One of the most common questions I get from patients is whether treating cellulite can improve the projection and shape of your buttocks or improve your BBL results. The short answer is yes, cellulite treatment can make a tremendous difference in the overall contour, projection, and shape of the buttock. This is true if you don’t do any other procedure to your buttock or if you do it in conjuction with a Brazilian Butt Lift.
When we look closely at the anatomy, it helps us understand why it can improve the overall shape of the buttock. The fibrous bands that cause cellulite are the very same structures that can tether the skin down and limit the projection of the butt and thus causing flattened areas of the buttock that would otherwise appear round and lifted. When we truly understand the underlying anatomy it is easy to understand that treating cellulite is about more than smoothing dimples (which is great), it’s about releasing those restrictive fibrous bands that hold the skin down and prevent the buttock from achieving its ideal shape. These bands are often a fixed length and that is why we often can see more cellulite with a BBL or weight gain as the increased adipose tissue pulling against these fibrous bands that are tethering the skin.
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Understanding How Cellulite Affects Buttock Shape
Most people think of cellulite as a surface issue, but it’s actually a structural problem beneath the skin. The anatomy of the buttock is layered:
- Skin
- Superficial fat
- Superficial fascia
- Deep fat
- Muscle fascia
- Muscle
We want to think of the areas of superficial and deep fat as having the consistency of bubble wrap. It is not just isolated areas of fat lakes. In the superficial fatty layer there are additional connective tissue bands, the fibrous septae that are in place to add support to the buttock; however, if they are overly strong or short, they may tether the skin to deeper structures. Maintaining some of these bands are essential; they help suspend and support the shape of the buttock. However, when certain bands become overly tight or fibrotic, they pull the skin inward, creating dimples, flattening, and irregular contours.
These fibrous bands are why simply adding more fat or filler to the area without treating these restrictive bands can limit your results. If the fibrous bands aren’t released, they’ll continue to hold the buttock back, both literally and visually. Adding volume to the butt when someone has true cellulite dimples can actually increase the visibility of the cellulite dimples.
How Cellulite Release Enhances BBL Results
By performing a targeted release of these fibrous bands, the skin is no longer tethered, and this will allow the fat to remodel naturally under the skin and the skin to slowly smooth out. The combination of the skin release and fat remodeling often allows a more projected shape. In many patients, this is done under local anesthesia in the office to allow patients to quickly return to their daily activities and work. Aveli one of the new treatments for cellulite is extremely precise, and incredibly effective and releasing these fibrous bands and then verifying that the bands have been released.
For patients planning a BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift) or fat transfer, we often recommend treating cellulite before surgery. This allows the skin and underlying adipose tissue to remodel before fat is transferred to the buttock and hips. This will often allow for more precise shaping and sculpting of the buttock. Which will ultimately enhance your BBL results. Think of it as “prepping” the buttock so it can achieve optimal shape and or projection with less added volume.
Cellulite Treatment for BBL Revision and Non-Surgical Enhancement
Cellulite treatment can still be transformative for patients who have already had a BBL but did not achieve the projection or contour they desired, helping to improve their shape and results. Releasing those fibrous bands helps the buttock lift and round its shape. Often the “flat” areas or areas lacking projection are central, where there is the largest collection of cellulite. Depending on your specific goals, often improving contour and shape without needing large additional fat transfers can be achieved with treating cellulite in the buttock.
We’re also seeing more patients who want to enhance their shape non-surgically, especially in the “Ozempic era,” where weight loss can deflate the buttock. Often patients have a combination of issues in three categories:
- Volume – Excess or Deficiency. More commonly in the Ozempic butt if is a volume deficiency as they have lost most of the natural fat in their buttock.
- Cellulite – Further decreases the smooth appearance of the butt and thighs.
- Skin Laxity—Loose skin in the buttock has become very common in our paitents on their weight loss journey. Patients with mild to moderate weight loss can often be treated non-surgically; patients that have more significant weight loss may need surgical intervention.
For patients to achieve their desired outcome, they often need to address all three of these categories. No question, typically one or two are the main source of concern. The GLP medications and this conversion to a more fit butt, such as the Pilates peach, have created a more modern trend in buttock appearance. These patients don’t necessarily want a bigger butt; they want an athletic, lifted, fit appearance to their buttock.
Combining cellulite release using treatments such as Aveli is often done in combination with fat filler treatments like Alloclae or skin-tightening procedures such as Sofwave and AVAVA. These combination treatments can smooth the buttock surface while improving the shape which leads to a subtle but sexy increase in projection. The modern goal is shape over size to create a balance and proportion, the Pilates Peach!
A Holistic Approach to Buttock Enhancement
To truly improve buttock shape, you have to address all three key components:
- Skin quality and laxity – improved with devices like AVAVA, Sofwave, Quantum, and Renuvion. These treatments help tighten and tone the skin. It is critical to address the skin envelope in the modern buttock.
- Volume and contour — Patients will either have an excess or a deficit of fat in the buttock. Occasionally, patients may exhibit both excess and deficiency of fat in different areas of the buttock. This can be addressed with several different treatments. The most effective non-surgical treatment currently is a fat product called Alloclae.
- Cellulite and fibrous bands – treated through precise release of the root cause. Cellulite is more than just dimples in the skin. It constricts the overall shape of the buttock. To improve the shape, these need to be treated from the cause, the fibrous bands. Aveli has become our treatment of choice for cellulite.
When you treat all three together, you create a natural, sculpted buttock that flows seamlessly from the back into the thighs. The modern buttock is about shape not size. Current advancements have allowed our patients to acheive stunning non-surgical results or enhance their surgical results with treatmetns such as Aveli to treat their cellulite.
Final Thoughts
As our understanding of buttock anatomy continues to improve and evolve, so does the way we treat and enhance the shape of the buttock. Cellulite treatments have become an essential part of modern buttock contouring, whether done before, during, or after the buttock augmentation.
By addressing the fibrous bands that limit projection, we’re not just removing the dimpling of the buttock, we are improving the overall shape of the buttock and helping you achieve an athletic buttock.
If you’re considering a BBL, buttock enhancement, or cellulite treatment, schedule a consultation at Austin Plastic Surgeon to learn how a customized approach can help you achieve your ideal shape.
Because at the end of the day — confidence is the best contour.
