William Bruno Plastic Surgery is a proud provider of the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), a surgical method that uses the patient’s own body fat to reshape and enlarge the buttocks for a curvier figure. Naturally, many women have questions about the procedures as they research whether a BBL would help them meet their beauty goals. Dr. Bruno has compiled some of the most commonly asked questions and his answers to them to help you do your research.
Why Should I Consider a Brazilian Butt Lift over Other Options?
There are three types of buttock enhancement surgeries that aim to achieve an individual’s desired shape and appearance: fat grafting into the buttocks tissue (Brazilian Butt Lift), silicon implants inserted in the buttocks tissue (butt augmentation), and a combination of fat grafting and gluteal implants. While each of these procedures has benefits, the Brazilian Butt Lift offers unique aesthetic benefits other procedures do not.
Less Risk of Complications or Rejection
BBLs are exclusively done with fat grafting. Fat tissue is extracted from one area of your body and transferred to your buttocks to ensure a natural-looking result and a more balanced overall physique. By utilizing your body’s own fat, there is minimal risk of rejection or complications, as the tissue is biocompatible.
Additionally, while silicone implants are proven to be safe, some clients may experience discomfort or irritation after implantation. Brazilian Butt Lifts avoid this irritation by using your own fat cells.
BBL Results Last Longer
Silicone implants last a long time, but no material lasts forever. Butt augmentation procedures using silicone implants may need to be replaced approximately every 10 years to retain your preferred shape. Brazilian Butt Lifts, however, use fat tissues from your own body, which then become a natural part of your body. This approach makes the results of BBLs last longer than traditional implants, as long as you maintain a stable weight and follow your doctor’s post-operative instructions.
Body Contouring and Slimming
One significant advantage of BBLs is the additional changes that are provided by the procedure. Since the Brazilian Butt Lift approach removes fat from targeted areas of your body, you and your surgeon can discuss and determine from which part of the body the fat will be harvested for your surgery, which can make the harvested areas appear slimmer. The redistribution of fat cells from one part of the body to the buttocks provides a comprehensive opportunity to both enhance the buttocks and create a more sculpted, complementary silhouette for an overall body transformation.
Is a Brazilian Butt Lift Ideal for You?
If you are interested in a Brazilian Butt Lift, one of the first steps is meeting with a plastic surgeon who will confirm that you are qualified for a butt lift. This qualifying consultation and exam simply means ensuring that you are a good candidate for safe and effective surgery.
To get a Brazilian Butt Lift, you will need to see if you have excess fat cells elsewhere in the body that can be liposuctioned and reinjected to enhance the shape of your buttocks. Generally speaking, this means having a body mass index of at least 22, though there are exceptions.
It is also crucial that you be in good physical shape overall, as recovery from a Brazilian Butt Lift can take some time and will require all your strength. If you have adopted a healthy lifestyle, including a sound diet and regular exercise, then you are very likely eligible for a BBL.
Another important consideration is smoking. You will need to abstain from any nicotine use for at least two weeks before the procedure and then for at least two weeks after. Smoking causes the blood vessels to constrict, among many other health risks. When you get a Brazilian Butt Lift, however, you need those blood vessels to be as big and as healthy as can be, providing a healthy blood supply to the fat that is taken from problem areas and then injected into the buttocks.
If you have any specific questions about your eligibility for a safe, effective Brazilian Butt Lift, we really do encourage you to speak with a plastic surgeon one-on-one.
What Can I Do If I am Too Thin for a Brazilian Butt Lift?
Again, it is imperative to understand that a successful Brazilian Butt Lift requires you to have some excess or unwanted fat somewhere on your body; a good metric here is BMI of 22 or more, though this is just a rule of thumb.
So what about patients who simply do not have enough extra fat? The only other option is to use silicone butt implants. You cannot use fat from another person to have a successful Brazilian Butt Lift.
4 Ways to Maintain Your Brazilian Butt Lift Results
- Steer clear of the gym for at least eight full weeks following your BBL surgery. Remember that you need as many fat cells to survive the transfer to your buttocks as possible, and strenuous exercise within those first couple of months can kill off too much of that injected fat. Stick to short, easy walks for exercise until you are cleared for the gym.
- Putting any pressure on your buttocks immediately after a Brazilian Butt Lift can irritate the surgical site and kill off the injected fat cells. When you lie down to sleep, lie on your side or stomach as opposed to sleeping on your back. Just as your sleeping posture can affect BBL results, so can the way you sit. When sitting, use pillows to prop up your thighs and mimic a sitting position rather than actually sit down. Try to maintain this habit for at least a couple of weeks following your surgery.
- Maintaining a healthy, stable body weight will be crucial. Minor changes to your weight can increase or decrease the amount of fat equally across your body, so the proportions that were enhanced in a BBL will stay the same. However, more significant weight fluctuations can reduce those proportions and leave you with less pronounced buttocks than you might have wanted.
Preparing for a Brazilian Butt Lift
In addition to quitting smoking, there are a few other steps you can take to prepare for a Brazilian Butt Lift.
- Enlist someone to help you. You will need someone there to drive you home following your procedure. In addition, it is recommended that you have someone to stay with you for the first 24 hours or more after surgery, monitoring you and providing help should any emergencies or complications arise.
- Stock up on fluids. After your procedure, you will want to stay hydrated with plenty of water and Gatorade. Not only will this help flush the lingering anesthesia out of your system, but it will also expedite the healing process.
- Maintain a healthy diet. Both before and after the procedure, make sure you stick with nutritious foods that will give your body the strength it needs to heal properly.
- Prepare your home. First and foremost, understand that you cannot sit on your bottom for at least two weeks. You will also need assistance moving around and getting snacks or drinks, especially for the first week of your recovery. Above all, make sure you have either a couch or a bed where you can rest comfortably on your stomach.
- Take some PTO. It is highly recommended that patients take one to two full weeks to rest and recover, which will give optimal results from their BBL procedure.
- Talk with your surgeon about pain management options and aftercare. Before you go in for your surgery, make sure you have all the information you need about compression garments and wound care. And, if your surgeon prescribes a pain management option, fill that prescription in advance.
What If You Want to Get Pregnant One Day?
A number of women show an interest in getting a Brazilian Butt Lift but also have concerns about future complications; in particular, you may wonder if there is anything unwise about getting a Brazilian Butt Lift if you also hope to one day get pregnant.
Even if you hope to get pregnant one day, it is still safe to get a Brazilian Butt Lift. There is no need for you to wait until your childbearing days are over for you to pursue the full, shapely buttocks you desire. Women gain weight during pregnancy, but this weight gain is not excessive for most women. And, much of that weight gain happens in the breasts and abdominal region – not necessarily the buttocks.
As such, pregnancy-related weight gain is unlikely to diminish the results of your Brazilian Butt Lift.
What Surgeries Can I Combine With a Brazilian Butt Lift?
For patients who want to combine their Brazilian Butt Lift with an additional cosmetic procedure, Dr. Bruno often recommends a tummy tuck. While the Brazilian Butt Lift is already a combination procedure (combining liposuction and a butt lift), the additional slimming effect of a tummy tuck often gives patients the overall bodily proportions and shape they want.
The tummy tuck removes excess skin from the abdomen and tightens abdominal muscles to give you a smooth, flat tummy. This procedure will not be compromised by the healing process required by a BBL since there is no need to avoid laying on your belly after a tummy tuck.
Is It True A Brazilian Butt Lift Will Also Reshape My Waistline?
The wonderful thing about this procedure is that patients with excess fat stores around their waist are ideal candidates because the ready supply of fat cells ensures sufficient quantity for the desired increase in size. In the end, you get a rounder, sexier rear and a slimmer waistline – everything you want and nothing you don’t.
Talk To Dr. Bruno About Brazilian Butt Lifts
Dr. Bruno is a dedicated provider of Brazilian Butt Lifts and has helped many women obtain the figures they wanted. He aims to be a resource for anyone considering a BBL to help them determine if the procedure is right for them. To learn more about BBLs in general and the specific approach used at William Bruno Plastic Surgery, please visit our dedicated Brazilian Butt Lift page and Dr. Bruno’s page.
