The Brazilian Butt Lift has gained huge popularity over the last several years as celebrities like Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, and Jennifer Lopez flaunt their derriere. In a “BBL”, or Gluteal Augmentation, liposuction is performed of the abdomen, lower back, and any other needed areas and then the fat is transferred to the buttock in order to increase the size and improve shape.

 

WHY ARE BBLS PERFORMED?

brazilian butt lift

This procedure is typically performed for one of two reasons: to increase the size or to improve the shape of the buttock. Women (and men) of different ethnicities have different perceptions of beauty and what they find attractive. Therefore, every patient is going to have a different expectation of what they want their buttock to look like. Some may really want a larger backside, while others may want to keep their booty the same size but improve the shape to what they think looks attractive.

For a detailed description of the different “booty” shapes, check out Dr. Arslanian’s blog.

BBL Informative Video

How are BBLs performed? Is it Safe?

With Brazilian Butt Lifts and any other cosmetic surgery, Dr. Arslanian delivers beautiful, natural results and insists on going above-and-beyond the highest safety standards by using the most advanced, clinically-tested liposuction techniques. Patients can rest assured they are in extremely qualified hands through every step of their Brazilian Butt Lift.

With the Brazilian Butt Lift, Dr. Arslanian will be using SAFELipo.

SAFElipo is an advanced liposuction method developed to improve contouring results and reduce irregularities. It is a liposuction technique that is especially well-suited to the demands of a Brazilian Butt Lift. Additionally, for a Brazilian Butt Lift, Dr. Arslanian combines SAFELipo with the use of a “closed harvesting system” during fat transfer. A closed harvesting system protects harvested fat from open air to decrease infection rates and increase fat retention in the treated area.

fat transfer buttocks

SAFELipo training standards are some of the most rigorous in the world, requiring board-certification and additional, specialized SAFELipo training courses. Born in the early 2000s, SAFELipo is an evolved form of power-assisted liposuction that was developed in response to the increasing number of patients seeking correction after laser, radiofrequency, and ultrasonic liposuction treatments. Those “thermal” liposuction techniques consistently resulted in hard-to-correct damage to soft tissues that led to inflammation and uneven contours of the body.

With all the recent news on the dangers of low-quality Brazilian butt lift practices, ASPS (the governing authority in plastic surgery) has warned against injecting fat into the muscle layer during a Brazilian butt lift. Dr. Arslanian has never used direct-to-muscle injection techniques and performs fat injections in the subcutaneous fat layer (which is notably safer and more resilient).

With SAFELipo, body contouring is broken down into three steps: separation, aspiration, and fat equalization.

Separation: Specially-designed “Exploded” probes separate and remove fat tissue without damaging or tearing away at delicate surrounding tissues such as the stromal network or supporting blood vessels. Through this process, fat is “loose and emulsified” which is a gentler method altogether.

Aspiration: During this step, fat is transported away from the body through thinner cannulas. Thinner cannulas reduce bruising and swelling after surgery. The use of thinner cannulas is made possible due to the use of exploded probes.

Fat Equalization: This is the final and critical difference for ensuring smooth body contouring and avoiding lumps, bumps, and wavy skin. Fat equalization is achieved because the first two steps of SAFELipo leaves a thin layer of subcutaneous fat intact just beneath the skin layer. This stops the fat layer from adhering to the muscle layer which is the cause of dimpling, divots and wavy skin after liposuction. Fat equalization achieved by SAFELipo solves the issue of uneven skin, an issue that has plagued all other types of liposuction.

The use of SAFELipo not only provides smoother body contouring but also improves the safety outcomes of the Brazilian butt lift.

Non-Surgical Butt Lifts

For some patients who are especially trim or lack excess donor body fat for transferring, Non-surgical Butt Lifts are a great option. Non-surgical butt lifts are also ideal for those who prefer a non-surgical option with minimal downtime and no pain.

Non-surgical butt lifts are performed using a combination of injectables: Sculptra and Kybella.

Sculptra is a dermal filler composed of poly-L-lactic acid, which is a volumizing agent designed to fill volume deficits.

Kybella is a dermal injection composed of deoxycholic acid which breaks down fatty tissues resulting in slimming and sculpting. Kybella is safe, proven and already in widespread use as a double-chin reduction treatment.

Sculptra and Kybella function in harmony to boost and sculpt the buttock area without surgery. There is no pain and minimal downtime associated with the non-surgical butt lift.

IDEAL CANDIDATES

The ideal candidate for a BBL is one in good health without significant medical problems. They should have reasonable expectations of their outcome and understand the potential risks and complications that may occur. Patients that are very overweight with a BMI over 35 are not good candidates due to higher complication rates and less likelihood of a satisfactory outcome. Also, patients that have minimal body fat, may also not be candidates as there needs to be sufficient donor fat available to transfer to the buttock. Much of this depends on the individual’s desires and expectations, and the best course of action if unsure is to discuss this with Dr. Arslanian in consultation.

CONSULTATION

During your consultation, you will meet with Dr. Arslanian and his staff and have the opportunity to discuss your individual situation as well as your concerns and aesthetic goals. Dr. Arslanian will take a thorough history and perform a complete examination of your problem areas and buttock. Photos will be taken to help Dr. Arslanian point out certain things and explain his approach to gluteal augmentation. If you are deemed a good candidate, he will discuss the various options and make sure you are happy with your decision. He will also show you photos of other patients before and afters to give you a reasonable idea of expectations. After answering all your questions, you will then sit down with the surgical coordinator to discuss timing, pricing, and any other questions you might have.

PREPARATION

Prior to surgery, you will be given instructions on the day, time and location of your procedure. You will be given your prescriptions that Dr. Arslanian prescribes, and all of your paperwork including consent forms will be signed. In some cases, you may need to obtain medical clearance from your physician or specialist, and possibly meet with the anesthesiologist and undergo additional lab work depending on your medical issues and personal situation.

PROCEDURE

The procedure will be performed as an outpatient in an accredited surgery center with a board certified anesthesiologist in the safest conditions possible. The surgery will be performed under general anesthesia. Pre-operative markings will typically be made the morning of surgery.

After you are asleep, Dr. Arslanian will start by making his sub centimeter incisions for the liposuction cannulas. SAFE liposuction will then be performed to harvest the fat. The fat will then be processed while Dr. Arslanian continues to contour and sculpt the waist and buttock region. Once that is complete, Dr. Arslanian will then prepare the fat and begin injecting it into the buttock and surrounding areas in order to achieve the appropriate size and shape you are looking for. You will then be placed into a compression garment and awakened from general anesthesia and transferred to the recovery room.

brazilian butt lift

RECOVERY

You will go home the same day of surgery and rest. You will need to modify your sleeping and sitting positioning. You will not be able to sit directly on the fat grafted area for 4-6 weeks, although this will vary depending on your individual procedure. Patients will typically need a special donut pillow in order to sit down at a chair without putting pressure directly on the buttock. You will need to wear your compression garment for 6 weeks to minimize bruising and swelling. You will then transition over to a less compressive garment like “Spanx” for another 6 weeks. You can begin resuming normal activities after 2-3 weeks and should be fully recovered by about 6 weeks.

RESULTS

brazilian butt lift

Brazilian butt lift patients can expect most of the swelling to be resolved by 3 months, but 10-15% of the swelling can persist to 6 or even 12 months. Fat graft retention can be somewhat variable, but on average 60% of the fat will survive. For this reason, Dr. Arslanian will typically “over-graft” in order to compensate for some of the fat loss over the next several months. In some patients, a touch-up procedure may need to be performed in order to harvest more fat and add it to the buttock to achieve the desired size.

PRICE

The cost of your procedure/treatment will vary depending on the extent of your individual case and whether you choose to add any additional procedures. We would be more than happy to give you a detailed customized quote when you schedule a consultation with Dr. Arslanian.