Big butts are still in, which means the Brazilian butt lift remains a popular procedure. If you’re thinking about a butt lift, there are a few things you need to know first. One thing worth knowing? It’s a two-part process.
First, the surgeon performs liposuction, removing fat from one area of the body. Next, that fat is purified and injected into the buttocks, creating the size and shape you’re after.
Another thing you need to know about the procedure is that butt lift recovery usually means about a week or so of downtime. You might find that the instructions you get for butt lift recovery are a bit different from the instructions a surgeon would give you for another type of surgery. Here’s what you can expect during recovery.
Don’t Sit Down
During a Brazilian butt lift, your surgeon is going to inject a fair amount of fat into your backside. One of the goals of the procedures is to have those fat cells “take” and establish themselves the area. You don’t want your body to reabsorb too much of the fat, otherwise, your results won’t be dramatic, and might not be noticeable at all.
The injected fat is pretty delicate at first, and you should treat it as such. As you recover, it’s important not to block off circulation to the buttocks and not to put a lot of pressure on the backside. Doing one or the other can damage the fat or cause re-absorption.
Until you get the green light from your surgeon, avoid sitting down on your butt as much as possible. You might want to invest in a special inflatable “donut” pillow so that you can sit without putting pressure on the butt.
You’ll also want to avoid sleeping on your back during recovery. During butt lift recovery is one of the only times when a surgeon is going to recommend sleeping on the stomach instead of the back.
Even several weeks after the butt lift procedure, you’ll most likely want to continue to sit on a cushion when you do have to sit down. The more you can limit sitting in the months after your butt lift, the better.
Returning to Work
Most plastic surgery procedures require you to take a week or two off from work. That’s also true of a butt lift. You’ll want to take at least a week off from your job.
Plenty of people are ready to go back to work after that week, but a few do find that they want a bit longer to recover. It might be a good idea to request two weeks off, to give yourself a bit of a cushion in case you’re not ready to go back after that first week.
Consider a Compression Garment
Obviously, you aren’t going to want to wear a compression garment around the backside after a butt lift. But you might want to wear one in the area where you had liposuction. In large part, it will depend on how much fat was removed during the fat harvesting part of the butt lift. You can ask your surgeon for their opinion and to find out if they recommend wearing a compression garment to help reshape the area after liposuction.
When to Start Exercising Again
After those first two weeks, you’ll likely be ready to resume not just work, but plenty of other daily activities, like socializing with friends. There’s one activity that you’ll want to keep putting off, though, and that’s strenuous exercise. The transferred fat is delicate, remember, so you don’t want to do anything that will encourage your body to absorb it or burn it off.
Usually, it’s a good idea to avoid vigorous exercise and strenuous workouts for about six weeks after your butt lift.
If you’re ready to learn more about a butt lift and butt lift recovery, get in touch with a board-certified, experienced plastic surgeon to schedule a consultation. In Houston, Texas, Dr. Paul Vitenas has nearly three decades of experience performing face and body procedures. To make your appointment, call 281-484-0088 today.