At East Bay Aesthetic Surgery in Pleasanton, CA, and Danville, CA, Dr. Eric P. Bachelor, M.D. FACS is driven to help each of his clients feel young, beautiful, and confident in their appearance. We offer a wide range of aesthetic procedures, including a buttock lift, a Brazilian butt lift, and liposuction. Today, we’re taking a closer look at who usually qualifies for a buttock lift and what you can expect throughout the process.
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Butt Lift?
You may be considered a good candidate for a butt lift if you are dissatisfied with the shape, volume, or position of your buttocks. However, it’s important to note that you need to consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon to discuss your health and aesthetic vision to confirm if you are a good candidate for surgery.
Usually, this procedure is used to reverse the effects of skin laxity caused by the aging process or extreme weight loss. However, it can also benefit people who are dissatisfied with their appearance due to genetic factors. Moreover, it can help people with asymmetrical buttocks.
Who Isn’t a Good Candidate for This Procedure?
While this procedure is safe for most fairly healthy adults, there are contraindications that you should be aware of. For example, you will be considered a poor fit for this procedure if you suffer from such health issues as poorly controlled diabetes, heart disease, bleeding disorders, or a compromised immune system. Additionally, you will not be able to undergo surgery if you have an active infection or wound affecting your buttocks.
Furthermore, you need to have realistic expectations about what results you can expect from surgery. Additionally, you may not be a good fit for this procedure if you are a smoker. You must be able to not smoke for two weeks preceding and following surgery. Moreover, you may not be a great fit for surgery if you have a long history of weight fluctuations.
What Preparation Steps Are Required Before Surgery?
There are several preparation steps that must be taken prior to a butt lift. Besides not smoking, it is crucial that you do not consume alcohol for two weeks before surgery. Furthermore, you will not be able to take any blood-thinning drugs or supplements, like aspirin or garlic supplements. Moreover, you will need to make sure that you have someone to drive you to your procedure. Additionally, you will need to wear comfortable clothes to your appointment.
Note that we will administer general anesthesia before your procedure to keep you comfortable and calm. Before the general anesthesia is administered, your stomach needs to be empty. You will not be able to eat anything or drink dark liquids for eight hours before surgery. Furthermore, for two hours before surgery, you will not even be allowed to drink clear liquids. At the same time, it is important that you are well-nourished and hydrated when you arrive for surgery.
How Long Can I Expect My Recovery To Take?
Generally, people can recover from a butt lift after two to four weeks. During the first few days after surgery, you should have someone stay home with you and help you care for yourself while you focus on healing. Furthermore, you should be prepared to spend the night in a surgical suite so you can be evaluated after surgery.
What Can I Do To Recover From Surgery Faster?
There are several steps you can take to help yourself recover from surgery as quickly as possible. During your consultation, we will advise you on all of the post-operative care guidelines you will need to follow. For the smoothest possible recovery, you will need to follow all of the aftercare rules. These will be reviewed again before you go home the day after surgery, and we welcome you to ask any questions you may have about your recovery process.
One of the most important aftercare guidelines to follow is to wear a compression garment for a few weeks post-op. This helps facilitate faster healing because it supports circulation in the area. Another very important rule to follow is to avoid the consumption of alcohol and tobacco products for two weeks after surgery. Moreover, you will need to rest as much as possible, eat nutritiously and stay hydrated, and avoid strenuous physical activity.
How Long Will the Results of My Procedure Last?
You may be able to enjoy the results of your procedure for a lifetime. However, we cannot say definitively how long your results will last because several factors affect the elasticity of your skin. One significant factor is the aging process. Depending on your age when you undergo surgery, you may start noticing sagging skin five to 15 years post-op due to significant collagen and elastin loss.
Is There Anything I Can Do To Delay Skin Laxity?
Yes, there are steps you can take to preserve the health of the supportive substances that keep your skin tight. One of the best things you can do to maintain optimal results is to stick to a fairly healthy diet. Certain foods, including processed meats and sugar-laden foods, have been shown to be detrimental to the health and appearance of your skin. Furthermore, certain micronutrients, like zinc and vitamin C have been shown to support your skin.
You can also help maintain your desired results by not smoking or consuming any other products containing nicotine. This chemical compound has been shown to damage your skin health in several ways, including weakening your existing collagen. Furthermore, you should moisturize your skin daily and stay hydrated. Furthermore, it is extremely important that you do not lose too much weight too quickly if you want to keep your skin tight.
What Other Procedures May Help Me Improve My Contours?
Brazilian Butt Lift
Another procedure that may help you improve your contours is a Brazilian butt lift. This procedure is designed to improve several contours at once by using liposuction to remove fat from donor areas and augmenting the buttocks with the harvested fat. To be considered a good candidate for this procedure, you should have an ample amount of excess fat in one or more regions of your body.
Additionally, it is important that you have realistic expectations about the results of the procedure and can follow all aftercare guidelines. You should understand that to achieve optimal results, you will need to avoid losing weight for the first few months after surgery. Additionally, you will need to avoid applying pressure to your buttocks while the injected fat cells settle into the buttocks.
Liposuction
Regardless of whether you want to augment your buttocks with fat from other parts of your body, liposuction may be a great procedure for you. It has been performed for decades, helping people achieve targeted fat removal. Ideal candidates for this procedure are at or very near their desired weight and have a history of maintaining a fairly stable weight. However, it can also be effective for people who still have up to 29 pounds to lose to achieve their goal weight.
Generally, you can expect to lose around 26% of subcutaneous fat cells from large targeted areas, like the back, abdomen, thighs, or chest. If you want to eliminate excess fat from a smaller region of your body, like your submental area or underarms, this procedure can remove closer to four-fifths of the localized fat cells. During your consultation, we will discuss your body contouring goals and evaluate your concerns to verify this procedure is right for you.
Abdominoplasty
Abdominoplasty, otherwise known as a tummy tuck, is another popular body contouring procedure we offer. This procedure is often used to help women restore their desired physique after giving birth. However, it can also benefit men significantly.
Depending on the scope of the procedure, it can address a wide range of medical problems, like stress urinary incontinence and ventral hernias. Furthermore, this procedure may be appropriate for you if you are worried about loose, sagging abdominal skin or excess skin.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
You should be considered a good candidate for a butt lift if you are fairly healthy and worried about the appearance of your buttocks. However, this procedure is not right for everyone, including people with bleeding disorders. To verify your candidacy, schedule an initial consultation by contacting us today at East Bay Aesthetic Surgery in Pleasanton, CA and Danville, CA.