With lots of celebrities inspiring the cultural appreciation for plump butts, women all over the world have started looking for ways to reshape their bodies. When it comes to adding more volume to the buttocks area, the Brazilian butt lift is one of the most popular procedures.
So what exactly does Brazilian butt lift fat grafting do? This well-known cosmetic surgery involves fat transfer from other parts of the body to the buttocks. The fat harvested from areas such as the hips, stomach, and thighs will be purified before it can be injected.
The Science Behind Brazilian Butt Lift Fat Grafting
Also commonly referred to as BBL, the Brazilian butt lift is an increasingly popular procedure that can provide a natural-looking buttock augmentation to patients. According to the American Society of Plastics Surgeons, 28,076 Brazilian butt lift procedures were performed in 2019 alone.
What makes this cosmetic surgery favorable for many is its customizability and how it provides the patients with lower risks of body rejection compared to buttock implants. Since it involves fat transfer from different parts of the body, the results of this body sculpting method are noticeable.
A BBL starts with the removal of fat from hips, thighs, abdomen, and other parts through liposuction. The derived adipose tissues will be purified first before it is injected into specific places in the lower back. This allows the lift to look more natural and symmetrical.
Is Brazilian Butt Lift Right for Me?
A Brazilian butt lift might help reshape the buttocks if you are self-conscious about it. However, this treatment is not for everyone – other patients are simply not qualified for a BBL because of different reasons including lack of areas for fat transfer. Patients can opt for a Brazilian butt lift if they:
- Want buttock augmentation without using implants
- Have enough fat stored in other parts of the body
- Can sacrifice sitting directly on the buttocks for weeks
- Have realistic expectations about the surgery
- Experienced weight loss and want their butt shape and volume restored
Consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon will help patients set clear goals about what they want to achieve with a Brazilian butt lift. Researching the procedure thoroughly will also help the patients understand the process and risk better.
Brazilian Butt Lift: Procedure Breakdown
Brazilian butt lift delivers natural results because it uses the patient’s own purified fat to enhance the volume in the gluteal area. For an effective procedure, the surgeons perform the following steps:
- Anesthesia – At the start of the procedure, the surgeon will provide anesthesia for the patient’s comfort. Depending on their recommendation and the patient’s preference, the surgeon can administer general anesthesia or intravenous sedation.
- Liposuction – The doctor will create small incisions on the parts where excess fat will be harvested. To reduce the bleeding or trauma in that area, diluted local anesthesia will be administered. After that, a thin hollow tube called a cannula will be inserted through the incisions to loosen the fat. The dislodged fat will be suctioned using a vacuum or syringe attached to the cannula. The surgeon will gather up to three times worth of fat from the body than what is needed to be injected into the buttocks.
- Fat Injection – The derived fat will be purified until they are ready to be injected into the gluteal area. For this process, the doctor will use a special cannula to create small injections all over the butt. After closing the incisions, a compression garment will be applied to the treatment areas to minimize the bleeding.
Once the surgery is completed, patients will notice a significant lift in their buttocks. However, there is a chance that the body will absorb up to 20-40% of the transferred fat. That’s why the “final” results of the procedure can only be seen 6-12 months after it was done. But the wait will be definitely worth it because BBL results are meant to last for several years.
Patients also don’t have to worry about the fat coming back to the areas where it was derived from. Fat cells that were transferred to the buttocks area and survived the body’s absorption will remain there indefinitely. However, patients should still keep a stable weight and a healthy body for optimal results.
What to Expect After Brazilian Butt Lift
If you are looking for a solution for flat buttocks, a Brazilian butt lift grafting will give you noticeable and natural-looking results that will last for years. Since it uses liposuction and fat injections to help achieve body goals, it provides patients with both sculpted bodies and butt lifts.
One concern for most Brazilian butt lift patients is how to deal with the aftermath of the procedure – how the recovery will go, what the results will be like, will they have to worry about possible side effects, and what they can do to minimize the risks after the treatment. By selecting a board-certified plastic surgeon to perform the procedure, patients can enjoy excellent aftercare.
Results
After spending thousands of dollars from your own pocket for the BBL, it’s only typical to expect long-lasting and noticeable results. Brazilian butt lift can show a significant volume increase in the buttocks immediately after the procedure, but the “final” look of the butt can take up to 6-12 months to settle. This is because the body absorbs some of the transferred fats, leaving only around 60-80% of the fat cells on the treatment area.
It’s also important to keep a stable weight to achieve positive results that will remain for several years even without additional procedures.
Risks and Side Effects
Although it carries fewer risks than other buttock augmentation treatments such as silicone buttock implants, BBL is still accompanied by certain side effects like most surgical procedures. These include:
- Pain
- Infection
- Scarring
- Lumps on the treatment area
- Loss of skin due to deep infection
One serious side effect of BBL is a fat embolism. This occurs when fat lodges in a blood vessel and blocks the blood flow, The current fatality rate of fat embolism as a result of BBL is 1 in 3000 patients. It can happen when the surgeon incorrectly injects the fat in the gluteal muscle instead of the subcutaneous tissue.
One effective way of minimizing the side effects that come with BBL is by selecting a board-certified plastic surgeon to perform it. A good surgeon should:
- Perform the procedure inside a sterile surgical facility
- Be certified to perform it and have a good amount of exercise to do so
- Have an efficient and clean technique for harvesting the fat and injecting it
Aftercare
Another way to prevent serious complications and achieve optimal results is by listening to the doctor’s aftercare instructions. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to help patients manage their bodies after a BBL procedure:
Do
- Stretch your legs by walking to decrease the risk of developing blood clots
- Wear the compression garment
- Rest on your stomach for the first three weeks
- Keep yourself hydrated
- Take the prescribed medications
Don’t
- Sit on the buttocks for the first few weeks
- Put any stress on the treatment area
- Smoke for at least 2 months
- Wear the compression garment too tightly
Try Brazilian Butt Lift at Ethos Spa
Here at Ethos Spa, we offer a safer alternative to BBL fat grafting that’s just as effective – the Sculptra Brazilian Butt Lift. With our state-of-the-art facilities, patients can enjoy a quick and painless procedure that will provide them with natural-looking lifted buttocks.
Learn more: Who Is a Good Candidate for Sculptra Butt Lift?
