If I lose 20 pounds after bbl surgery through diet alone, and no exercise, will the fat in my butt disappear?

Question

I have seen doctors say that fat cells shrink when a person loses weight and it does not disappear, but a plastic surgeon told me if I lose weight after my bbl, all the fat that was transferred to my butt will disappear or reabsorb. I would like to lose 20 lbs. after bbl. I appreciate all answers and I ask dr. Salama to please answer too as he said once that a person's results won't be affected by weight loss (not his exact words)

Nick Slenkovich, MD · Answer

Thanks for your question about weight loss after a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL). Ideally, I recommend being stable at your goal weight for a month before surgery, and I do not recommend any weight loss in the 4-6 weeks after a significant body contouring procedure like a BBL. A Brazilian Butt Lift utilizes fat transfer to enhance the natural contours of the body. To achieve the best possible results, this involves sculpting both the buttocks and the surrounding areas, including the small of the back, thighs, hips and base of the butt. Losing 20 pounds or more after surgery could change the overall aesthetic appearance of your results, although this will depend on the quality and stability of a person's tissues.I would expect fat transferred to the buttocks to respond to weight changes the same as it did before being transferred. This transferred fat is living fat tissue in its new location and will increase and decrease in volume with weight changes.In summary: small weight changes are likely insignificant, but large weight changes (greater than about 10-15% of your body weight) may start to cause noticeable side-effects. Hope this helps.Nick Slenkovich, MD FACS

Rukmini S. Rednam, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello I_deserve_it,Thank you for your question.  You are correct that while fat cells shrink with weight loss they do not disappear.  When fat is transferred from one area of the body to another area it gains its nutrition and ability to thrive from the surrounding tissues its placed into.  So in a BBL the fat transferred becomes a part of the buttock by getting its blood supply from the muscles and tissues around it.Fat loss and gain vary greatly from woman to woman and the donor site for the fat plays an important role in how the fat responds.  For example, if the donor sites for you BBL are mainly your thighs and you normally gain and lose weight in your thighs with fluctuations in your weigh, then the same should hold true even though the fat is in a new place.  If your goal is to lose 20 lbs, I would recommend you lose most of that weight prior to your surgery then have your procedure.  You can have a beautiful result with a combination of lower back/buttock contouring and fat grafting without having to be overweight to achieve the result.Best of Luck!Dr. Rednam

Tania Medina de Garcia, MD · Answer

Hello dear!
Thanks for the question and provided information as well.
After a BBL, you lose or gain weight in the same way as before. So the answer is yes, if you lose a considerable amount of weight, the results of your surgery will be affected.
You can maintain your BBL results with exercise and a clean diet. Lifting, squats and lunges after a BBL will only help increase muscle bulk and definition and achieve a more projected buttocks.
If you have any concerns, I suggest you follow up close with your plastic surgeon.
Good luck :)

If I lose 20 pounds after bbl surgery through diet alone, and no exercise, will the fat in my butt disappear?

Answers (3)

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If I lose 20 pounds after bbl surgery through diet alone, and no exercise, will the fat in my butt disappear?

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Brazilian Butt Lift

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