Is a butt augmentation something I should consider? (Photo)

Allow me to answer your question as best i can based upon your photos. However, please keep in mind that an in-person, or at least a virtual, consultation with physical exam is first necessary before any legitimate evaluation or final surgical recommendations can be made.

There are currently only two FDA approved surgical options for augmenting the buttock/hip area: 1) Buttock and cosmetic Hip Implants (which are soft semi-solid silicone rubber implants that cannot rupture &/or leak) and 2)Brazilian Butt Lift (aka BBL) - which utilizes the patients own fat from liposuction then transfers this fat into the buttock. On the other hand, BBL using Sculptra is a dangerous, guaranteed waste of money, and is NOT FDA approved. So what it comes down to, like any surgery, is proper patient selection and long-term results. Implants provide the only guarantee for a sustained permanent result and tend to be ideal for perking up not only lean or deflated buttocks but also providing substantial projection to any butt, which is what every single patient wants. Typically a combination of sculpting the waistline with liposuction and augmenting the buttock with implants +/- the hips with implants provides the best chance for a long lasting and desirable "hour-glass" figure. Based upon your photos, a Stanton Anatomic®️ shape buttock implant may serve you best. Because your surgeon “does not do butt implants”, unfortunately, his only choice is BBL. Please read on:

Unfortunately also, fat typically melts away leaving disappointing results after 12 months, often sooner. Unless your BBL surgeon is injecting only 200 to 300 ccs of fat into each buttock cheek, a large percentage of that fat is going to die. Dead fat leads to dents and dimpling like cellulite, unevenness, loss of projection, and fatty necrotic oil cysts which are hard marbles and can be very tender
Unfortunately, because ~70+ % of the fat transferred will melt away within a year or two, most patients are not good candidates for BBL because they lack an adequate amount of fat to harvest. Beware, if a surgeon asks you to purposely gain weight (i.e. fat) before BBL, know that the fat you lose first as you get back to your baseline weight after surgery is that very same fat that was transferred into your buttock, hence your new buttock shrinks first, the fastest, and the most...so please do not fall victim to this recommendation. Even those patients that had adequate amounts of fat pre-operatively, still end up seeking buttock implants after a year or so because most of the fat transferred melted away leaving them with minimal result. Fillers such as Sculptra are cost prohibitive, provided enough volume is injected (i.e. at least 400 cc of active ingredient costing over $300,000) and last only 12 - 18 months. So, if you're looking for a reliable, predictable, and long-term permanent option that also provides projection in the central buttock, buttock and hip implants are your solution. Please note that an extremely few number of board certified plastic surgeons specialize in buttock or hip implants, so you may need to travel far and away from home to find this particular surgeon. Glad to help.

Dear JHCALL,
based on your photos, you look like a good candidate for a BBL. Liposuction of your abdomen, back and flanks should give you more curves and hourglass shape and fat transfer to buttocks should give you more projection. I would suggest you to consult a board-certified plastic surgeon because only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Dear llotus8, thank you for sharing your question. After analyzing your case I can say you look like a good candidate for Vaser Liposuction in your abdomen, flanks and back + BBL. Make sure you go on consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon. Hope this helps and best of lucks. Dr. Luis Mejia.

This response was dictated. I apologize in advance for grammatical errors.
The combined procedure of liposuction from the body with fat grafting to the buttocks is often referred to as the Brazilian butt lift. A.k.a. BBL.
There are a lot of variables to take into consideration when contemplating having this procedure.
First and foremost is understanding your own candidacy for the procedure.
I generally do not recommend people have virtual consultations whenever possible.
It’s not possible to assess a patient’s candidacy as well without meeting the patient in person.
I also don’t believe that patient can properly vet providers without meeting them in person.
Determining how much fat can be harvested on low BMI patients is tricky.
The amount of fat can be successfully grafted is also highly dependent on how thick to subcutaneous fat is for the “host tissue” where the graft will be placed.
Delivering consistent quality, liposuction and fat transfer results is more difficult than most people realize.
The number of plastic surgeon truly mastered this procedure is quite small.
If done poorly this procedure can very easily leave people disappointed, or even disfigured.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of proper provider selection, and having a clear understanding of your own candidacy for the procedure before even contemplating first selecting a provider, and eventually scheduling surgery.
The fact that you were still contemplating gluteal implants tells me you are probably fairly early in the decision-making process.
At this point, I suggest you take a few steps back and approach this process a little differently.
My recommendation is patients, considering having Liposuction and fat transfer, start the process by first, making a list of local providers who seem to have a lot of experience with this procedure.
Next schedule multiple in person consultations with those providers.
During each consultation, bring pictures of yourself taken the same way plastic surgeons take before and after pictures.
Bringing pictures of your body is very useful as reference when reviewing before and after pictures.
During each consult, ask each provider to open up their portfolio and show you their entire collection of before, and after pictures of previous patients who had similar body characteristics to your own.
This means they should be About the same BMI, same thickness of subcutaneous, fat and same degrees of skin, laxity, etc.
An experienced plastic surgeon should have no difficulty showing you the before and after pictures of at least 50 previous patients.
Being shown a handful of pre-selected images, representing only the best results of a providers career may be insufficient to get a clear understanding of what average results look like in the hands of each provider, what your results are likely to look like or how many of these procedures they have actually done.
Recognize that fat trans results can look very impressive when taken an early after the procedure.
Early fat transfer results do not represent long-term results in anyway.
Never assume that after pictures are mature final outcome.
Always ask and confirm the timeframe of when after pictures were taken in relationship to the date of the procedure.
In order for after pictures to be representative after fat transfer, they need to be taken at least 3 to 6 months from the date of the procedure.
Being board-certified in plastic surgery with years of experience, and overall good reputation does not mean somebody has mastered every procedure.
It is the patient responsibility and obligation to find the right provider for their needs.
There’s no correct number of consultations needed to find the right provider for your needs.
The more consultations you schedule the more likely are to find the better provider for your needs.
In the hands and the right provider, you are more likely to have a clear understanding of your own candidacy for the procedure, a better understanding of what type of results are possible And are more likely to have a quality outcome with an overall positive experience. Considering how much variation there is in skill among plastic surgeons for both Liposuction and fat transfer I suggest patients consider having five or six consultations before beginning to consider provider selection.
From the pictures you’ve included I did not think you are a candidate for a significant or major body transformation with this procedure.
Your results are going to be subtle.
Your fat layer seems to be only about half an inch or even less in some areas.
This is also true for your gluteal and thigh regions, which will limit how much fat can be successfully grafted in these areas.
It’s very important to understand your candidacy for the procedure and have a clear understanding of what the procedure can and cannot accomplish.
If this is not done, then the chance of being left disappointed or worse becomes fairly significant.
An individual who is an excellent candidate for a surgeon plastic surgery procedure has the potential of having excellent outcomes.
That person can also have poor outcomes if the procedure is done by a provider, lacking skill and experience.
Any individual who is not a good candidate for a certain plastic surgery procedure does not have the potential of having a good outcome regardless of who does the procedure.
Understanding your own candidacy, for the procedure is a major part of maintaining high patient satisfaction.
The biggest mistake. Most patients make is having only one consultation and then scheduling surgery.
The second mistake is assuming that someone who has the right credentials is good at these procedures without vetting or getting confirmation of both skill and experience.
This type of work is highly complex, and there are numerous variables that always need to be taken into consideration.
When in doubt, slow down and schedule more consultations.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD