Does a BBL last or is it a temporary change?

Question

I have heard a lot of negative press about BBL surgery recently and along with that it's been said that it only lasts temporarily, as the fat transferred to the bum would naturally go back to the stomach or wherever it is naturally carried on your body? I've also heard that the transferred fat turns to cellulite and then further procedures would be needed to get rid of it? I originally thought it was a lifetime change but I'm concerned it's a temporary change and in a few years time would look awful.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

After the initial resorption phase, the fat that is left is living tissue with a blood supply.  For the Brazilian butt lift, about 50 to 70% of the fat survives long term .  I have seen patients after a year or two and the pictures reveal that the gain is permanent. Perhaps this is due to injection technique, harvest technique, amount transferred.  This will hold stable as long as there is no weight fluctuation.  The fat will not move, but losses in weight will distribute differently. The fat that lives in the buttocks from the procedure will get larger with weight gain and smaller with weight loss.
Kenneth Hughes, MD, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Los Angeles, CA

Luis A. Mejia, MD · Answer

hello thank you for your question and provided information as well.. based in your question its difficult evaluate your i case dont with this angles, its recommended if you get a consultation in person with a plastic surgeon to discuss all about theme.

Jaime S. Schwartz, MD, FACS · Answer

About 60% of fat from the transfer is retained and the results are permanent. The size will change with your weight just as the rest of your body does. In other words, the fat acts like it was naturally there. You can get a good idea of the final result after 6 months.

Carolina Restrepo, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. With Brazilian butt lift we transfer fat from one area of the body to the other. These fat cells are transferred in microinjections throughout multiple planes in the buttock tissue so that they can gain new blood supply and live in their new home, providing increased volume and shape to the buttocks.After surgery there is a predictable swelling process that mostly resolves over two months, when the final result really settles in.  The fat that survives is there permanently. Around 70% of fat that is grafted is typically expected to survive long term. We also put a little extra to account for loss of fat post operative, which is reabsorbed gradually by the body.

Erika Sato, MD, FACS · Answer

The proportions that you have after 3-6 months is permanent as long as you do not gain or lose more than 5 lbs. Your body will age as it would have before the BBL so skin will lose elasticity and collagen and cellulite will form. Cellulite is genetic and definitely gets worse over time. Any PS is not forever because the body ages. Think of it much like buying a car. That care will require oil changes, tire rotations etc and eventually you will need a new one if you want it to maintain that shiny new look!

Adolfo Sesto, MD · Answer

Hi. You have been reading a lot of crazy information with no medical support. Fat cells when transfered get integrated to the receptor area and never migrate, cellulite is a skin condition that has nothing to do whit fat transfer, and the change is not temporarily. But you should know that fat cells do shrink when you put down weight and get bigger when you gain.International Member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
Member of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS)
Member of the International Confederation of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (IPRAS)

Andrew Gear, MD · Answer

once the fat takes in its new home, which is usually by six months or after, the results from a BBL are permanent. The buttocks  will swell or shrink based on your weight but those changes are permanent. That’s why it’s such a great procedure

Karl William Schwarz, MD · Answer

A BBL is also known as fat grafting. A graft is something taken from one part of the body and put in another part and it becomes permanent. For example, say you sustain a burn to your arm then we take skin from your leg and graft it onto your arm to repair the burn. The skin from your leg is a graft—it is your own tissue and grows into your arm and lasts forever. A fat graft is the same. We take fat from your trunk and graft it into your buttocks. Just like with a skin graft not 100% of it survives but the fat which survives is permanent. It is your tissue and stays with you for ever. If you gain weight the fat cells get bigger and your butt gets bigger. If you lose weight the fat cells store less and your butt gets smaller.The grafted fat doesn’t turn into cellulite just like muscle doesn’t turn into fat—they are completely different materials. It would be like saying your wall turns into your floor—doesn’t make any sense at all. Also, fat grafting with a BBL actually improves the appearance of cellulite.The fat that gets grafted to your butt stays there—the reason it survives is that it anchors itslef and gets a new blood supply so it is not possible for it to swim back to your tummy for example.There are a lot of myths out there about plastic surgery particularly with butt augmentation and with breast augmentation so you need to see a Board Certified plastic surgeon and get the real scientific information.Certified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, Florida Medical Association

George Lefkovits, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

In my series of over one thousand cases, I have found that if the transferred fat to the buttocks is still present after 5-6 weeks, then there is an excellent chance that no further fat transfer will be necessary in the future. You should consult with a Board Certified PS with lots of experience performing BBL surgery. Good luck!

Does a BBL last or is it a temporary change?

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