My butt keeps shrinking after a BBL, what can I do to avoid further shrinking?

There are two stages of shrinking of the buttocks right after the fat grafting to the buttocks.

Right after surgery not only has the fat been added, but there's a great deal of soft tissue swelling.  Much of this soft tissue swelling will resolve in about 3 to 6 weeks, that's only the beginning.

The second phase of shrinkage occurs as the body decides how much of the fat that has been injected will take on a new blood supply be maintained. Fat that does not take on blood supply from the surrounding tissues will ultimately be absorbed by your body, and this can take 6 to 12 months.

Do not be discouraged yet, what you're going through is  a part of the normal healing process.  Areas where the fat has been removed will also be shrinking as well and this can help to accentuated the areas where the fat has been placed.

Because a certain percentage of the fat is reabsorbed after surgery most surgeons will overcorrect from the get go.  If , after a year, you feel that you need more enhancement, additional fat grafting can likely be performed.

Best wishes

 

The Brazilian Butt Lift utilizes your own natural fat for
the augmentation. One of the keys of the
fat transfer is that it is incorporated and becomes your fat just in a better
place!



The key is how do we maximize the amount of fat that is
going “take” or survive for the augmentation.
One of the things that can help increase the amount of fat that stays
after the transfer is preventing any trauma to the buttock area, that includes
sitting. The pressure of sitting can be harmful to the fat for the first couple
of weeks after the transfer.



The second important part of the Brazilian Butt Lift is the
compression garment as you are asking. I
do think it is important that you have a specialized garment after your
procedure. I have tried various
garments, with and without material over the buttock area. From a patient comfort standpoint I have
found that the garments with a very soft mesh over the buttock has been best. However this is personal decision between you
and your surgeon.


There are special pillows that patients can purchase that avoids any pressure
on the buttock in the post-operative period so that they can sit at work and
still protect their fat transfer procedure.



I hope this helps, be sure to discuss this with your board
certified plastic surgeon.

The shrinkage you're experiencing in the first 3 weeks is due to resolving edema (swelling) after any surgery, including BBLs! The next few months will have additional "shrinkage" due to an expected reabsorption of approximately 30% of the fat that was transferred. There is no way to affect these two parts of the healing process even if you follow your surgeon's directions perfectly.

Hello and thank you for your question. 3 weeks after surgery this "shrinking" is likely a combination of two factors: some of the transferred fat in BBL does not survive and postoperative swelling gradually resolves with time in the first few weeks. We expect approximately 60% of transferred fat to survive, and this is affected by many things. Luckily it sounds like you are diligently following postoperative instructions. Just be sure to also avoid extreme heat or cold and to avoid any substances that may decrease blood flow to the surgical site such as excessive amounts of caffeine or any nicotine including second-hand. That and making sure that you are eating a balanced diet are the only things that I would add to the things you are doing postoperatively.

I try to advise my BBL patients that everyone experiences postoperative swelling. The first week postoperatively, when you have all of the transferred fat and your body is swelling because of the surgery, is when you are most swollen. Gradually this swelling goes down with time. I would expect around 6 weeks postop is when you can see the permanent new shape of your body. At three weeks your body is still healing and changing. Your surgeon likely fat grafted as much as was safely possible at the time of surgery. Best of luck.

Thanks for your question...Most of the volume patients see is swelling, as well, not all fat cells will survive. By 3 months you should see your final result. Try to keep a stable weight post BBL.You can learn more on our social media (Instagram and Snapchat): @realdrsix.

Regards,

Brazilian Butt Lift results can last a lifetime. However,  around 30% of the fat won't survive the transfer. However, the remaining fat will remain alive because blood vessels and capillaries from the surrounding soft tissue of the buttocks will grow into the transferred fat. The blood vessels growing into the transferred fat will supply oxygenated blood for the fat to survive. The transferred fat will feel normal and should stay in place for years to come.

After BBL the swelling is maximal 1-2 days after surgery and will diminish for six months. Most of the swelling resolves in the first two months. That is different than fat absorption. The fat that does not live will be absorbed by your body over the next six months. The living fat will remain permanently, and will increase or decrease if your weight changes in the future, just like the rest of your fat cells.

Thank you for your question. I would suggest to keep following the post op advice provided by your board certificated plastic surgeon with experience in this procedure, to get the best desired results.
Kind Regards,Dr. Emmanuel Mallol Cotes.-

hello thank you for your question and provided information as well. based on your question, it is normal that after a bbl shrinks a little because you must resorbable a percentage of fat, ie 60-70%.

It is possible that you may be confusing the swelling with the actual fat that was injected and think that it is "disappearing" remember that you are still swollen, and can be even a bit after 6 months post-op. This is a normal process that everyone goes through after a Lipo/bbl. As the swelling in your abdomen and back go down in the areas where fat was removed, the buttocks will appear bigger and more enhanced.

Usual resolution of shrinking occurs at 3 months. This all depends on how much of the fat has taken to the new area that it was put. Each case is different but on average the new area keeps 60-70%. If shrinkage does occur, a second procedure can be done to liposuction and fat transfer again. Please make sure to have a discussion with your plastic surgeon to have appropriate expectations, so they can overfill to the right level!