Thin trans woman - is it possible to fill in hip dips? (Photos)

Question

Hello, I’m a thin trans woman (5’7”, fluctuate between 120~135 lbs) seeking to fill in my hip dips for an improvement in my lateral projection. I was fortunate enough to have hip bone growth due to HRT, but I still don’t grow fat on my hips likely due to genetics (The women in my family have this), causing my shoulders to still look broader than my hips. While thin, I do have some trace amounts of fat that I am hoping a skilled surgeon could harvest.

Guler Gamze Eren, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question.The only thing that will fix hips dips will be the fat transfer, if you don’t have enough fat to transfer you need to gain weight to fill that areas.Best luck!

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

It’s definitely possible to graft fat from any part of your body to widen your hips and feminize your body further.
I usually envision the female form as an S curve starting just above the knee and finishing at the armpit.
If you look at your own picture and impose a smooth sweeping “S” it becomes clear where adding volume can benefit as well as where removing volume can be helpful. 
Fat can be harvested from a number of areas. I usually start with liposuction where it will have the greatest impact. For most women this is going to be the torso helping to bring in the abdomen, waist, love handles and back. If more fat is needed the second area is usually the arms (if there is fat there) and/or the inner thighs. 
There are a number of variables to consider. 
Generally speaking, the success of fat transfer is dependent on the amount of tissue to graft into “host tissue”, the amount of fat available to graft and using ideal technique (grafting small amounts in many layers from different angles) 
By far the most important variable is provider selection. 
Finding the right plastic surgeon is more difficult than most people realize. To help find the right provider I suggest the following.* Schedule In-Person consultations (avoid virtual if at all possible) * Schedule several consultations before selecting a provider. * Bring proper pictures of your self to use as reference (esp when reviewing before and after pictures)* Ask providers to show you ALL of their before and after pictures of previous patients who look just like you do. * An experienced surgeon should have more before and after pictures than you have time to look at during the consultation. If they don’t then keep looking. This is A MUST. If you don’t have a ton of pictures then they don’t have a ton of experience. (No Excuses) * Make sure you scrutinize liposuction results just as carefully as the fat grafting results. * Take notes during the consult esp regarding how many previous patient’s before and after pictures they showed you. * Ask providers to explain why or why not you are a good candidate or why it will work well or what the limitations are. * Fat grafting results change radically over the first three months. Early results can look “too good to be true”. Ask specifically how long after surgery the after pictures where taken (for every case they show you). After pictures should always be 3-6 months old. This means the incisions should be well healed and there should absolutely be no surgical markings or bruising etc. DO NOT assume result are final (minimum three months). Always ask. 
Before having consultations get familiar with what good and not so good results look like. When looking at before and after pictures always have pictures of yourself to use as reference. 
You get one shot at getting this done correctly. If it’s not done well the first time it’s often difficult or impossible to create a good outcome. This is true for both liposuction and fat transfer. 
Doing body contouring well is more difficult than most people realize.
The board certified in plastic surgery with an overall good reputation and significant number of positive reviews is not sufficient criteria to confirm somebody is good at liposuction and fat grafting. Do NOT ever assume anything when it comes to cosmetic surgery. 
Of all the things I’ve mentioned having multiple in person consultations is by far the most important variable. 
This is so important I’m going to say it twice.
Please do not schedule surgery after having only one consultation.
From the information you included you should be able to get a very nice outcome. Now you just need to find the needle in the haystack. 
Remember only exceptional plastic surgeons, deliver exceptional outcomes. Most plastic surgeons are average and deliver average outcomes. 
Good luck,
Mats Hagstrom MD

Thin trans woman - is it possible to fill in hip dips? (Photos)

Answers (2)

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Lipo 360 BBL

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

Thin trans woman - is it possible to fill in hip dips? (Photos)

Answers (2)

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Lipo 360 BBL

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.