Comparing Butt Implants and BBL For Miami Patients

In recent years, cosmetic surgery to increase the size of the buttocks (butt augmentation) has become quite popular, especially with much of our pop culture being influenced by the voluminous backsides of celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez.

The two most popular techniques utilized for butt augmentations are buttocks implants and butt enhancement via fat transfer, also called the Brazilian butt lift.

What Are Butt Implants?

Buttock implants, or gluteal implants, are silicone implants that can be placed to add volume to the buttocks. Buttock implants are either round or oval and can use smooth or textured surfaces, similar to a breast implant.

The most common buttock implants are filled with silicone, a material resistant to rupturing, deflating, and spilling from exposure to movement or pressure. 

Durability is a critical factor as butt implants are constantly exposed to pressure when sitting or lying on your back.

Butt Augmentation With Implants

The butt augmentation procedure involves a surgeon making an incision on the crease between the glutes. The surgeon then creates an aperture for the implant, which can be placed above or within the glute muscles. 

After the implant has been inserted, the incision is closed with sutures. Most patients are administered drains to remove blood during the first week or two after surgery.

Depending on the patient, liposuction can enhance the final shape of the surrounding body parts by removing stubborn fat from areas such as the flanks and hips.

Brazilian Butt Lift Or Butt Augmentation Via Fat Transfer

As long as the patient has sufficient fat storage somewhere else on their body, the Brazilian butt lift (BBL) is an excellent option for them to consider.

The Brazilian butt lift is a fat transfer procedure that uses the patient's fat to enhance the volume of the buttocks. A surgeon typically harvests the fat from trouble areas such as the abdomen, back, and thigh using a cannula.

The fat cells are then purified and injected into the subcutaneous layer, augmenting the buttocks to your desired volume.

Fat transfer procedures do have their limits, given that you're using fat as a filler for the buttocks. Fat does not have a 100% survival rate, which is totally normal. Skilled surgeons will purposefully overfill the buttocks to account for the natural reabsorption that occurs following a fat graft. After the excess is flushed out, you will still have the results you desire.

Additionally, a fat transfer has the limit of how much fat you're willing to extract from your body. Therefore, if you're interested in obtaining more significant or dramatic results, a fat transfer may not suffice if you don't already possess enough fat to use for the augmentation. 

Risks From These Procedures: BBL vs. Butt Implants 

There are several reasons right off the bat that you should avoid getting butt implants. When weighing the benefits of butt implants vs. Brazilian Butt Lift, there are several reasons to go with a fat transfer over implants. 

In short, buttock implant surgery has high risks. You're inserting a foreign object above or below the gluteus muscles, which can lead to complications if not done correctly.

Movement of the implant post-procedure, capsular contracture, or fluid collections are factors that one should be wary of when undergoing an implant procedure. As Dr. Rollins details in the video above, implant extrusion is a major concern with implants as well. 

If you begin to gain weight, it could cause the implant to displace itself or distort the overall contour and shape of your buttocks, which we'd guess would be far from ideal for you. 

While a fat transfer BBL also carries several risks typical during any surgical procedure, techniques like AirSculpt® minimize these risks. They do so by using fine tools that reduce the size of incisions, avoiding general anesthesia, and carefully ensuring fat is only injected into the subcutaneous layer. As we mentioned above, the most significant drawback of a Brazilian Butt Lift is that patients must have enough excess fat to successfully add enough volume to the buttocks. 

Results For Implants Aren't Permanent

Butt implants aren't designed to remain inside the body for more than ten to twelve. Usually, implants should be replaced after a decade. In the end, that would require another surgery, submitting yourself to the same risk as the previous one.

Aside from that, you'll have to deal with multiple recovery processes to keep the ideal shape of your buttocks.

Additionally, buttock implant recovery is generally longer than that of fat-transfer buttock augmentation. Recovery can take up to three months before you can resume all activities within your daily routine, with final results taking even more time to form fully. 

Butt Implants Aren't Dynamic

The implant itself isn't designed to be dynamic. It has one shape and one size. Therefore, your butt may get more prominent with an implant, but in truth, it will not look natural.

The shape and size can appear "off" to most eyes. Therefore, we usually say that it's never ideal to undergo buttock implant surgery unless a surgeon strictly recommends it with no other alternatives. The tradeoff of risk for reward isn't worth it.

Buttock Fat Transfers Have More To Offer

The main downside of a buttock fat transfer is that you can't scale the results however you'd like. The augmentation in volume depends on how much fat you have to use within your body. Yet, it's also capped at 5 liters, given that standard surgery regulations determine that to be the reasonable limit that can be transferred within a given procedure.

That being said, Elite Body Sculpture offers patients much more than a traditional BBL. An AirSculpt® Power BBL™ is a minimally invasive procedure that can sculpt your buttocks via fat transfer without the use of a scalpel, needle, stitches, or general anesthesia.

Therefore, don't dwell on whether to get butt implants or a BBL. Elite Body Sculpture offers the most comfortable and accurate buttock enhancement techniques in Miami.