Recommended Pillow for Sitting After Brazilian Butt Lift?

Hello and Great Question.  I appreciate the time you are spending researching this procedure.  My name is Dr. Matthew J. Nykiel.  I am a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, a Fellowship Trained Cosmetic Surgeon, and a Butt Augmentation Specialist.

Each Surgeon has a slightly different recovery protocol and you should always go over your surgeon's protocol.   
 PILLOWS:  Why is the post-operative Pillows and Sitting so important in recovery for a BBL?  
Because it is extremely important that one avoids sitting or lying which generates pressure onto their butt for prolonged periods of time during the early stages of healing when the transferred fat is trying to live.  The off-loading pillow allows you to sit and return to work or simply relax.   The sitting/pillow restrictions should be continued for 4 weeks following surgery; and the restrictions are gradually lengthened with each week (see timetable below).  But Why does it matter?  Because the transplanted fat cells must re-establish blood supply in order to live.  In the first four weeks after surgery, these fat cells are very fragile and susceptible to pressure which can cause cell death or cause the fat to disappear. Therefore, during the 4 week period we encourage patients to avoid sitting.  But (No Pun), if it is absolutely necessary you can sit for certain time intervals (see table below) and/or utilize an off-loading pillow.  What Type of Specific Pillow?  Any type of pillow works; no "one pillow" has been shown to be better than another.
How does an Off-Loading Pillow Work?
The pillow is folded and placed behind your knees and under your thighs.  This effectively puts all the pressure on your thighs and "off-loads" pressure on your butt.  This may potentially minimize the cell damage of the transferred fat.  As the potential for cell death is decreased, the potential for surgical results are optimized.  Again, a regular pillow will work; if you are looking for a specific off-loading pillow, examples are:  Booty Buddy®, BBL Pillow®, Booty Mate® etc.   

SITTING PROTOCOL:  I utilize a 4 week sitting protocol.  Again, the 1st week I like you to be off your butt as much as possible in the early stages of healing.  The protocol is: ◦ Week 1: Sitting for the bathroom ◦ Week 2: Sit as usual with the assistance of a pressure off-loading pillow. If you do not have a pillow then: 15-30 minutes at a time, then standing up to shift your weight. ◦ Week 3: Sit as usual with the assistance of a pressure off-loading pillow.  If you do not have a pillow then:  30-60 minutes at a time, then standing up to shift your weight. ◦ Week 4: Sit as usual with the assistance of a pressure off-loading pillow.   If you do not have a pillow then:  1-2 hours at a time, then standing up to shift your weight. ◦ Week 5:  No Sitting Restrictions.  Sit as usual.  Unless otherwise directed.

RETURN TO WORK:  Most of my patients are back to work in 1 week or less.  Again, I perform a number of these procedure on college students and professionals that sit for the majority of their day.  

ACTIVITY:  After 1 week you can Run/Jog or go to the gym.  Prior to 1 week, I want you walking around as much as possible.

RETURN TO GYM:  After 1 week you can go to the gym.  You can do any upper body work out and/or Run/Jog.  No lower body squats or any activity that requires you to place pressure on your Butt/Gluts (i.e. Leg Press, Back Row etc) until after 4 weeks from surgery. Best of Luck!  Please reach out if you have any further questions or concerns.

Matthew J. Nykiel, MD#TopREALSELFDoctor#CoreREALSELFDoctorButt Augmentation SpecialistLiposuction SpecialistBoard Certified Plastic Surgeon

Brazilian Butt Lift is quickly becoming one of the most popular procedures in the United States because it can give patients a total body transformation.  The combination of the liposculpting and fat transfer can give patients the hourglass or A frame figure they have always desired and has led to the popularity of the procedure! 

One of the most common questions that I get during the consultation is about sitting.  We never realize how much we sit until we can’t sit anymore.  I currently recommend to my patients that they cannot sit for six weeks after surgery.  This is so important because the fat transferred needs to “take” so that you can have the best results possible from their Brazilian Butt Lift.

The fat that is transferred survives by having new blood vessels grow into it so that it can last for years to come.  Any pressure (such as sitting) can disrupt this process and decrease the amount of fat that survives and ultimately your results. 

My current protocol is:

No sitting for six weeks
No laying on your back for six weeks
After two weeks, you can use the BBL pillow if you have to sit to travel, meeting or such.
The BBL pillow fits on airline seats
This is the BBL pillow that we currently use:
bblpillow.comThis should be used as little as possible as the more you can avoid sitting all together the better.
After 6 weeks patients, can start sitting for an hour at a time.
I believe that not sitting is so important that a BBL pillow is included in every butt augmentation surgery that we perform.  We see a dramatic difference in the patients that are meticulous about not sitting and using their pillow versus those that put pressure on the butt. 

We have been fortunate to have some amazing results in our practice and that in part is due to how meticulous our patients are about not sitting or lying on their back for the first six weeks.  If they have to sit, they will be using their BBL pillow. 

The Brazilian Butt Lift Surgery is a big investment in time and money so I want all of my patients to get the best result possible.  I am writing this blog to stress the importance of not sitting after your surgery so can get the best possible result.

Please discuss your Brazilian Butt Lift (Butt Augmentation with Fat Transfer) with your board-certified plastic surgeon.  Every surgeon has their own sitting protocol after surgery and you should discuss it with them so that you can follow their instructions to get the best possible results from your Brazilian Butt lift.  

I recommend complete pressure offloading on the butt and hips for 3 weeks after a BBL. Although many patients have tried to find ways around not sitting directly on the butt, the problem is that these device put pressure on the lower back and upper thighs. When you put pressure on these areas, the skin in between them tighten like two people pulling a sheet in opposite directions. The taut skin causes pressure on the buttocks and causes a flatter appearance.

Thank you for your question.

Yes, you can use a boppy pillow or a BBL pillow. The idea is to avoid any pressure to the buttocks by not sitting or sleeping on the it for at least 6 weeks.

Please always consult with a board certified plastic surgeon.

Take care,

Moises Salama M.D. Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Hello and thank you for your question. At our practice we have many new patients ask us this question. A good rule of thumb is - avoid sitting on any part of your buttocks/hip where fat was injected. Usually a "safe zone" is the tops of the thighs right below the crease of your buttocks. I typically recommend avoiding any pressure by sitting or sleeping to these areas for 6 weeks postop to allow for the best fat tissue survival. If you have to drive, using a boppy underneath the tops of thighs and letting your buttock rest in the "hole" of the boppy should work. I usually ask patients to practice using their pillows before surgery to make sure that they know how to use the pillows properly and can adjust as necessary without affecting their surgical results. Other pillows such as the booty buddy or wedge pillows that are usually sold online are helpful. Good luck to you.

In the past, when we used to transfer fat to only the buttocks itself, you could potentially get by with sitting on a pillow here and there because it would only be putting pressure on your thighs. These days, to get a nice "heart" shaped buttocks, I typically inject in the mid and upper butt area, the hips, and down to the thighs. This gives a great overall shape but limits where you can sit afterwards. I always say that transferred fat is your investment and it is up to you to take care of it for the first 3 weeks after surgery. I recommend not sitting on the butt for the first 3 weeks after surgery at all. It would be like buying a shiny new Ferrari and taking it out in the snow! Going to the bathroom for a few minutes probably will not make a difference.....but taking short car rides actually may. You want to give that fat every chance possible to survive for those 3 weeks so it is better to avoid any kind of sitting in my opinion. Some of that fat on your hips, lower butt, or thighs may get compressed and compromised with a pillow. After three weeks, whatever fat has taken and grown a blood supply is generally there to stay.