In today’s world, the desire for a curvaceous figure and the growing popularity of cosmetic procedures has seen a variety of people, in a number of age brackets, exploring the ‘Brazilian Butt Lift’ procedure.
This particular cosmetic procedure has grown in popularity over the past few years, with nearly 320,000 butt lift operations completed globally in 2015 alone.
And this is because a Brazilian Butt Lift is a relatively simple procedure that provides great results.
Whether you’re looking to smooth out any lumps or bumps, or create that envious shape that is so popular today, this procedure continues to be a go-to option for those looking for a natural-looking finish.
So, if you’ve been considering undergoing a Brazilian Butt Lift for some time, it’s important to understand what happens during the procedure, and the type of recovery process you can expect before going ahead.
What happens during a Brazilian Butt Lift procedure?
Many surgeons refer to the Brazilian Butt Lift, or BBL, procedure as a ‘two in one’ process.
This is because to complete the BBL procedure, the surgeon must first remove fat from other areas of the body through liposuction.
Once this has been removed, the fat will be used to give the buttocks the desired fuller shape, whilst smoothing out the skin for a natural-looking finish.
In the majority of cases, the surgeon will take fat cells from the abdomen, waist or the back, but for patients who hold very little excess fat in these areas, it can also be collected from the arms, inner and outer thighs.
To perform liposuction, the surgeon will need to make small incisions in the area to which the fat cells are being removed.
In these incisions, small tubes, known as cannulas will be inserted and will remove the fat cells from the target area to be inserted into the buttocks and hips.
This is to create a more natural look that means the size of the buttocks doesn’t look ‘unnatural’ against the size of the hips.
To finish the process, the incisions will be closed with stitches to begin the healing process.
What can I expect as part of the recovery process following a Brazilian Butt Lift procedure?
If you’re considering a Brazilian Butt Lift procedure, it’s important to understand what your recovery process will be like to work around your other commitments.
Following your surgery, for the first few days you will notice some pain and discomfort as with most cosmetic procedures, particularly invasive ones like the BBL.
Patients will be given compression garments to wear to ensure the affected area heals as quickly as possible, and will be required to rest throughout this time.
After a week post-surgery, you may still notice some pain and swelling to the affected area, but you should be noticing improvement each day.
This is where the patient, depending on their tolerance to pain, can begin to increase their movement and may even be able to get back to work, depending on their profession.
Patients will still be required to not sleep on their back, as this can put unnecessary pressure on the buttocks area, but there are products available, such as special post-op pillows, to help with this.
A fortnight after the surgery, the swelling and bruising can still be noticeable, but the pain should have disappeared at this stage.
Doctors will typically allow you to sleep on your back again, but this must be approved beforehand, as a medical professional will need to assess your progress.
In most cases, medical professionals would expect to see a full recovery at around the six weeks post-op mark, and patients will most likely be able to walk and exercise completely as normal.
What are the side effects following a Brazilian Butt Lift procedure?
Although Brazilian Butt Lift procedures are relatively straight-forward to undergo, it is vital that you only have the operation if it is with a trained surgeon in the field.
This is to reduce the risk of experiencing any of the side effects that may be a possibility with this type of procedure.
In most cases, people only experience minor side effects with the BBL procedure, and these include:
Scarring
As the procedure requires incisions being made into the area where the fat cells are removed, this means these wounds will need to heal, causing minor scarring to the area.
The scars will, of course, get better over time, and any experienced surgeon will be able to make the incisions as small and as neat as possible to make any scarring less noticeable.
Bruising
As with scarring, bruising to the affected area may also occur due to the cannulas being inserted under the skin.
The bruising should last for just a few weeks post-op, and will disappear after the recovery process is complete.
Discomfort
The BBL procedure, as mentioned, does involve two separate steps; the removal and insertion of fat cells from one part of the body to another.
This can, of course, cause discomfort across a number of areas around the body, meaning some may experience pain for the first few weeks post-surgery.
You’d expect to see any pain or discomfort settle down after the first few days after your operation, but it can take a good few weeks before you see yourself getting back to normal.
In some more severe cases, it’s important to be aware that there are some additional, more serious side effects which can occur with this type of invasive surgery.
It’s important to note that these side effects are very uncommon, and tend to have been completed by inexperienced professionals who have incorrectly performed the procedure.
This is why it’s vital, if you’d like to go ahead with the procedure, that you ensure you go through a trusted aesthetic centre who only work with top medical professionals, such as MedicoTrips.
In some rare cases, medical professionals have seen issues with:
- Fat embolism - where the fat cells are injected too deeply into the buttocks and cause a blockage of blood flow
- Excessive blood loss or clots
- Cardiac and pulmonary complications
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- Necrosis of fat and/or surrounding tissue
Please note: It is vital to do your research on the surgeon and company you are potentially considering having your surgery with. This includes reading testimonials, searching independently on the internet and asking the right questions to your aesthetic centre before agreeing to an op.
Top tips to dealing with the Brazilian Butt Lift recovery process
With any type of cosmetic procedure, including the BBL, you will be expected to follow a number of strict rules to ensure that the recovery process runs as smoothly as possible.
You will be required to:
Rest
With the BBL procedure, you may notice you are knocked off your feet for a couple of weeks, due to the invasive nature of this type of surgery.
Your surgeon or doctor will recommend you taking at least a couple of weeks off work to have the procedure done, and they would recommend living with someone who can help look after you during your recovery.
Avoid strenuous exercise
It’s important to avoid strenuous exercise or movement after your surgery, as this can potentially cause wounds to open and can slow down the recovery process.
You will need to be cleared by your doctor before undertaking any form of strenuous exercise, even if this is part of your job, and this can be, in most cases, a minimum of six weeks post-op before this can happen.
Wear compression garments
Wearing compression garments can ensure that the likelihood of bruising is reduced, and keep the red blood cells from percolating toward the epidermis.
Eat well and stay hydrated
It’s vital to look after yourself following surgery, and that includes eating the right foods and staying hydrated.
Surgeons recommend eating nutritious-dense foods to ‘feed the fat’ following liposuction or a BBL, as this aids in the healing process.
Attend follow-up appointments
As with all cosmetic procedures, you will be expected to go to all the follow-up appointments with your doctor to ensure you are on the path to a speedy recovery.
Missing appointments means your doctor won’t be able to review your progress and can, on some rare occasions, mean not being aware of any complications.
The team at MedicoTrips are on hand to provide you with the reassurance you need by talking you through the Brazilian Butt Lift procedure step by step if you still have some concerns.
You will get the opportunity to have all your queries and concerns answered ahead of your procedure in your consultation appointment, so if you’d like to speak with a MedicoTrips representative about a Brazilian Butt Lift procedure, be sure to get in touch with us by calling +44 (0) 121 288 4552.
