Do butt implants look and feel real? I have a thin frame.

I am going to tell you what you may not hear from others.  Currently the only two safe and effective methods for Buttock Augmentation are Autologous Fat Transfer (transfer of your own fat to the buttocks, aka "Brazilian Butt Lift") and Buttock Implants (semi-solid soft silicone rubber implants).  Both are very good options so what it comes down to, like any surgery, is proper patient selection.  Indeed because at least 50+ % of the fat transferred will melt away within a year, most patients are not good candidates because they lack an adequate amount of fat to harvest.  Thus buttock implants become a very good, safe, and long term reliable option for most patients seeking buttock augmentation (at least in my practice). I personally recommend either the round or the oval shaped implants dependent upon the natural anatomic shape of the patient's buttock cheeks.  The implant should always be placed under or within the gluteus maximus muscle.  In this position, the implant is less palpable, less visible, and does not sag over time unlike implants placed on top of the muscle.  Therefore it is extremely important to seek consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who specializes in this technique.  Additionally, in this type of surgeons hands the often quoted "high risks" of complications especially infection are actually much lower around 5%. Best of luck...RAS

Be sure to choose a board certified plastic surgeon who has extensive experience with buttock augmentations AND has high success rates with this particular procedure.  Its very important as there are not many surgeons out there that fit these requirements.  As long as you choose your surgeon wisely you can count on this procedure being a wonderful change for your body and your career.  Good luck with your plastic surgery journey. 

Hello, and great question. Butt-implants are made from soft-silicone. Implants in the butt, like in the breast can be position above or below the muscle. And just like in the breast, we (as surgeons) rely on your bodies skin to “hide” or “camouflage”. If you are very thin, it does not matter if the implant is above or below the muscle it can still be felt and seen. Typically, I will also inject fat above and around the implant to soften the implant.As you go bigger in size of the implant, your implant becomes more noticeable, less “real”, and you can “feel” it. At some point, based on your size, the implant will be too big even for fat grafting to conceal it.

If you are a dancer, I would have serious reservations about placing and implant within or below your butt muscles because, as you said, it can potentially ruin your career.Therefore, my first option would be to utilize liposuction and fat grafting. If you don’t have enough fat, then my second option would be to utilize a moderate sized implant and liposuction with fat grafting to soften it. I would NOT want to place the implant within your butt muscle due to your career as a professional dancer. I hope that helps. Best of Luck!