The Surgical & Non-Surgical Options to Enhance your Derrière

If we’ve learned anything about body trends over the last decade, it’s that butts are back. The ultra-slim physiques of the late ‘90s and early 2000s have gone the way of Von Dutch hats and Juicy Couture tracksuits. Today’s aesthetic tastes are embracing a fuller figure featuring hourglass proportions and a round, prominent, ultra-feminine rear.

The quest for a better butt starts in the gym. Squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, donkey kicks, bridges, lunges and other glute-focused moves give you a good foundation for shaping a beautiful backside — but exercise alone often falls flat. For many women, the best recipe for a bigger buttocks is combining a dedicated fitness routine with a visit to the doctor’s office.

Buttock augmentation is one of the fastest-growing cosmetic procedures in the United States. There are several techniques a plastic surgeon can use to improve your posterior. Although each one is designed to enhance the buttocks and create a more desirable silhouette, they approach this goal in very different ways. The first step to sculpting a butt you love is deciding which option for buttock enhancement is right for you.

The Traditional Approach: Buttock Implants

Buttock implants are artificial devices that are surgically placed in the buttocks to add volume and improve the contours of the area. The procedure involves making small incisions near the buttocks and inserting the implants through those access points. Like the implants used for breast augmentation, buttock implants are long-lasting devices that can dramatically boost projection and produce attractive results for individuals of all shapes and sizes. But, also like breast implants, they are not without drawbacks.

Due to the more invasive nature of this procedure, recovery can be lengthy and uncomfortable, and involve quite a few limitations on normal day-to-day activities. The implants may feel firmer and less natural than other options for buttock enhancement. They also carry a greater risk of complications like infection or migration, and may need to be adjusted, replaced or removed in a future procedure. Implants were long considered the gold standard for buttock augmentation, but in recent years their popularity has dwindled in favor of newer techniques.

The Modern Approach: Brazilian Butt Lift

The Brazilian butt lift, commonly known as a BBL, is a fat transfer procedure that utilizes a patient’s own tissue to improve the shape and size of the buttocks. A BBL procedure takes place in several steps. First, liposuction is performed in one or more areas with excess fat (often the abdomen, flanks or thighs) to harvest fat cells for injection. Once the fat has been gathered, it is processed to prepare it for step three. In the final stage of the procedure, the prepared fat cells are strategically injected into the buttocks to add fullness and curves.

Fat injections do not require much downtime and do not involve a significant amount of discomfort. However, they do require the patient to limit the pressure put on the buttocks for the first couple of weeks after the procedure. The best candidates for a BBL have readily available fat stores to be used during the treatment and are able to maintain a stable weight. Very thin patients may lack sufficient excess fat to achieve their desired results with a BBL.

The Nonsurgical Approach: Sculptra Injections

A third option for buttock augmentation uses the collagen-stimulating injectable Sculptra. Sculptra is a dermal filler made with PLLA (poly-L-lactic acid), a biodegradable compound that increases volume where it is injected by triggering the body’s natural collagen production processes. Sculptra is most well-known as a treatment for correcting wrinkles and age-related volume loss in the face, but it is emerging as a popular nonsurgical alternative to buttock implants and the Brazilian butt lift.

Patients are often interested in nonsurgical treatments because they are less risky than surgery, do not involve anesthesia or incisions, and require little to no downtime. Results of Sculptra injections are more subtle than the results that can be achieved with a surgical procedure. Multiple treatment sessions may be required to attain your desired degree of improvement, and once you’ve reached your goals, you will need to have regular touch-up treatments to maintain your results. This is not a convenient or cost-effective choice for all patients.

Why the BBL Is the Biggest Thing in Butts Right Now

The Brazilian butt lift is one of the most requested cosmetic procedures in the world today — and for good reason. At South Bay Aesthetics, we’ve seen the BBL achieve stunning results that completely transform our patients’ bodies. It is less invasive than buttock implants, requires smaller incisions and involves none of the risks of placing a foreign object in the body. The improvements come entirely from your own body, so they look and feel completely natural. And because liposuction is part of the procedure, there are additional benefits to your body contour. A BBL is an opportunity to improve your whole physique because other problem areas are sculpted right along with your backside.

Once you’ve achieved your body goals, you can enjoy the benefits of your BBL for years to come. There is no risk of implant migration or displacement, and there is no need to “top up” the treatment every couple of years to continue seeing results. The BBL procedure gives you peace of mind that your transferred fat will remain safe and secure where it is placed and may last a lifetime.

Brazilian Butt Lift: Is It For Me?

A BBL can offer a lot of upside for a modest backside — but is it right for you? You may be an excellent Brazilian butt lift candidate if:

• You want to add volume to your backside
• You want to accentuate your hourglass curves
• You want to give your buttocks a perky, youthful boost
• You want to better the proportions of your figure
• You want to improve the way clothing and swimsuits fit
• You want to contour multiple areas of your body at once

If you’re bothered by a flat or shapeless butt that doesn’t make you feel confident, sexy and feminine, a Brazilian butt lift at South Bay Aesthetics may be the answer. Torrance plastic surgeon Dr. Christopher Verbin has extensive experience in body contouring and can help you decide which buttock enhancement technique will help you achieve your aesthetic goals. We invite you to call us today at 310-539-6500 or contact us online to schedule your consultation.