Sometimes, the size, shape, or perkiness of your buttocks can have a great impact on your body confidence. For many men and women, a butt that has lost skin elasticity can be a reason to feel self-conscious. However, a procedure such as a butt lift can tighten, lift, and tone your buttocks with fast results. Learn more about this procedure before you schedule your consultation with Eric P. Bachelor, MD in Pleasanton, CA, and Danville, CA.
How Does a Butt Lift Work?
A butt lift works by contouring the buttocks to match the ideal shape of your body. Every procedure will be customized to follow the natural contours of your buttocks while also helping you achieve your natural ideal body shape. This procedure will require the use of general anesthesia and will involve two main steps: a fat transfer and skin excision.
Fat Transfer
Fat transfer is the most significant portion of this procedure and it can happen in two ways. The first is that unwanted fat will be removed from the buttocks to slim down the shape of your posterior. On the other hand, if you want to increase the size or firmness of your buttocks, a fat transfer will work by removing that in one area of the body and placing fat directly in the buttocks to achieve the ideal contour for your body shape.
Fat transfer is one of the biggest benefits of this treatment, particularly if you want to contour other areas of your body. For example, fat harvested from the abdomen can help you slim down your stomach and waist, while also allowing you to enhance the shape of your lower body.
Skin Excision
The second step will be skin excision. This step is ideal for tightening loose skin and lifting the buttocks into a higher position. Skin excision may also help your results last longer, particularly if you are fighting the visible signs of aging. Skin excision may be especially important if you have lost a significant amount of weight or if you are contending with cellulite, which can appear more dramatic when you have loose skin on the buttocks.
What Can You Expect From the Procedure?
This is a surgical procedure that will take a few hours to complete. Before you are scheduled for your surgery, you will need to attend a consultation with your plastic surgeon so that your aesthetic goals can be discussed and your treatment plan can be mapped out. During your consultation, it’s also important to go over your general health history, including whether you have recently been pregnant or lost a significant amount of weight.
All the details covered in your consultation will be used to determine whether you are a candidate for this treatment. For some people, depending on their aesthetic goals, different treatments may be recommended to tone and lift the buttocks. For example, CoolTone or CoolSculpting for the buttocks may be preferred if you only have moderate body contouring goals.
What Should You Do Before Surgery?
Before your procedure, you will need to set up a recovery area in your house so you can be comfortable during the first several days after your surgery. Your recovery area should include necessities such as prescriptions, water, healthy snacks, and entertainment. Preparing a recovery area for your surgery will make your aftercare much easier to manage.
You also need to arrange for transportation on the day of your surgery, and it’s often a good idea to have help at home for the first 12 to 24 hours. You may need to temporarily discontinue taking some medications that may cause blood thinning.
What Should You Do After the Procedure?
After your procedure, it’s usually recommended that you lay on your side instead of on your back to avoid placing pressure on your buttocks. You may be given a compression garment to be worn for several days after surgery, and it may be recommended that you avoid sitting directly on the buttocks as much as possible.
You may be given pain medication or other prescriptions to use during your post-surgical period. If you have surgical dressings after your surgery, these dressings and drains can be removed about three to five days after your surgery. You may have follow-up appointments to check on your healing process.
What Is Your Recovery Like?
Your recovery timeline will usually take two to four weeks and may depend on your general health. For example, active people tend to have faster recovery times because they have a healthier constitution.
During your recovery, you will not be able to lift anything heavy or engage in strenuous exercise for several days. You may also want to take a few days off from work so you can focus on resting after your surgery. You will be able to engage in light activity, such as stretching or walking, several days after your procedure.
How Quickly Will You See Results?
Most patients will notice immediate results after this procedure. This is because there will be a notable difference in the size, shape, or position of your buttocks. Your results will continue to improve during your recovery period, so you may not notice optimal results until two to three months after your procedure.
How Long Will Results Last?
Overall, the results of this procedure are designed to last for at least five years. This is because the root causes of skin laxity can only be halted for so long. However, some people may enjoy results for over 10 years if they can maximize their optimal body shape by adopting healthier lifestyle practices.
How Can You Maximize Your Results?
Maximizing your results to enjoy the longest-lasting results possible ultimately depends on how well you can maintain a healthy body weight and how well you can keep the muscles in your buttocks toned. For example, focusing on lower body exercises that tone the muscles in the buttocks, including squats and certain forms of cardiovascular exercise, can help your results look better and last longer.
Weight management is also important, since gaining or losing a significant amount of weight will undo your results. If you gain a lot of weight after your procedure, new fat in the buttocks will cause skin stretch and may affect the perkiness of your rear end. If you lose a significant amount of weight, the fat in the buttocks will disappear and skin sagging may appear more visible.
Why Might You Want This Procedure?
There are several reasons why people consider a surgical procedure to lift and tone the buttocks. For example, if you can’t achieve your ideal body shape through diet and exercise alone, a surgical procedure can help you contour your body. Exercises for the buttocks may not always be effective, particularly if your end goal is to reduce the appearance of cellulite or tighten skin. Other reasons to consider this procedure include:
Better-Fitting Clothes
Some people may pursue this procedure to find better-fitting clothes. Specific body shapes, such as pear or apple shapes, may have difficulty finding bottoms that fit correctly. With a procedure that lifts and contours the bum, it can be much easier to find clothing items that fit correctly. This can help you feel more confident when you wear swimwear and skirts.
Significant Weight Changes
If you have lost a significant amount of weight, then it’s likely the loose skin tissue on your buttocks is creating the appearance of cellulite or skin sagging. Although some of your skin may naturally tighten after extreme weight loss, many people still struggle with significant skin laxity after losing more than 10% of their body weight. Significant weight changes may also be common after pregnancy.
Enhancing Natural Shape
Some people use a butt lift procedure to enhance their natural body shape. As a contouring procedure, lifting and tightening the buttocks can improve the silhouette of your body and give you a more useful profile. A contouring surgery for your lower half can also help you achieve a better body shape, such as the ideal hourglass.
Schedule a Consultation for a Brazilian Butt Lift Today
If you want to increase your body confidence, find better-fitting clothes, or correct skin laxity, a butt lift is an ideal procedure. This treatment will excise sagging skin and transfer or reduce fat in the buttocks, depending on your contouring goals. If you think this treatment is right for you, schedule a consultation with Eric P. Bachelor, MD in Pleasanton, CA, and Danville, CA today.