{"id":20431,"date":"2021-10-21T13:36:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-21T20:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/?p=20431"},"modified":"2023-10-12T13:22:55","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T20:22:55","slug":"brazilian-butt-lift-before-and-after-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https://www.realself.com\/news\/brazilian-butt-lift-before-and-after-photos","title":{"rendered":"6 Things to Look for in Brazilian Butt Lift Before-and-Afters"},"content":{"rendered":"

This isn’t a story about Brazilian butt lift<\/a> safety<\/a>. Truly, it’s not. But we can’t discuss the finer points of the BBL—a plastic surgery famous for combining liposuction<\/a> and fat grafting to sculptural effect—without first addressing the well-publicized risks<\/a>. In short, “the butt is a danger zone,” says Dr. Ran Y. Stark<\/a>, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. “If injected incorrectly, devastating consequences—namely death—can occur.” While leading experts have, over the past several years, studied the dangers involved and devised ways to minimize them, this is still not a body contouring procedure for the strip-mall surgeon. <\/p>

“There is a high degree of technical expertise and nuance involved in getting it right,” Dr. Amaka Nwubah<\/a>, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Nashville, Tennessee, tells us. “It’s not a cosmetic procedure that can be learned in a weekend course.” Our doctors insist that it’s imperative to seek out a board-certified plastic surgeon who performs butt lift procedures routinely and in accordance with the latest safety guidelines<\/a>. <\/p>

Once you find a vigilant surgeon who meets these benchmarks, you will, of course, want to peruse their patient testimonials and their before-and-after photo gallery. But what exactly are you looking for? Real, relatable photos, for starters—plus several other subtle signs of remarkable results. Here, the six things that matter most in BBL B&As, according to top plastic surgeons.<\/p>

Interested in Brazilian butt lift?<\/small><\/div>Find Doctors Near You<\/a><\/div>

1. Before pics that align with your body type<\/h2>

When reviewing before-and-afters, it’s natural to focus on the after—eye on the prize, and all that—but surgeons say that BBL before photos deserve equal attention. “Always be sure to look at the patient’s shape in their before photos, to see if [their end result] is something that is achievable for you,” advises Dr. Nwubah. “If you start off square but all the before photos you’re looking at are round, those results may be unrealistic.” <\/p>

A lack of variety in “before” bodies may also be a red flag. “You want to know that the surgeon can handle the procedure in different types of patients, because everyone comes with a unique canvas that is their starting shape,” she adds.<\/p>

To help set reasonable expectations, Miami board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Pat Pazmiño<\/a> relies on digital imaging. “I sit down with every patient and keep changing their picture, little by little, until they see, on their own body, the shape that they want,” he says. In his experience, this is the best way to ensure everyone is on the same page and to get an accurate idea of what an individual’s results will be. Because again, you may covet a certain tush you see online—be it a celeb’s or a perfect stranger’s—but if that person’s pre-op pic doesn’t resemble yours, you cannot count on an identical outcome. “Wish pics are wonderful,” says Dr. Pazmiño—“but wish pics are fantasy.”<\/p>

2. Authentic, long-term after photos<\/h2>

We all love immediate gratification—and plastic surgeons are no exception. Which may explain the abundance of on-the-table BBL posts in our social media feeds. These images are taken in the OR, directly following the buttock augmentation procedure, when bums are (temporarily) at peak plumpness post-fat transfer. “On-the-table results are essentially a marketing tool,” Dr. Nwubah explains. “Most surgeons take after videos on the table, with patients in what we call the ‘jackknife’ position—they’re basically bent over, lying down, which makes the hips and buttocks look rounder and more accentuated.” <\/p>

Beyond being borderline deceptive, on-the-table snaps are also fairly useless in forecasting actual outcomes, says Dr. Pazmiño, since “BBL results can change for up to 10–12 months after the procedure.” He prepares patients for two separate stages of shrinkage: the first occurs by two weeks post-op, when the saline that was injected during surgery gets absorbed, and the second happens around three months, when roughly half of the grafted fat gets absorbed. “Typically, anywhere from 50% to, if a patient is lucky, 70% of the fat that’s moved from one part to the other will stick around,” he says. Anticipating some degree of loss, surgeons generally fill the butt to capacity, being careful to stay in a safe plane and to not overstuff the tissues.<\/p>

For a more reliable predictor of BBL results, look at after photos that are taken at least three to six months out, when swelling has subsided some and true dimensions are better established. <\/p>

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