At the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA, we often get clients looking to enhance the aesthetic of their buttocks. Sometimes, they want to improve the symmetry of the buttocks. Others feel the loose skin and lack of volume makes them look older than they are. Today, we answer some of our most frequently asked questions about the Brazilian buttock lift.
15 FAQs About Brazilian Buttock Lifts Answered
1. Is a Brazilian Buttock Lift Permanent?
The fat harvesting portion of the procedure is permanent. Once fat cells are removed from an area of the body, they cannot be grown back. The fat transferring portion of the procedure is permanent once the fat cells have taken hold in the area. However, the skin tightening effects of the procedure will eventually diminish due to the effects of gravity and aging.
2. Where Can I Have Fat Harvested From?
Regarding where you can have fat harvested from, your options are virtually limitless. To determine the best place to have your fat grafted from, you must consider where you have enough fat to remove. Here are the most common places we use liposuction to remove fat from:
- Neck
- Knees
- Upper arms
- Thighs
- Hips
- Waist
- Abdomen
If you are disturbed by the excess fat in a certain region but don’t have enough fat in that region for your Brazilian buttock lift, we can remove fat from that region and another one or two. During your initial consultation, we will help you determine the ideal regions to harvest fat from. We will also advise if other regions are ideal for further liposuction.
3. Will I Be Awake During the Procedure?
This is up to you. We usually perform this procedure under general anesthesia, so you would not be awake during the procedure. However, if only a small volume of fat is harvested and transferred, you may receive just a local anesthetic. If anesthesia causes you gastrointestinal distress, we can give you anti-nausea medication before your procedure.
4. How Is Liposuction Performed?
There are several liposuction techniques that may be used depending on your unique needs. But they all involve a cannula (thin tube) attached to a suction device. Excess fat is suctioned out of your trouble region, centrifuged (spun rapidly), cleaned, and processed for transfer. Only tiny incisions are necessary to insert the equipment.
5. How Is the Fat Transferred?
Once the whole, healthy fat cells have been separated from the liquid and any damaged fat cells, they are ready for transfer to the buttocks. The fat is injected via syringe into strategic parts of the buttocks to create a symmetrical, rounded look. Depending on the extent of the fat transfer required, you may need three to five incisions to make the transfer.
6. What Happens Next?
The incisions made for the liposuction and fat transfer are closed with stitches. You will be given prescription-strength compression garments to speed the recovery process.
7. What Are the Benefits of This Procedure?
The primary benefit of this procedure is that there is no risk of an allergic reaction. Silicone buttock implants may be rejected by your body as the foreign materials they are. With a Brazilian butt lift, your buttocks are augmented by your body’s own fat.
Even better, the results look and feel natural: because they are. You also don’t need regular imaging tests to ensure the continued structural integrity and appropriate position of the implants.
8. What if I Lose Weight After the Procedure?
If you lose weight after your procedure, you may notice a slight volume decrease in your buttocks. Because you cannot tell your body where to lose weight, some of the fat cells in your buttocks may shrink.
We strongly recommend this procedure to people who are confident that they can maintain their body weight. This ensures the continued results of the procedure. If you have excess weight to lose, hold off on this procedure until you are within 10 pounds of your goal weight.
9. What if I Gain Weight After the Procedure?
If you gain weight after your Brazilian butt lift, again, there is no telling which fat cells will expand. The fat cells remaining in the area that received liposuction may expand. Or, you may gain weight somewhere else entirely.
We usually recommend this procedure to people who are done having children because pregnancy usually results in fat gain. If you get pregnant after this procedure and gain weight, you may need an additional liposuction procedure to recover your aesthetic.
10. What if I’m Over 10 Pounds Away From My Goal Weight?
If you’re over 10 pounds away from your goal weight, you may still be a good candidate for this procedure. We review everyone on a case-by-case basis. However, we strongly recommend against this procedure if you are over 30 pounds from your goal weight.
When you have over 30 pounds of excess fat to lose, you may not be satisfied with the results of liposuction. Moreover, as you lose weight to reach a healthy weight, you will probably burn fat from your buttocks. If you lose too much weight from your buttocks, the effects of the procedure are negated and your skin may sag again.
11. Am I a Good Candidate for This Procedure?
The best candidate for a Brazilian butt lift is at or near his or her ideal weight. The best candidate for this procedure has lost the natural shape of the buttocks due to weight fluctuations or age. A good candidate feels uncomfortable in his or her clothes.
The best candidate does not smoke and leads an overall healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise. The ideal candidate has enough stored fat for grafting and has not had an infection within two weeks of the procedure.
12. How Soon Will I See the Results of the Procedure?
The results of the procedure are immediately apparent. However, it can take up to six months to see the final results of the procedure. This is because only 65% to 70% of the grafted fat takes hold. To account for this, we transfer more fat than is necessary to achieve the ideal aesthetic.
It can take up to six months for the strongest transferred fat to take hold in your buttocks. Your skin also needs time to settle and adjust to the new volume of the buttocks.
13. Can I Smoke After My Procedure?
You cannot smoke in the six weeks leading up to or following your procedure. There are over 100 chemical compounds in cigarettes, including nicotine. Nicotine constricts your blood vessels, which elevates your blood pressure. If you need help to quit smoking, tell your doctor and ask for help.
14. What Else Should I Avoid After My Procedure?
You should not take NSAIDs or any other medications that prevent blood clotting for two weeks post-op. Similarly, you must avoid taking any nutritional supplement that can thin your blood, like garlic or fish oil.
15. What Will the Activity Timeline Look Like After My Procedure?
For the first two weeks post-op, you should use a specially designed pillow when you sit to ensure you don’t put too much pressure on your buttocks. You should take short, regular walks. However, you should avoid strenuous cardio or resistance training as these activities can elevate your blood pressure.
During the third week post-op, you should focus on resistance training and only perform very light cardio. This ensures your circulatory system is running strongly so the fat cells are more likely to stabilize and survive. Simultaneously, you mitigate your risk of burning fat during your exercise. Be sure to eat plenty of calories on the days that you exercise.
Discover How to Achieve Your Ideal Aesthetic Today
Are you sick and tired of the way you look and feel in your skinny jeans? Do you lack the confidence to rock a bikini due to sagging buttocks? If so, a Brazilian buttock lift may be just what you need to find the self-confidence you lost. To learn more, contact us today at the office of Dr. Bruce Kadz in Beverly Hills, CA to schedule your initial consultation.
