to patients and, as a result, many have suffered infections, deformities, and even death at the hands of unqualified and inexperienced providers. Complications generally arise when an inadequately trained provider mistakenly injects fat into the muscles of the buttocks and causes a fat embolism into the gluteal vein which can result death.
How can I keep myself safe and ensure that I am choosing a qualified provider for my Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery?
- Your surgery should only be performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon
- Make sure that your surgeon thoroughly discusses every aspect of your procedure with you during your consultation and is transparent about their credentials and experience
- Your surgeon should emphasize where the harvested fat will be injected, how it will be injected, and what position your body will be in while in surgery in the operating room
- Your procedure should only take place in an operating room, not an injection suite or other esthetic room within a medical spa
Have you always wanted a fuller and rounder backside? Is the idea of a smaller waistline and curvier hips and buttocks appealing to you? Then, it’s time to schedule a consultation to discuss all of the Buttocks Enhancement Surgeries offered at Edina Plastic Surgery. Call (952) 925-1758 to schedule a consultation with one of our Board-certified Plastic Surgeons today!
