I am wondering what are the pros and cons of BBL and Sculptra butt injections?

 Well the cons of both are that they are both unpredictable and highly likely to melt away within a year or so. Additionally they both can be deadly if injected into the bloodstream and the fat or Sculptra travels to lungs.  In fact, the FDA in the USA has put out several warnings to potential consumers about the risks and dangers of injectables like Sculptra being used in the breasts or buttock. Finally,  Sculptra is technically not FDA approved for injection outside of the facial area. For all the reasons above you may want to consider a more reliable and permanent option such as buttock implants. Hope this helps. 

The issue I have with both of these procedures is that they are unpredictable and do not last very long.  For the patient, its an issue of being a bad long term investment.  For the cost of a BBL most patients can have a buttock augmentation done with an implant that can last them a lifetime. Be sure to choose a board certified plastic surgeon that specializes in this procedure and is well known in the medical community for it.  

these are two very different treatment options. Based on the volume required for most impressive BBL's I would imagine using sculpture would be extremely expensive.  I did a conservative BBL today using 1500 mL of fat in total for both sides.  To create that volume with fillers I could only imagine it would cost on the order of  Over $100,000. The patients I have seen whoever had sculpture for gluteal enhancements basically can't see any difference after because of the volume is used.  The BBL does have a scary complication that has recently been in the news called a fat embolism that can become a fatal complication. While other complications are possible with the use of fillers this one in particular would most likely not be able to happen.  Personally I would use fat but I don't have the experience of working with sculpture in this way.  While I usually encourage people to stay local for surgical procedures in your case it may be justified to travel to have the procedure done by someone who has extensive experience and expertise. Best, Mats Hagstrom M.D. 

Dear Yazzie,Hello and thank you for your excellent question. You may want to look into a body contouring procedure that combines both liposuction with laser, radiofrequency (RF), or acoustic therapy to produce the best balance of fat reduction and skin tightening and smoothing for your body type and anatomy. We use a proprietary technique that we call IDEAL Liposuction, combined with Emsculpt to help each patient reach his or her desired result. First off, all devices and instruments used are FDA-approved. We start your treatment with Emsculpt to help strengthen your abdominal muscles, augment your buttocks, and reduce any diastasis or abdominal muscle laxity that you may have. This helps convert those patients that need a full tummy tuck to either a mini tummy tuck, or liposuction alone. We then use Smart / Laser Liposuction or VASER (ultrasound) to reduce dense, fibrous fat, and stimulate collagen formation; Radiofrequency-based skin tightening to maximize skin contraction; and Ultrasound, RF, or subcision (Z Wave, Venus, Cellfina) to treat cellulite. These procedures are usually performed in the office, with only local anesthesia. Patients go home the same day as surgery, do not need any narcotics postop for pain control, and can return to light exercise and work two days after their procedure. In my practice, we select the appropriate treatment for each patient based on their skin quality, amount of fat and surgical goals. It is best to answer your question during a face-to-face evaluation, when you can discuss your goals and expectations for the procedure, and you can have a physical examination to evaluate for that procedure. I recommend that you find a board-certified, or board-eligible plastic surgeon with whom you are comfortable. Be sure to have all of your questions answered during a face-to-face meeting with your surgeon, and review before and after pictures of similar patients whom have had this procedure. If you have any questions, call our office for assistance. Good luck!

Best,

Jon Ver Halen, MD FACS

Harvard educated plastic surgeon

Texas “Top Doc” 2017, 2018

RealSelf100

America’s Top Plastic Surgeons, Consumer’s Research Council, 2010 – 2018

BeautyAdvisor Top Contributor