Silicone has many legitimate medical uses. It’s an amazing product that is often used harmlessly within the body. After all, it’s used to create breast, buttock, and even facial implants. Outside of cosmetic medicine, it’s used to treat medical problems such as retinal detachment.
So it’s understandable that people might assume that silicone is a perfectly fine substance to use as an injectable filler, particularly as a filler to enhance the buttocks.
In reality, though, silicone butt injections are a major no-no. They aren’t remotely safe and have lead to death and disfigurement for some patients. The FDA hasn’t approved silicone injections for any cosmetic purposes. If you see someone offering butt enhancement with silicone, your best bet is to say no and run straight to a board-certified plastic surgeon instead. Here’s why silicone injections are so dangerous–and some options you might want to consider instead.
The Risks of Silicone Butt Injections
One of the biggest risks and concerns surrounding silicone butt injections is that the injections are often performed by people who aren’t medical professionals. They’re not surgeons or doctors and they might not even be nurses or aestheticians.
Since they aren’t medical professionals, the people who offer silicone butt injections usually aren’t working at a medical practice or even in a particularly clean or sterile environment. The injections are commonly performed in hotel rooms or even out of the person’s home or apartment.
Another considerable risk associated with the injector’s lack of medical training is that they might not inject the material into the right spot. There have been instances of poorly-injected silicone traveling from the buttocks to other areas of the body, including the brain or heart. If the injector hits a blood vessel and the silicone travels to the brain, there’s a major risk of stroke. If it travels to the heart, there’s a risk of a heart attack.
On the aesthetic side of things, silicone butt injections can easily end up not looking so good. There’s a chance that the silicone will harden under the skin, forming unattractive bumps and lumps.
Where Does the Silicone Come From?
Another potential problem with silicone butt injections is that the silicone itself might not be designed for use in the human body. While medical-grade silicone is available, in many cases, the stuff unlicensed, non-medical injectors are using is the same stuff you’d pick up at the hardware store for use in your bathroom or kitchen.
There have also been cases of rogue injectors substituting materials that aren’t silicone at all and causing disfigurement or even death. Some of the mystery, definitely-not-FDA-approved materials used have included mineral oil, tire sealant, and cement.
What is the Brazilian Butt Lift?
If you’re not supposed to get silicone injections to enhance your buttocks, then what should you use instead? You actually have two options if you want to increase the size of your butt. The first is implants, which are similar to breast implants, only they are placed in the buttocks.
The second option is more popular and comes highly recommended by plastic surgeons for those who want natural-looking butt augmentation results. It’s the Brazilian butt lift, which is a form of the popular fat transfer procedure.
The procedure uses fat from your own body to augment the buttocks, such as from your tummy or hips. To perform the procedure, your surgeon will first harvest the fat from one area of your body where you have fat to spare. He or she will clean and sterilize the fat, then inject it into your buttocks until they reach your desired size and shape.
Unlike silicone, which is a foreign substance that your body could reject (or worse), the fat injected during a Brazilian butt lift comes from your own body. It’s a familiar substance, meaning there’s no risk of rejection.
Recovery after a butt lift will take a couple of weeks. During that time, you’ll want to avoid sitting or placing pressure on your backside as much as possible. Your surgeon might recommend a special cushion to sit on to minimize pressure.
Choosing a Surgeon for a Brazilian Butt Lift
While a Brazilian butt lift is generally a lot safer than silicone butt injections, it’s important that you work with the right surgeon if you’re considering the procedure. You want to find a board-certified plastic surgeon with experience in performing the Brazilian butt lift. Your surgeon should be able to show you evidence of their work, such as before and after pictures of previous patients.
In the Houston area, Dr. Paul Vitenas is a board-certified plastic surgeon with more than two decades of experience. He regularly performs Brazilian butt lifts and other body enhancement procedures at his practice. To learn more about the benefits of using your own fat to enhance the size of your butt, call 281-484-0088 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Vitenas today.
