A butt lift is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin to tighten, elevate, and reshape the buttocks.
Also called a gluteal lift, gluteoplasty, or butt tuck, the surgery is frequently performed after significant weight loss, often as part of a lower body lift (along with a thigh lift and tummy tuck).
âWith massive weight loss, the buttocks can look deflated and droop,â leaving saggy skin, says Dr. Andrew Lyos, a plastic surgeon in Houston. âIf thereâs a great deal of skin laxity, a buttock lift, which elevates and tightens the buttocks, is the best option.â
Butt lift surgery removes this saggy skin and fat, while tightening and redraping the remaining tissue.Â
RealSelf Tip: Unlike a butt augmentation procedure, a butt lift can actually make your rear end look flatter than it did prior to surgery. If you want to remove sagging tissue and add more volume, your surgeon can also perform a fat transfer procedure, commonly called a Brazilian butt lift (BBL), or insert silicone butt implants. Read on to find out more about the differences between these procedures.
Pros
Cons
A buttocks lift is considered a cosmetic procedure, so most insurance providers don't cover it. However, some plans may offer partial coverage if itâs deemed medically necessary. Check with your insurance carrier.
The butt lift photos in our gallery have been shared by the provider who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.
Healthy adults âwho have loose skin above their buttocks are the best candidates for this procedure,â says Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez, a plastic surgeon in Lutherville, Maryland. âYou need a butt lift if excess skin and a lack of fat are causing your butt to sag. You need a Brazilian butt lift if you have fat in other places of your bodyâbut not in your butt,â he explains.
Itâs also important to be at or near their goal weight for at least a year, to help ensure that your results will last over time.
If you smoke, you'll need to quit at least two weeks before the surgery and refrain during your recovery. Smoking slows down the healing process and increases the risk of infection, bleeding, or an adverse reaction to anesthesia.
A buttock lift removes excess tissue, to lift and tighten the buttocks. This can leave the butt looking deflated, so surgeons often recommend combining this body contouring procedure with butt augmentation, to add volume and make the buttocks rounder.
The most popular choice for buttock augmentation is Brazilian butt lift surgery (BBL), a two-part fat grafting procedure:
Fat transfer can be performed at the same time as buttock lift surgery, or after youâve healed and assessed the new shape and size of your buttocks. Unlike a traditional lift, a BBL doesnât involve any skin removal or tightening; the intention is to create an hourglass shape.
Keep in mind that a BBL is one of the riskiest cosmetic surgery procedures if itâs not performed correctly, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. New guidelines have made it safer, but youâll still want to make sure that your surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, their surgery center is accredited, and the fat is injected only into the subcutaneous tissueânot into the muscle.
Silicone butt implants are another augmentation option. âThe most reliable, predictable, relatively safe and permanent way to augment and/or âliftâ the buttock is with buttock implants,â says Dr. Ryan Stanton, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. If the buttock looks deflated, âbuttock implants will reinflate it. There will be an enlargement of the buttocks and, likely, more pop at the top.â
A limited number of board-certified plastic surgeons routinely perform buttock implant surgery, but itâs best to find a provider who specializes in the procedure.Â
Not all butt lift patients opt for buttock enhancement. RealSelf memberThinisIn had a lot of extra skin after losing 140 pounds following gastric bypass surgery. âIâve always been bottom heavy, and itâs like my body melted into my butt. I got tired of looking like Iâm sitting in a puddle.â She didnât want implants or a fat transfer procedure (âno Brazilian here!â), so buttock lift surgery left her butt very flat. âCanât wait to get to the gym and try to round it out some,â she says.
If you do want to get a boost but avoid surgery, consider Emsculpt, which uses electromagnetic energy to build muscle mass and tone.
Buttock lift surgery takes about two hours when itâs performed alone and as long as five or six hours, itâs part of a lower-body lift.
Youâll be given general anesthesia or local anesthesia with IV sedation, so youâll be fully asleep or deeply relaxed and sleepy during the surgery. Either way, you wonât feel any pain or discomfort.Â
During the procedure, your surgeon will:
They may also place surgical drains, to prevent fluid from accumulating under the skin as you heal.
After recovering for a few hours, youâll be able to go home. Youâll be groggy from the anesthesia, so be sure to arrange for someone you trust to make sure you get there safely. Theyâll also need to stay with you overnight.Â
Your surgeon will prescribe medication, to minimize pain during the first few days of your recovery.
Butt lift surgery requires 2 to 3 weeks of downtime before you can return to work. You'll also need to take it easy for up to 3 months, slowly ramping up your activity levels.
Hereâs what to expect during that time:
If you develop a fever or become concerned about anything during your recovery, donât hesitate to reach out to your surgeon.
Scars from a buttocks lift are permanent, but theyâre typically placed in areas that arenât easily visible, and their appearance will improve over time as they fade.
Your surgeon will give you instructions to minimize scarring, but one key is to avoid any undue force on the incision from straining, bending, twisting, or lifting for at least a month.Â
âIn a worst-case scenario, a buttock lift scar can be revised and even provide a little extra tightening,â says Dr. Rodriguez. âThe scar will still be visibly reduced and the overall result improved.â
Many surgeons recommend silicone sheeting or gels like Biocorneum once the incision has fully healed, to help your scars fade faster.
Butt lift results are apparent almost immediately, and most major swelling will subside within a couple of months. It may take six months to a year for you to completely heal and see the final result.
Results are usually long-lasting. Maintaining a stable weight is important for a successful long-term outcome. According to Dr. Rodriguez, âA small amount of weight gain can sometimes round out the butt, but excess weight gain could further stretch the skin.â
Updated June 3, 2022