Brazilian Butt Lift, commonly referred to as BBL, is one of the hottest trends in cosmetic surgery. Gone are the days of the skinny, flat booty and in are the voluptuous, full, “looks like it took hours in the gym”, sculpted backsides. Celebrities and influencers alike have garnered attention for their peach perfect assets and attribute their enhancements to the Brazilian Butt Lift. The BBL utilizes liposuction as well as fat grafting to provide a host of benefits in addition to a newly shaped lower body. These unique advantages include improving body proportions, reducing fat in other areas of the body, allowing for better fitting clothing, reducing cellulite, and providing a more natural look and feel opposed to implants or fillers.  

The Brazilian Butt Lift process requires that patients have realistic and attainable aesthetic goals. Patients should be aware that the most challenging part of recovery is staying off the buttocks for the first few weeks post-surgery. The transplanted fat cells are fragile within the first few weeks post-surgery. In addition, new blood vessels will take time to establish and provide oxygen and nutrients to new cells. Too much direct pressure can shift or destroy the newly transplanted fat and you want to ensure maximum survival of the grafted tissue. Patients are surprised to learn that only 60-80% of fat survives during the transfer. 

Under general anesthesia, fat is harvested by the process of liposuction. Fat is sucked out and inserted under the skin to contour the desired area. Fat may be removed from several areas such as the arms, thighs, abdomen, or back. Many patients desire eliminating fat at the back and stomach areas to help achieve an hourglass figure, smaller waist with a larger butt. The amount of fat varies per patient but procedures average between 10-20 pounds of fat. The next step is the processing of the harvested fat. Liposuction removes not only fat cells but also blood and fluid from the tissue. The harvested fat needs to be purified so that only healthy fat cells are used to create the required volume in the buttocks. After the fat is extracted and processed, the surgeon will transfer it to the buttocks through small injection tubes at various depths to upwards of hundreds of spots in the buttocks. Small amounts are necessary to not only create the ideal shape and balance but also to improve the survival rate of the cells. 

To find out if a Brazilian Butt Lift is right for you, set up a consultation with David W. Allison, MD by calling 703-754-8228. To learn more about body sculpting treatment options, visit our WEBSITE.