Butt Augmentation Options: Fat Injections vs Implants

by Trudi Schrieber

Cosmetic surgery offers two primary ways to enhance the buttocks for a beautiful, curvy backside: fat injections or implants. The two procedures are very different from one another, but can create a natural, full derriere.

Butt Augmentation Procedure: Fat Transfers
Butt augmentation with fat injections, also called the Brazilian butt lift, involves removing fat from your own body and using it to increase the shape of the buttocks. Fat is generally removed from the hips, flanks, abdomen, or lower back. The fat is then purified and injected in to the buttocks. The procedure involves many injections across the buttocks. Fat is inserted at different depths to ensure the greatest fat absorption rate. Liposuction to help better contour the buttocks is often used before the fat is injected.

Butt Implants
During butt augmentation with implants, the surgeon makes an incision overlaying the tailbone, between the buttocks. The butt muscle (gluteus maximus) is lifted up and a pocket is created for the implants. The implants, which are very soft, solid silicone, are then inserted, and adjusted for placement, before sewing up the incision.

Butt Augmentation Recovery
After a Brazilian butt lift, most patients can return to a desk job within a week. Butt augmentation recover is generally quicker after fat injections than after implants, and most patients can return to full activities within three weeks. A special garment is required to control swelling for two weeks. It is important to keep in mind that your body will be recovering from the liposuction used to obtain the fat for transfer, as well as the butt lift procedure.

Patients can begin to move around normally again approximately two to three days after butt implant surgery. Recovery from implant surgery is usually a bit more painful than the recovery from a Brazilian butt lift. Full activities may be resumed about four weeks after surgery.

Butt Augmentation Risks & Side Effects
Brazilian butt lift patients should expect swelling after the procedure. The risks of butt augmentation with fat injections are similar to those of liposuction. As with any surgery, there is always risk of infection, bleeding, and scarring. Patients should be aware that sometimes the body reabsorbs the fat—the risk of this happening is approximately 30 percent.

After implant injections, most patients do not experience significant swelling. Surgical risks are similar to those of the Brazilian butt lift, or any other surgery, and include: infection, bleeding, and nerve or muscle damage. Another risk of the procedure is slippage and asymmetry of the implants.

Butt Augmentation Results
When done correctly, the results of a Brazilian butt lift are permanent. It takes approximately three months after surgery to determine how much fat has been reabsorbed by the body and achieve the final results.

Results can be seen immediately after butt augmentation with implants, but it may take six to eight months before the implants feel like a natural part of the body to the patient. After this time, individuals usually forget the implants are even there.

Butt Augmentation Costs
The costs vary widely between the Brazilian butt lift and a butt augmentation with implants. The average total cost of butt augmentation with fat injections is $9,000 – 18,000. This is due to the liposuction techniques that must be used to harvest the fat, as well as the actual procedure, and includes the physician’s fee, anesthesia, hospital costs, and post-operative care and office visits. The fee will vary depending on the amount of fat needed to achieve the desired result, as well as your surgeon, geographic area, and hospital fees.

Butt augmentation with implants costa an average of $6,000 – 13,000. This includes the physician’s fee, anesthesia, implant cost, hospital costs, and post-operative care. The fee may fluctuate based on your own particular situation, as well as the surgeon’s fees, geographic area, and hospital fees.

Which is Best for Me?
Fat injections are generally recommended for individuals trying to achieve a perkier derriere, but who do not necessarily want to increase the size of the buttocks. Implants are often recommended for those looking to achieve a larger behind. Implants are also used when a woman does not have enough fat on her body for the fat injection procedure. However, it will be up to you and your surgeon to determine which type of butt augmentation is best for you. Additionally, not all surgeons will perform butt augmentation with implants. If you would like to learn more about the available options, contact us to schedule a personal consultation with a certified cosmetic surgeon today.

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