subject: The Brazilian Butt Lift - New Plastic Surgery [print this page] Its name may conjure up images of a trendy workout DVD, but the Brazilian butt lift is a legitimate plastic surgery procedure that is gaining ground as more and more women want to enhance the appeal of their backside. The worldwide media exposure of such fortunately endowed women as Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, and even Pippa Middleton has led many women to believe that their appearance in this area of the body could stand to be improved. As with nearly every aspect of your aesthetic appearance, there is something modern medicine can do to help. Here's a look at this new, popular procedure.
Goals
The Brazilian butt lift, properly known as a gluteal augmentation, is designed to improve the shape and aesthetics of the buttocks. Although this area may be primarily comprised of muscle, its shape is more commonly defined by the fat packed back there. This is where many women struggle with improving its appearance on their own. If you simply try to eat more in an attempt to put more fat in a specific place, you're as unlikely to succeed as you would if you tried to lose weight from a specific area. Surgery can accomplish what genetics cannot, using liposuction to remove fat from one area and grafting (injections) to put it where you want it.
The Procedure
The Brazilian butt lift provides a woman with two surgeries at once. The first step in the procedure is to harvest the fat necessary to get the right amount needed for augmentation. This means liposuction, and the doctor will have his or her choice of areas from which to remove the needed tissue. Doctors will often prefer to take the fat from the upper thighs or lower midsection for two reasons. One, it is often where women most desperately want it removed, and two, it will aid the final aesthetic by providing the greatest contrast in size. The second step is to inject the harvested fat into the gluteal region, doing so in a way that maximizes curvature while emphasizing the illusion of a lift.
Recovery
Following the procedure, which typically takes around two hours to complete, the patient will be closed up and fitted with compressive garments. One benefit to the Brazilian butt lift is that it is done on an outpatient basis, meaning you get to go home immediately after the surgery is finished. Patients are instructed to limit their sitting time for the first couple of weeks, and can usually return to work within that time frame.
