Buttock augmentation, or gluteal augmentation, is used to improve the contour, size and/or shape of the buttocks. Buttock augmentation is done through the use of buttock implants, fat grafting or sometimes a combination of the both. Buttock implants are silicone-filled devices that are surgically placed deep within the tissues of the buttock. Buttock augmentation through the use of fat grafting involves the transfer of fat from one area of the body into the tissues of the buttocks. This technique is sometimes referred to as a Brazilian Butt Lift.
Turns out buttock augmentation is one of the fastest growing cosmetic surgical procedures performed in the country, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Derrière implants increased by 18 percent between 2015 and 2016, while fat grafting procedures (where they literally inject more fat into your keister) jumped 26 percent during the same period.
Fat grafting is the most popular method of butt augmentation. With fat grafting, also called the Brazilian butt lift, the doctor starts by performing liposuction—removing fat from an area where it’s not wanted, like the stomach, thighs, or upper back, and injects it into the buttocks. Results are immediately visible, but you won’t see the final product until a year after surgery; it takes time for the body to form new blood vessels and truly incorporate the grafted fat.
Very thin patients who don’t have enough fat for liposuction might not be eligible for fat grafting, and these are the women who make good candidates for implants, says Mark Mofid, M.D., a plastic surgeon in La Jolla, California, and an ASAPS member.
Reasons for getting a butt lift
Why do people seek butt lifts? These are people who generally fit at least one of these categories:
- are looking to enhance the size of their buttocks
- are happy with the size but want improvements in the shape of their buttocks
- feel their body is not proportionate
- find that as they age, their butt is ‘drooping’
- want an enhancement to create a better balance of body shape
- believe more roundness and fullness will improve their figure
- want a procedure that both slims the waist and increases the size of the buttocks (Brazilian butt lift)
Butt lifts can be customized to the body type and goals of each patient.
Types of butt lifts
Butt implants or augmentation
Surgery with implants traditionally involves a gel silicone or water-filled device being placed into each side of your buttocks. This creates a full, rounded appearance. Gel silicone implants used to be used often, but if a rupture occurs, the gel silicone can leak causing a lumpy, undesirable appearance – which sometimes could include a risk of infection or damage to organs. Water-filled implants are more commonly used today, since a ruptured implant is less dangerous if it’s filled with water. However, even though a rupture of a water-based implant is not generally dangerous, it is still is a disadvantage to be aware of. Although ruptures are rare, they are possible especially in the event of a hard fall or trauma to the buttocks area. A rupture could cause drooping, lack of symmetry, and require another operation.
Newer type of butt implants: solid silicone
Today we have the option for performing butt implants with something called “solid silicone”. These implants retain the advantages of traditional butt augmentation, but with a major advancement: solid silicone cannot rupture. So, by using an implant made of solid silicone, there is not the same concern surgeons have had with either water-filled or gel silicone buttocks implants. However, butt implants always involve a scar, making them a less desirable option in many cases.
Brazilian butt lift
A Brazilian butt lift is an alternative to butt implants. This relatively new procedure gained popularity rapidly, because it has some significant advantages when you consider a Brazilian butt lift vs butt augmentation with implants.
- First of all, a Brazilian butt lift does not involve placing a foreign object into your body. Instead, the butt enhancement is done using your own fat. This means you’re not facing risk of allergic reaction or rejection from the body.
- Another important benefit is that while butt implants leave a scar, a Brazilian butt lift is performed by injection, and the sites of injection leave almost no visible marks.
- A Brazilian butt lift starts with our surgeon removing fat from another part of your body, so not only do you get a shapelier butt, but you also get slimming down of an area like the abdomen or hips.
- This type of butt lift is minimally invasive. In generally this means patients often have a shorter procedure, less down time, and an easier recovery.
Who is a good candidate for a Brazilian butt lift or butt augmentation?
Brazilian butt lifts and butt augmentations are good for some people, but not the right choice for everyone. Here are some characteristics that may make you a good candidate:
- In good overall health
- At a stable weight
- Over the age of 18
- Have some fat in an appropriate location for liposuction, since this is the fat, we transfer to your buttocks in the Brazilian butt lift
Have reasonable expectations for the recovery & your results.
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