9 things you should know about Brazilian Buttock Lift (BBL)

Brazilian Buttock Lift is one of the most popular procedures among women nowadays. Good outcomes depend on the care you have after surgery. In this series of blogs, we want to answer the most common questions people have about BBL and the care you should have during the recovery time. We will give you some tips to help you to get  better results  too.

Let’s start.

1.What is BBL?

The Brazilian butt lifting or BBL is a procedure in which a plastic surgeon takes fat cells from one part of your body and injects them in your buttocks, making your bum look bigger and with a rounded nice shape.

2.What can I do to have better outcomes from my BBL?

•  Surgeon: To start with, look for the best surgeon on the field to perform your BBL surgery. Remember each surgeon has their own specialty. Ask your surgeon how many BBl’ surgeries he/she performs per week. 
•  Fat quality: Make sure your surgeon takes fat from those areas difficult to burn with exercise or when you lose weight.  These fat cells are stronger and will have more probabilities to survive.
• Patience:  Be patient, this is a long process and it will take at least 3 months before you can sit or lay down in a normal position. Also, it can take 8 or 12 months till you can see the final results.
• Garment: Always wear the compression garment even when you sleep. Make sure your garment is designed for BBL surgery.  If you wear the wrong one this could damage your surgery. We can advise you what is best for your needs avoiding the stage of the healing. 
• Exercise: Move every hour during 5 minutes for the first week, this helps you to reduce pain and fluid build-up. Only start heavy exercise when your surgeon recommends you. If you start exercise too soon your body can burn fat from your glutes, and this will affect the final outcomes. 
• Have a healthy lifestyle:  Do not lose weight after the surgery or your fat cells will not survive.  Keep a healthy diet, reduce salt and sugar in order to reduce inflammation. 
• Post – operatory recovery:  Start your manual lymphatic drainage sessions (MLD) followed by your massages as soon as  possible.  Your post- operatory is fundamental for your recovery. Plan ahead your sessions before your surgery as the cost is additional to your surgery. 

3.How can I help my new fat cells to stay alive?

• Do not lose weight after the surgery. When you burn calories, you lose fat cells.  You can start with weight lifting exercises with less repetitions. Check with your surgeon first.
• Do not put pressure on your buttocks. Make sure you use your BBL cushion to sit, so you don’t put pressure in your buttocks. 
• Have a good posture, be careful when you bend down, sleep, drive and sit down.
• Do not wear tight clothes on the gluteal area.
• Eat healthy. It’s important to eat good fats like avocado, nuts, olives and salmon.
• DO NOT SMOKE. 70% of the patients that developed infections after the surgery are smokers.  Also It takes longer for the tissue to heal.
• Stay away from alcohol for the first 10 days 
• Assist to your MLD sessions. 

4. How can I sit when I go to the toilet?

• The most important thing is to avoid putting pressure on the gluteal area. Use the BBL cushion or a pillow  
• Try sitting on your thighs.
• Another technique is to roll a towel up and place it under your thighs so your buttocks won’t touch the toilet seat.
• Some people take laxatives in order to spend less time in the toilet.  You can also  eat chewing gum in the first week, this helps with the constipation caused by the anesthesia and medicaments.

5.Why is MLD and the post- operatory so important?

After your surgery, the areas treated  become painful,  inflamed, red and retain fluid. Lymphatic drainage helps to drain the excess of fluid, reduce inflammation and hematomas therefore reduces pain in the area.  

During your recovery period,  after your surgery, you  could notice the appearance of fibrosis ( hardness, lumps, bums, uneven skin or discoloration) and in some cases you can develop a sack of fluid called Seromas in the area. This can be very painful and could restrict your range of movement even months after the surgery.   Your post-operatory is very important to treat these problems as soon as they appear to prevent father complications. 

 The Post- operatory is  more than just  a Lymphatic drainage.  It consists of the combination  of techniques from basic Manual lymphatic drainage, scar tissue massage, fascia and equipment such as radiofrequency, ultrasound carboxytherapy and so on to treat the fibrosis, scar tissue or seroma. 

 Make sure you  book  your MLD and post- operatory sessions as soon as possible.

6.How long does it take to recover from a BBL surgery?

Recovery from a BBL takes about 8 weeks. For the first 4 weeks , you will   need to avoid both sitting and laying directly on your buttocks. The care you take of your recovery will have a direct impact on both the appearance and the final results. 

7.How soon can you drive after a BBL?

   You can drive as soon as your doctor recommends you to do so , but remember you need to sit on your donner all the time when driving.  You need to avoid any direct pressure to the gluteal area. 

8.How long does Brazilian buttock lift last? 

My BBL client always asks me this question. It can take up to six months for you to see the final results and it can be permanent BUT, this is subject to the quality of fat transferred and the care that you take of yourself and how good you are to follow the recommendation from your surgeon and your therapist. 

9.Why is  BBL so dangerous?

To have success in this procedure, the surgeon needs to make sure the gluteal area has a good blood supply to help the nourishment and healing of the transferred fat.

 Here it is when things could go wrong with the procedure, when the fat is injected too deep into the muscle, this could cause a rupture in deep blood vessels, allowing the fat to enter in your bloodstream causing embolism (blocked artery).

 If the blood clot travels into your lungs, fat can block the entrance of oxygen to the bloodstream causing pulmonary embolism, while in your brain it can cause a stroke, both of them can be fatal.

Other complications in this procedure are:  internal bleeding, infections, poor healing of the skin, and also the fat cells injected could die and cause fat cell necrosis. 

 We hope this information is useful for you. If you have any questions about our treatments, please contact us. You can find us in Mill Hill Broadway and Islington. If you like this blog, please share! We are always happy to help.