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BUTT IMPLANTS WITH LIPO SOLO RECOVERY GUIDE
I've been meaning to post this for a while, as there was a lot of online research I had to do and spent time on and findings that I wish I knew before!
Context:
I chose to go into this entire operation of getting 200CC implants with lipo and fat transfer from the little fat I had in my flanks and my upper back 100% alone and discretely. You have to really, really want and be dedicated to having this procedure and dealing with the long, disruptive recovery, but for me I am glad I did it. My results are not what I was hoping for but overall it is a great improvement I can see 5 months later (I have also been wearing tighter pants to be able to see it and doing a lot of glutei strengthening exercises). I know if I didn’t do it, I would still be self-conscious and think about doing it every time I looked in the mirror.
Things to buy, many of which I discovered on my own:
- Medium-sized “boppy pillow”. Originally bought because watched BBL recovery YouTube video for tips and this lady used it to go around her waist to support her back when sitting with the booth pillow / special cushion. However, I only discovered in week five that sleeping on it (my shoulders on either side and my head resting on the curved bit) was the best (well least uncomfortable) way to sleep on my stomach
- Extra compression socks. The hopsital gives you one pair but I was glad I bought extras on amazon before
- An extra set of foam compression liners that go inside your garment. (Mine were not put into my garment until the start of week 2.) They lose their stickiness and get gross-looking since you wear them constantly, so I bought two packs of three to have three pairs
- Panty liners. It’s impossible to bend enough to change your own underwear daily without someone doing it for you, so with panty liners, you are able to change the only part of your underwear that actually touches your body, anyway (it’s the garment that touches your bum and the rest of where underwear normally goes)
- Lots of baby wipes. Get biodegradable and not overly sented ones, as you’ll be using this to clean your bum, which is near your middle incision
- Unsented, gentle body wash to clean the middle incision gently
- A standing desk table extension thing to make my table at home into a standing desk work space. Lifesaver.
- Little laptop tray / lap table thing that you can put on top of your table to make it easier to eat at standing height.
- Extra paracetamol. You’ll use this regularly for up to the first week. I didn’t want or feel I needed it after that. The discomfort, tinglyness and tightness of course continues but you get used to it and it doesn’t feel like pain you want paracetamol for after a week or so.
- Have slip on shoes / flats to wear (wear these to the hopsital) and slip on slippers for when you are at home
- A she-wee / female urinal. Absolutely necessary so you can pee standing. I got an extra one to keep in my bag for when I leave the house.
- Body lotion to put on your skin under your garment as it will likely get very dry and flakey and it h. I tried different kinds I had but by far the best one was Sanex Advanced Hydrate 24h body lotion (has a hand pump, got it at Boots, not expensive). I also got slight stretch marks - not bad, but perhaps because I did not moisturise enough.
- Silicone scar sheets. Buy them on amazon and cut to size and put them on your incisions once sutures are removed.
- Have a duffel bag to carry your booty cushion in once you get to that stage (which took me so much longer than expected)
Things I bought but did not need:
- Binder
- Ooze sheets to go under sheets of bed (I did not ooze at all)
- Ball anti-rolling belt
Things I did not expect or wish I knew before:
Results appearance-related:
- how hard and unnatural my but would feel for the first 3-4 months
- How I would not have more butt side profile projection. I highly suggest having your doctor clarify the degree of your results so you know what to expect and don’t feel disappointed. Feeling disappointed because you expected more is especially difficult when you’re recovering and have given so much time, energy, money and potential risk to having this serious operations.
- That my butt would look very wide at first (but it goes down to not look that wide)
- That I would have swelling. I hardly had any swelling
Recovery-related things I wish I knew before:
- Number one: Get a carer or helper! Don’t burden anyone with this if you don’t have an obvious go-to person already living with you and if, like me, you want to keep it all private. They can be had for only about £12 an hour in London for 3-hour slots. Get one to accompany you home from the hospital and come in every few days for the first two weeks to help you shower, get dressed, put on clean socks, do your laundry and put on clean bedding, help you go grocery shopping or put away groceries you got delivered, etc.
- I had no idea how difficult it would be to dress myself for many weeks. Only around week 4 was I able to deal with the struggle of putting socks and shoes on, and even then it was difficult. Pulling up trousers, not being able to pick up something if you drop it, take out the trash, bend down to feed your dog, walk your dog, etc. You take so many of these natural abilities for granted.
- Not being able to shower for nearly two weeks!
- How long the surgery day marker marks on my body would last for
- How slow I would walk and how tingly it would feel. I was concerned about this but I had to be patient and for me, I did not feel more normal according to the estimated timelines for recovery phases - it took me much longer
- How painful and uncomfortable it would be to use the booty cushion at week three, when you’re supposed to be able to. At week five I started using it but it’s still uncomfortable and makes my implants feel painful / strange after.
- How awkward the booty cushion is to use
- That my middle (between the cheeks) incision would feel so raised. After week 3 I started massaging it with bio oil (buy at Boots) twice a day, which is supposed to help break down the scar tissue. I wouldn’t reccomended doing this any earlier before the incision is fully closed and definitely check with your doctor first. Your incision may not be raised.
- It’s worth saying no to social outings or going out to eat, even when you so desperately want to get out of the house, to avoid the pressure of sitting or feeling super awkward because you have to stand all the time
- Do not have sex even 2 months later - can cause a lot of damage with your healing and so not worth it because it also makes you think that maybe you’ve moved your implants, etc. and that type of concern is really not nice.
Other tips / things I discovered:
- Have realistic expectations and discuss these more with your doctor. Being disappointed while you are going through such an intense, disruptive recovery is really depressing.
- Being alone and focused on my recovery is quite depressing and emotional, especially when you aren’t telling people what you did and are keeping it private. Be prepared that this is normal and it does get better once you are starting to be able to move better, which takes multiple months.
- Prepare your house beforehand with extra surface areas you will be able to reach without bending. Move things you will need from low shelves to ones you will be able to reach. Be prepared to wash your dishes by hand, as you can’t bend to use the dishwasher, not be able to carry or do laundry, take out the trash, bend down to feed your dog, etc. for weeks.
- Have a very good scrub in the shower, wash your hair supper well, shave, trim your toe nails (but no nail polish on for the operation) the day you go into the operation, as you won’t be able to for a while! I only felt like I could manage the struggle of shaving my legs at week 5.
- Put clean bedding on your bed the day before / of your operation as you won’t be able to put fresh bedding on yourself without help for a while.
- Sleeping my entire on top of pillows made my bed (very firm mattress) more comfortable. A pillow under my knees, etc.
- Standing all the time actually isn’t that bad. I was dreading this part but you get used to it very quickly, especially when sitting isn’t an option and the thought of sitting is the last thing you want to do. The worst part about not being able to stand is the awkwardness when you want to go out to eat or have a work meeting with people sitting.
- Trim your foam liners with scissors so they are a better shape for you. I cut space out where it was awkward / uncomfortable and not requiring compression, such as to give my boobes space and to not press against my hip bones.
- Finding restaurants and cafes with high tables where people sit on stools is very easy. It seems like probably at least 40% of London restaurants / coffee shops / cafes have some high tables or counters that are at a good height to stand at. If you’re there with anyone else, they sit on the stool and you stand and it’s not awkward.
- Uber drivers are actually really nice if you tell them you hurt your back and have to lay on your stomach in the back seat. There is also something called “Uber Assist” (just like when you select between categories such as UberX and UberXL), which is the same price we the normal drivers, but the drivers are prepared to help you and don’t charge for the extra time it may take you to get in or out of the car. I messaged the drivers before they arrived to say I had an operation and would need their help closing the door.
- Get over being embarrassed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help for someone to bed down to get something for you.
- You may not be in the mood to work much for the first week or so (and I mean work from home where you don’t even have to go out or sit or anything.) Even though I was mentally fine and could stand and had a standing desk, I just wasn’t in the mood. Rather than beating myself up about it because I expected to get things done beginning a few days after my operation, I eventually accepted I needing to be kind to myself and that my work was to be focused on helping.
- Tell people you had a back operation but be prepared for almost everyone to ask you questions about what happened or why you had it. I said it was related to scoliosis (curves spine - which I do have, but it turns out a lot of people know about this so think of something else less common that makes sense)
- I did not need lymphatic drainage massages beyond week 2/3 because my swelling was so minuscule. You’ll need the masseuse to help you get off/on the bed in the beginning and make sure they don’t touch you anywhere on your garment.
Context:
I chose to go into this entire operation of getting 200CC implants with lipo and fat transfer from the little fat I had in my flanks and my upper back 100% alone and discretely. You have to really, really want and be dedicated to having this procedure and dealing with the long, disruptive recovery, but for me I am glad I did it. My results are not what I was hoping for but overall it is a great improvement I can see 5 months later (I have also been wearing tighter pants to be able to see it and doing a lot of glutei strengthening exercises). I know if I didn’t do it, I would still be self-conscious and think about doing it every time I looked in the mirror.
Things to buy, many of which I discovered on my own:
- Medium-sized “boppy pillow”. Originally bought because watched BBL recovery YouTube video for tips and this lady used it to go around her waist to support her back when sitting with the booth pillow / special cushion. However, I only discovered in week five that sleeping on it (my shoulders on either side and my head resting on the curved bit) was the best (well least uncomfortable) way to sleep on my stomach
- Extra compression socks. The hopsital gives you one pair but I was glad I bought extras on amazon before
- An extra set of foam compression liners that go inside your garment. (Mine were not put into my garment until the start of week 2.) They lose their stickiness and get gross-looking since you wear them constantly, so I bought two packs of three to have three pairs
- Panty liners. It’s impossible to bend enough to change your own underwear daily without someone doing it for you, so with panty liners, you are able to change the only part of your underwear that actually touches your body, anyway (it’s the garment that touches your bum and the rest of where underwear normally goes)
- Lots of baby wipes. Get biodegradable and not overly sented ones, as you’ll be using this to clean your bum, which is near your middle incision
- Unsented, gentle body wash to clean the middle incision gently
- A standing desk table extension thing to make my table at home into a standing desk work space. Lifesaver.
- Little laptop tray / lap table thing that you can put on top of your table to make it easier to eat at standing height.
- Extra paracetamol. You’ll use this regularly for up to the first week. I didn’t want or feel I needed it after that. The discomfort, tinglyness and tightness of course continues but you get used to it and it doesn’t feel like pain you want paracetamol for after a week or so.
- Have slip on shoes / flats to wear (wear these to the hopsital) and slip on slippers for when you are at home
- A she-wee / female urinal. Absolutely necessary so you can pee standing. I got an extra one to keep in my bag for when I leave the house.
- Body lotion to put on your skin under your garment as it will likely get very dry and flakey and it h. I tried different kinds I had but by far the best one was Sanex Advanced Hydrate 24h body lotion (has a hand pump, got it at Boots, not expensive). I also got slight stretch marks - not bad, but perhaps because I did not moisturise enough.
- Silicone scar sheets. Buy them on amazon and cut to size and put them on your incisions once sutures are removed.
- Have a duffel bag to carry your booty cushion in once you get to that stage (which took me so much longer than expected)
Things I bought but did not need:
- Binder
- Ooze sheets to go under sheets of bed (I did not ooze at all)
- Ball anti-rolling belt
Things I did not expect or wish I knew before:
Results appearance-related:
- how hard and unnatural my but would feel for the first 3-4 months
- How I would not have more butt side profile projection. I highly suggest having your doctor clarify the degree of your results so you know what to expect and don’t feel disappointed. Feeling disappointed because you expected more is especially difficult when you’re recovering and have given so much time, energy, money and potential risk to having this serious operations.
- That my butt would look very wide at first (but it goes down to not look that wide)
- That I would have swelling. I hardly had any swelling
Recovery-related things I wish I knew before:
- Number one: Get a carer or helper! Don’t burden anyone with this if you don’t have an obvious go-to person already living with you and if, like me, you want to keep it all private. They can be had for only about £12 an hour in London for 3-hour slots. Get one to accompany you home from the hospital and come in every few days for the first two weeks to help you shower, get dressed, put on clean socks, do your laundry and put on clean bedding, help you go grocery shopping or put away groceries you got delivered, etc.
- I had no idea how difficult it would be to dress myself for many weeks. Only around week 4 was I able to deal with the struggle of putting socks and shoes on, and even then it was difficult. Pulling up trousers, not being able to pick up something if you drop it, take out the trash, bend down to feed your dog, walk your dog, etc. You take so many of these natural abilities for granted.
- Not being able to shower for nearly two weeks!
- How long the surgery day marker marks on my body would last for
- How slow I would walk and how tingly it would feel. I was concerned about this but I had to be patient and for me, I did not feel more normal according to the estimated timelines for recovery phases - it took me much longer
- How painful and uncomfortable it would be to use the booty cushion at week three, when you’re supposed to be able to. At week five I started using it but it’s still uncomfortable and makes my implants feel painful / strange after.
- How awkward the booty cushion is to use
- That my middle (between the cheeks) incision would feel so raised. After week 3 I started massaging it with bio oil (buy at Boots) twice a day, which is supposed to help break down the scar tissue. I wouldn’t reccomended doing this any earlier before the incision is fully closed and definitely check with your doctor first. Your incision may not be raised.
- It’s worth saying no to social outings or going out to eat, even when you so desperately want to get out of the house, to avoid the pressure of sitting or feeling super awkward because you have to stand all the time
- Do not have sex even 2 months later - can cause a lot of damage with your healing and so not worth it because it also makes you think that maybe you’ve moved your implants, etc. and that type of concern is really not nice.
Other tips / things I discovered:
- Have realistic expectations and discuss these more with your doctor. Being disappointed while you are going through such an intense, disruptive recovery is really depressing.
- Being alone and focused on my recovery is quite depressing and emotional, especially when you aren’t telling people what you did and are keeping it private. Be prepared that this is normal and it does get better once you are starting to be able to move better, which takes multiple months.
- Prepare your house beforehand with extra surface areas you will be able to reach without bending. Move things you will need from low shelves to ones you will be able to reach. Be prepared to wash your dishes by hand, as you can’t bend to use the dishwasher, not be able to carry or do laundry, take out the trash, bend down to feed your dog, etc. for weeks.
- Have a very good scrub in the shower, wash your hair supper well, shave, trim your toe nails (but no nail polish on for the operation) the day you go into the operation, as you won’t be able to for a while! I only felt like I could manage the struggle of shaving my legs at week 5.
- Put clean bedding on your bed the day before / of your operation as you won’t be able to put fresh bedding on yourself without help for a while.
- Sleeping my entire on top of pillows made my bed (very firm mattress) more comfortable. A pillow under my knees, etc.
- Standing all the time actually isn’t that bad. I was dreading this part but you get used to it very quickly, especially when sitting isn’t an option and the thought of sitting is the last thing you want to do. The worst part about not being able to stand is the awkwardness when you want to go out to eat or have a work meeting with people sitting.
- Trim your foam liners with scissors so they are a better shape for you. I cut space out where it was awkward / uncomfortable and not requiring compression, such as to give my boobes space and to not press against my hip bones.
- Finding restaurants and cafes with high tables where people sit on stools is very easy. It seems like probably at least 40% of London restaurants / coffee shops / cafes have some high tables or counters that are at a good height to stand at. If you’re there with anyone else, they sit on the stool and you stand and it’s not awkward.
- Uber drivers are actually really nice if you tell them you hurt your back and have to lay on your stomach in the back seat. There is also something called “Uber Assist” (just like when you select between categories such as UberX and UberXL), which is the same price we the normal drivers, but the drivers are prepared to help you and don’t charge for the extra time it may take you to get in or out of the car. I messaged the drivers before they arrived to say I had an operation and would need their help closing the door.
- Get over being embarrassed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help for someone to bed down to get something for you.
- You may not be in the mood to work much for the first week or so (and I mean work from home where you don’t even have to go out or sit or anything.) Even though I was mentally fine and could stand and had a standing desk, I just wasn’t in the mood. Rather than beating myself up about it because I expected to get things done beginning a few days after my operation, I eventually accepted I needing to be kind to myself and that my work was to be focused on helping.
- Tell people you had a back operation but be prepared for almost everyone to ask you questions about what happened or why you had it. I said it was related to scoliosis (curves spine - which I do have, but it turns out a lot of people know about this so think of something else less common that makes sense)
- I did not need lymphatic drainage massages beyond week 2/3 because my swelling was so minuscule. You’ll need the masseuse to help you get off/on the bed in the beginning and make sure they don’t touch you anywhere on your garment.
Butt Implant and Lipo Update - 5 months post-opp
Hi all,
I'm 5 months post-opp for 200cc butt implants and lipo to my flanks and upper back. I'm not 100% in love with my results - my lipo still left some fat (maybe that's how it should be but I don't think so because I had lipo from my stomach 13 years ago and that never left fat) and the implants show when I bend in certain ways, but overall I am definitely glad I did it. I wish I got a better compression garment and left it on longer (although the doctor said I didn't need to).
I feel much better about the results now than I did during the first few months. Being limited physically while still healing made me focus much more on the results than later on when I was more distracted with normal life.
It took me a lot longer to be able to move and exercise than 6 weeks. Even now at 5 months post-opp, there are certain laying down positions (like on a yoga mat or a hard couch) that don't feel right, but otherwise I'm able to do everything like run, lift heavy weights for squats, etc. I'm much more confident now and am very glad I did this for myself, despite all the self-judgement and fear I had. I basically went through the entire thing and the very intense recovery all on my own without telling people or having help. I ended up telling people who had to know that I had a back operation. People would ask questions, which was awkward to have to make something up, and it was amazing to realize what an impact not being able to sit has on one's social life. I made a point to find cafes, restaurants, etc. that had standing-height tables where anyone you were with could sit at the high chair/stool and I also used a standing desk from home, ate at the kitchen counter, etc. It actually wasn't as bad as you would expect apart from the awkward social aspect of it, not being able to ride in an Uber, etc. Living in a big city was a blessing as once I was well enough I could be very careful and take the bus or the train to get around while standing. I walked so slowly though - be prepared for that!
I will post a healing guide separately.
I'm 5 months post-opp for 200cc butt implants and lipo to my flanks and upper back. I'm not 100% in love with my results - my lipo still left some fat (maybe that's how it should be but I don't think so because I had lipo from my stomach 13 years ago and that never left fat) and the implants show when I bend in certain ways, but overall I am definitely glad I did it. I wish I got a better compression garment and left it on longer (although the doctor said I didn't need to).
I feel much better about the results now than I did during the first few months. Being limited physically while still healing made me focus much more on the results than later on when I was more distracted with normal life.
It took me a lot longer to be able to move and exercise than 6 weeks. Even now at 5 months post-opp, there are certain laying down positions (like on a yoga mat or a hard couch) that don't feel right, but otherwise I'm able to do everything like run, lift heavy weights for squats, etc. I'm much more confident now and am very glad I did this for myself, despite all the self-judgement and fear I had. I basically went through the entire thing and the very intense recovery all on my own without telling people or having help. I ended up telling people who had to know that I had a back operation. People would ask questions, which was awkward to have to make something up, and it was amazing to realize what an impact not being able to sit has on one's social life. I made a point to find cafes, restaurants, etc. that had standing-height tables where anyone you were with could sit at the high chair/stool and I also used a standing desk from home, ate at the kitchen counter, etc. It actually wasn't as bad as you would expect apart from the awkward social aspect of it, not being able to ride in an Uber, etc. Living in a big city was a blessing as once I was well enough I could be very careful and take the bus or the train to get around while standing. I walked so slowly though - be prepared for that!
I will post a healing guide separately.
Butt implants on very slim frame w/ Dr. Cotrufo
Hi everyone! I never post on these things but I’m 9 days away from my butt implants (with a little lipo from my flanks and upper back bc I basically don’t have any fat) and I’m really dreading the recovery! It sounds like it could be months of not sitting and pain. I just want to fast forward and get past it. I know I’m pants are even worse than just fat transfer, but that’s my only option if I want a larger bum (mine is really tiny).
I’m pretty alone in this, I am not telling people unless I absolutely have to, and I don’t know anyone who has done it before, so any support or honest suggestions would be really welcome! Is there anything that helped you that you didn’t know at the start? Anything you wish you did differently?
I’m pretty alone in this, I am not telling people unless I absolutely have to, and I don’t know anyone who has done it before, so any support or honest suggestions would be really welcome! Is there anything that helped you that you didn’t know at the start? Anything you wish you did differently?
Provider Review
Specialist Registered Plastic Surgeon
10 Harley St., London, London