Introduction
In the last decade, the focus was clearly on the mighty bootie and this was reflected in an increase in demand for butt enhancement procedures. While working out at the gym and keeping a balanced and healthy diet can certainly help you have a good tonus and health, they can do little for the appearance of your buttocks.
The only methods that deliver good results that also last in time are provided by plastic surgery. There are different procedures that can be performed nowadays to enhance the appearance of the buttocks, and the one that is suitable for you will be recommended by the plastic surgeon during the pre-operative consultation. To get the best results possible and to avoid complications, make sure to choose a talented, experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon.
Buttock enhancement procedures
Depending on the anatomical characteristics and your aesthetic goals, the plastic surgeon will choose one or multiple procedures below:
- Butt implant surgery
It was recently that butt implant surgery has made it to the top ten most performed procedures in the United States, and this is clear proof that the procedure is more in demand than ever. The procedure is suitable for both men and women of different ages and it aims to correct the appearance of small and flat buttocks by adding volume in the form of implants.
The butt implants we use for this procedure are very different from breast implants. Gluteal implants are made to emulate the characteristics of the tissues where they will be inserted, which are the muscles of the buttocks. This means that they have a completely different consistency to breast implants, are firmer, and the silicone used is more cohesive. Butt implants look more like chunks of silicone than silicone bags with different fillings, as in the case of breast implants.
Another important thing to mention is about the durability of butt implants. The buttocks withstand a tremendous amount of pressure every day, much more compared to the breasts. This means that butt implants are designed to be much more durable, and they can last a lifetime after the surgery with no need to remove or replace them. The only reason to remove and replace butt implants is in case of achieving unsatisfactory results or if complications occur. Butt implants can’t rupture or leak, and the complication rate associated with the procedure is rather low. However, it is important to choose a highly experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon to help you make the best decision in terms of size and type of implants to be used.
When the procedure is performed, the incisions will be made in the intragluteal fold, so the scars left behind are not visible when the patient is wearing underwear. The implants are inserted into pockets created inside the gluteal muscles, so on the upper part of the butt where the muscles are positioned. This is the only type of implant placement that can be done when butt implant surgery is performed. Some surgeons will do the implantation under the gluteal muscles, but this is associated with a higher risk of developing complications. Due to the placement of the implants, the projection of the buttocks will be increased significantly, but there are no changes to the sides and lower part of the buttocks. For patients looking for a more complex improvement in the aesthetics of the buttocks, a combination of butt implant surgery with fat transfer to the butt might be recommended.
- Brazilian butt lift
The Brazilian butt lift has become more and more popular in recent years as it is performed exclusively with the patient’s own fat cells, so there are no foreign bodies or substances inserted into the buttocks. This means that the results are 100% natural and the buttocks also feel completely natural. The procedure is also known as butt lipofilling or fat grafting to the buttocks and has a high success rate when performed by a talented and experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon.
General anesthesia will be used for t fat transfer to keep the patient comfortable and so she can feel no pain. The first stage of the procedure is liposuction and it is performed as soon as the general anesthesia takes effect. Liposuction is performed on the donor areas, which are areas of the body with an excess of fat tissue that can be extracted and then processed. The donor areas frequently targeted for fat transfer are the abdominal wall and flanks, but it can also be the back or the thighs, depending on the anatomy of the patient.
After liposuction, fat is processed and then reinjected into the buttocks through small incisions. The scars left behind are very small and positioned both on the donor areas and the buttocks. If the cicatrization process is smooth and normal, the scars will be barely visible one year after the surgery.
Butt lipofilling is less invasive compared to butt implant surgery and the buttocks will be bigger, rounder and more alluring. At the same time, due to the combination with liposuction, the patient will enjoy a more aesthetic shape of the body.
A combination of the two procedures of butt implant surgery and fat transfer is called the hourglass butt augmentation and is a modern procedure that aims not only to correct the appearance of the buttocks, but also to give the patient the most sought after body type of all time: the hourglass body shape. When this procedure is performed, the plastic surgeon will inject fat on the hips as well to give them more volume and create alluring curves.
- Butt lift
Very different from the Brazilian butt lift, the butt lift is performed on patients with severe skin sagginess present in the buttocks. This saggy skin often occurs as a result of massive weight loss over a short period of time. If we perform other procedures on patients with saggy skin, the sagginess wouldn’t be corrected and hence the results won’t be satisfactory. It is important to understand that every time we are dealing with excessive skin loss, the only efficient solution is an excision of the skin that is in surplus. This means that when the butt lift is performed, the main aim is to eliminate the sagginess and restore good tension in the skin of the buttocks.
The type of anesthesia used in this case is also general anesthesia for the comfort of the patient. After the patient is unconscious, the plastic surgeon can start making the incisions. These incisions can be positioned in different areas of the buttocks under the buttocks, in the fold, on the upper part of the buttocks where the butt joins the back, and even in between the buttocks. The location of the incisions is dependent on whether the surgeon will correct other areas of the body together with the butt lift. For example, it is not uncommon to get a butt lift with a back lift or with a thigh lift. In the case of combined procedures, the plastic surgeon will try to make incisions to be able to work on both areas targeted.
At the same, a common procedure is the butt lift with implants. This procedure can deliver very good results for patients with small and flat buttocks and the aesthetics of the buttocks can be significantly improved.
Keep in mind that the butt lift shouldn’t be combined with fat transfer as the results are not going to last. An experienced plastic surgeon will be able to guide you towards the combination of procedures that is most suitable to help you reach your goals.
Conclusion
There are different buttock enhancement procedures that cater for different needs. During the pre-operative consultation and after a thorough medical examination and discussion about your goals and expectations from the surgery, the plastic surgeon will recommend the procedure that can help you get the buttocks of your dreams. Some patients might get the best benefits out of undergoing a butt implant surgery, while for others the Brazilian butt lift will be more suitable. The butt lift is a good option for patients who have lost a significant amount of weight and are left with saggy skin on the buttocks.