Butt Implant FAQs

Butt augmentation has been one of the fastest growing procedures over the past several years. Patients have several options including fat transfer (Brazilian Butt Lift), butt implant or a combination of butt implants and fat transfer.
Butt implants are a great option for thin patients as they typically don’t have enough fat to give them the augmentation they desire. However thin patients are more likely to have a visible edge to their butt implants as they have little fat over their implant to disguise the implants. That is typically why I will fat transfer around the implants in an attempt to camouflage the implants.

However, some patients are not ready for another surgery or do not have any fat available to transfer around the implant. For these patients Sculptra is a good option as it can be done in the office with minimal down time. The Sculptra is injected around the lateral and superior edge of the implants.

The Sculptra stimulates the body to make its own collagen. This will lead to a smooth and natural appearance around the implant. Patient typically need several treatments. Sculptra takes 6 weeks to two months to achieve the full effect, so treatments are usually spaced out about two months.

The good news is that Sculptra lasts longer than most fillers. It lasts around one and half years after the stimulation of collagen!

This is a great question as the recommendations for implants can be confusing at times. The confusion often stems from the old recommendation that breast implants needed to be changed every 10 years, that is no longer true. In our practice if patients love their breasts and implants we don’t change them just because they reach a certain age.

However, if patients are very young it also doesn’t mean that the implant will last 80 years. Occasionally patients will need the implant revised or exchanged. It is common for patients to have the implants for many years before ever needing to do any type of exchange or revision.

Patient tend to be extremely happy with the butt implants. It is a great option for patients that don’t have enough fat or want more projection then is possible with fat transfer alone. Some patients also have a combination of fat transfer and butt implants to achieve the results that they desire.

Deciding on the proper implant type, size and shape can be difficult for patients as there is an array of options to choose from for your butt augmentation.

The only FDA approved gluteal implants in the U.S. are a solid silicone implant that comes in round and shaped styles. There is currently not cohesive gel implant approved in the United States for butt augmentation. One reason in the past when butt augmentation with implants had issues was that people were using breast implants and not gluteal implants that were specifically designed for butt augmentations.

The benefit of using an implant that has been FDA approved is that you know that there is high standard and safety to the implants. The process is rigorous to have the implants approved and that is done to protect patients here in the United States. The reason that the implants are a solid silicone is that they can take the abuse that our butt my encounter on a daily basis.

The round implants are the most common in the U.S. and in my practice. The implants will help shape your butt and hips to give it the projection and round figure that patient hope to achieve. Butt Implants are typically larger then breast implants, as peoples butts are typically larger than their breasts. In my practice the average butt implant range from 400 to 600cc. Please keep in mind that you cannot compare fat transfer and butt implants in terms of volume. Butt implants will give you much more projection and volume per cc than fat will do for your augmentation.

Once we know what you are looking for in terms of appearance and what you body can accommodate then we will give you some implants to choose from and help guide you as to what is best for your aesthetic goals.

Deciding on the proper implant size and shape can be difficult for patients just as it is when women are deciding on the proper breast implant size.

First of all there is no one perfect implant for every person. The ideal implant depends on the aesthetic goals that each person is trying to achieve from their augmentation. Typically I will take measurements of the buttock and determine what implants will fit your buttock. There are a range of butt implants and profiles (just like breast implants, though not as many).

The implants are a solid silicone implant that comes in round and shaped styles. The round implants are the most common in the U.S. and in my practice. The implants will help shape your butt and hips to give it the projection and round figure that patient hope to achieve. Butt Implants are typically larger then breast implants, as peoples butts are typically larger than their breasts. In my practice the average butt implant range from 400 to 600cc. Please keep in mind that you cannot compare fat transfer and butt implants in terms of volume. Butt implants will give you much more projection and volume per cc than fat will do for your augmentation.

A couple things patients can do is one; have an open discussion with your surgeon about your aesthetic goals. Second is bringing in pictures that have the look that you are trying to achieve, as this will help your surgeon.

Once we know what you are looking for in terms of appearance and what you body can accommodate then we will give you some implants to choose from and help guide you as to what is best for your aesthetic goals.

A Brazilian Butt Lift can be done after butt implants if patients need fat transfer. The benefit is not only the additional fat that is added that can fill any gaps that were not enhanced by the implants but can also improve the overall shape of the patient.

The benefit of the Brazilian Butt Lift is that it shapes the waist as fat is liposuctioned (harvested) to be used for the enhancement. Then the fat can be used to enhance the over shape of the buttock and hips. It will also help buffer the implant so that is has a more natural feel and look to the augmentation.

The only issues is that a large percentage of women that have butt implants have them because they were to thin for fat transfer. If you have enough fat then you can certainly have a Brazilian Butt Lift after your augmentation with implants.

Size of implants for a butt augmentation is one of the hardest decisions for patients to make prior to their augmentation. In general patients are extremely happy after their augmentation but at times wish they had gone bigger.

Number one we would advise you to spend time talking to your plastic surgeon about your butt augmentation that way you can get the appropriate size during your initial surgery. However even with that said there are times that patients want larger implants than the body can accommodate at the time of the initial surgery or patients later wish to be larger.

We typically have patients wait at least six months before we will exchange the implants for a larger size. One this allows time for the swelling to completely resolve so that patients can see their final results before making a decision on a new size. Second waiting this time allows the skin to stretch making it easier to accommodate a larger implant. Lastly waiting this time will allow the tissues on the inside time to settle so that the second surgery will be easier and safer.

It is rare that individuals want to remove their butt implants (just like very few people want to remove their breast implants). However occasionally people do want to remove their implants for various reasons.

The most common question after removal of an implants is whether or not they will have saggy or loose skin. This is depends on a couple different factors. One what size implants the patient had placed for the augmentation. The smaller the implants the less effect it will have on the overlying skin. A 200 to 300cc butt implant is much less likely to affect the skin than a 700 or 800cc implant.

The second factor is the integrity of the skin prior to the butt augmentation. Many patients have the implants placed to lift the buttock. If this was the case the butt will lose some of its lift or perkiness after the removal. If the patient has good skin and had a good shape prior to the butt augmentation they are likely to still have a good shape to their butt after removal of the implants.

How someone will react to removal of the implants depends from patient to patient. We typically tell patients it is similar to breasts after pregnancy, some women’s breast look great after having kids and other women’s breast completely deflate and fall.

This is a great question as there are several ways in which a butt implant can be placed for your augmentation. The options that currently exist are above the muscle, subfacial, intramuscular and submuscular placement of the implants. For the most part they each have their advantages and disadvantages.

Placing the implant completely above the muscle is done less commonly as the implant is more likely to shift and it releases some of the natural attachments of the buttock. Submuscular was popular in the past as it created a buffer for the implant in an attempt to give patients a more natural appearance and feel to their butt augmentation. It has loss popularity as it can put people at risk for complications if the implant shifts. Because of the issues with placing the implant above and below the muscle the subfacial and intramuscular implant placement techniques have developed and have continued to increase in popularity.

The subfacial technique utilizes the strong covering of the muscle. The fascia is what covers the muscle and is the strongest part of the muscle. The subfacial technique for butt implant placement avoids the problems that can be associated with placement of the implant below the muscle. It also is a much more secure pocket than can be achieved when placing the implant in the typical plane above the muscle. This strong covering will decrease the risk of the implant shifting over time. The fascia is strong and will help soften the edges of the implant.

The intramuscular technique like the subfacial method was developed to help with the issues associated with other methods of butt implant placement. The idea is that it avoids the nerves and other structures that are found in the submuscular position, while giving some buffer to the implant by splitting the muscle. The issue with the intra-muscular placement is that the muscle is typically thinner than people expect which leaves very little muscle below and above the implant. Also unlike the subfacial technique the intra-muscular placement is not a natural plane so there is an artificial division of the muscle. This can damage the muscle and lead to more pain post-operative. If the nerves in the muscle are damaged the muscle can lose some of its strength overtime.

Butt augmentation has become very popular over the past several years. It has been the fastest growing aesthetic procedure in the U.S. the past few years. There are two methods for butt augmentation. The first is the Brazilian Butt Lift (fat transfer) the second is Butt implants, both are good options and just dependent on the individual patient.

Butt Implants are great for thin patients that do not have enough fat for a Brazilian Butt Lift or for patients that are looking for a lot of projection. The implants can be done alone or in combination with fat transfer.

There are several ways to place the butt implants and the methods vary from surgeon to surgeon. We commonly place the implants in a subfascial position for several reasons. One, the subfacial plane is very clean and avoids damaging the muscle or nerves. However it still holds the implant in the proper position and decreases the chance of scar tissue forming around the implant. The fascia is the strong covering that wraps the muscle, that is why it can hold the implant in place. The submuscular plane can also be used but in my experience, patients tend to have more pain and over time has little benefit over the subfascial system.

In terms of the implant both the round and shape are good implants. We personally use the round implant for several reasons. It gives good projection, which patients that receive the implant are typically looking for from there procedure. Also the butt take abuse in our daily life from falls and so forth, with the round implant you are less likely to have problems if the implant shifts at all. With a shaped implant if it moves at all it will need to be revised, this is not necessarily true with a round implant.

The appeal of a Brazilian Butt Lift is that it has transformed people figure from a square appearance to more of an hourglass shape.

Butt implants can enhance the overall shape of the buttock but typically on their own do not give patients an hourglass figure. If women have enough fat we will typically do a Brazilian Butt Lift so that we can shape their waist and then use the fat to enhance the hips and butt to give the improved shape.

In women that are very thin or want more augmentation that we can provide with fat alone we will do a combination of butt implants and fat transfer. This will allow me to shape the waist, use the implant to give the buttock an incredible shape and then use the fat to enhance the hip area creating the hourglass shape.

This is a great question. Butt augmentation in general has become very popular in the past couple of years and has become one of the fastest growing aesthetic procedures in the U.S. There are two ways to do a butt augmentation, the first is with your own fat (a Brazilian Butt Lift) and the second is with butt implants. They both can have great results and many patients have a combination of the two procedures performed.

To your question specifically about butt implants and if breast implants should be used for the butt augmentation, we personally do not do this in my practice. There are specific butt implants made for butt augmentation. The implants tend to be little firmer as they need to be able to take the abuse that our butt takes on a daily basis.

This is a great question really for all aspects of plastic surgery whether it is butt implants, Brazilian Butt Lift or a breast augmentation. Butt augmentation is typically and aesthetic procedure and thus we usually have patients wait until they are 18 years of age.

We have most of my aesthetic patients wait until they are 18 years of age to have a cosmetic procedure as this gives their body time to fully mature. In reconstructive surgeries such as congenital breast deformities or special occasion such as that, we do occasionally perform surgeries on younger patients.

One of the most common questions that patients ask me is if buttock augmentation with implants will be painful. The short answer is that it depends on the type of butt augmentation surgery a person has done.

Like breast augmentations the implant can be placed above or below the muscle. When the implant is placed below the muscle or in the middle of the muscle patients can have a significant amount of pain after their surgery, as the muscle is being stretched and pulled.

Our personal technique is what is called sub-fascial. The implant is placed above the muscle but under the fascia. The fascia is the strong covering around the muscle. The benefit of this technique is that the fascia still holds the implant in place and decrease the chance of scar tissue like it would beneath the muscle. However since it is above the muscle patients have less pain and less likely hood of complications that are associated with sub-muscular placement of butt implants.

The majority of patients are extremely happy after their Brazilian Butt Lift, however occasionally patient want more augmentation than fat alone can accomplish. The benefit of the Brazilian Butt Lift prior to augmentation is that the persona has already had some liposculpting to improve their overall figure. Also the fat that has been transferred is used as a buffer to soften the implant in feel and appearance.

We would make sure that you at least two or three months have gone by prior to the second surgery with implants to allow time for the swelling to go down and settle. Once a patient has recovered from their Brazilian Butt Lift they can undergo a butt augmentation with implants with out any increased risk. They should actually have a phenomenal result!

Butt implants with fat transfer is the best of both worlds! It is an option and very common in our practice. It allows the augmentation of the implant and the shaping of the liposuction. The fat that is harvested can also be used to enhance the hips or other areas that your plastic surgeon may want to enhance after the placement of the implant. At times the implant can lack fullness laterally and in the hips. It can also add a buffer to the implant, softening the feel and appearance.

Athletes and personal trainers are common patients as their appearance is important in their profession. Many athletes have a low body fat percentage which overall is great however in certain areas such as the face and butt.

For these patients, we typically do a combination of fat transfer and butt implants as they typically do not have enough fat for a Brazilian Butt Lift. When the implant is placed in a subfascial or submuscle position patients typically cannot see the edges of the implant.

The good news is that there are options that can give you a good result.

This is a great question as many of my patients that are very thin also have a small buttock. The lateral hollowness is present in most patients that present for a butt augmentation. The hollowness starts where the gluteus maximus muscle ends.

The flatness, volume and lateral hollowness can all be improved with a silicone butt implant in patients that do not have enough fat for a Brazilian Butt Lift (fat transfer). The implant will help improve the overall shape of the buttock and hips.

We typically use a round silicone implant, as it will improve the lateral hollowness that most patients are concerned with in their buttock. The two implants that can improve this and still give you a natural appearance are the 379cc and 548cc round buttock implants. These two implants have a gradual slope that gives the butt projection, but a natural contour.

This range of implants gives patients an amazing augmentation, but still keeps people guessing if you had an augmentation or not.

Butt implants, much like breast implants come in a variety of sizes and shapes. There are not as many options in terms of various sizes and shapes but there are plenty for patients to choice from.

The implants are a solid silicone so that then can take the daily abuse that our butt endures. The come in round and shaped implants. There are sizes from as small as 200cc up to almost 800cc for each implant.

Just like with breast implants it is important to discuss with your plastic surgeon your wishes and aesthetic goals so that you can achieve the look that you desire. Your surgeon will help guide you deciding on a butt implant.

Deciding on a butt implant size can be very difficult for patients. One of the issues is that patients have so many choices for their augmentation. Implants range in size from 200 to 800cc and come in a round or shaped implant. However the benefit of this spectrum of implants is that it allows your surgeon to tailor your augmentation to your specific desires and goals.

Similar to breast augmentation there is a range of implants that can be used for each specific person. There is no one size that fits everyone. In general patients in my practice that have butt implants for their butt augmentation are one of two groups of patients. The first is patients that are very thin or patients that want more augmentation than might be possible with fat transfer alone.

In general 275cc butt implants tend to be on the smaller side in my practice. On average patients in my practice have implants placed that are between 450 and 550cc per side. However it depends on a patient’s body frame and what they are hoping to achieve. I typically have patients bring in pictures or have them review my pictures so I can get a feel for what they like and then I can guide them to what implant size will be best for them.

The incisions for a butt implant are well hidden in the crease of the buttock. Similar to how a breast fold incision is hidden for a breast augmentation. This way in a bikini or panties the incision will be well hidden.

The cost of butt augmentation can vary depending on a few different things on your procedure. The range is from 6,000 to up to 9,500 depending on the exact procedure.

My patients often receive a combination of butt implants and fat transfer. The implants are used for projection and overall volume of the butt. However the fat transfer allows me to sculpt the abdomen and waist to give patients more of an hour-glass figure. The fat that is harvested during the liposculpting can be transferred to the hip and lateral butt area to improve the shape of the butt and soften the implant slightly.
The combination of fat and implants can give patients a dramatic transformation!

The recovery time for butt implants in my practice is very similar to that of a Brazilian Butt Lift. I have patients avoid sitting for two weeks as the implants need time to heal into their proper positions.
Many times butt implants are combined with fat transfer, if this is the case patients still need to avoid sitting for two weeks but tend to have a little more soreness in in the areas where the liposuction was performed.

Patients still wear a specialized garment after the butt implant procedure. The garment is similar to a bra for the breasts. It just supports the area and makes things as comfortable as possible for patients after their surgery.

Butt implants have become extremely popular over the past few years. They have been used in two groups of patients, one is in patients that don’t have enough fat for a Brazilian Butt Lift or want more augmentation than is possible with a Brazilian Butt Lift alone.

Butt implants just like any implant can be felt at first. The implant does make the butt slightly firmer, however most of my patients want to firm up their butt a little.

Our patients have said that the get used to the implants and it just becomes part of them. After the initial period of not sitting to allow the implants to heal they can sit and do activities as they did before the surgery.

We have asked my patients if their partners can feel them or if they get in the way during intercourse. Our patients have said that they partner can typically feel that the butt is a little firmer but that they have not had any complaints. They also have said that it has not kept them doing anything they want in that regard. They have said that the hardest part is trying to keep their partners hands off them during the first initially healing time.

We commonly do a combination of butt implants and fat transfer. The reason for this is several fold. One is that the liposuction of the flanks will help shape the waist to give you more of an hour- glass figure.

The butt implant is used for the overall projection and volume of the buttock. This is great for patients that have a limited amount of fat available for transfer or what a significant amount of projection and size to their buttock.

We then use the fat to shape the lateral buttock and hips. This will let me put the icing on the cake of your butt augmentation. The fat can round out the buttock and sculpt any areas that are still lacking after the implant. It gives me more control as your surgeon to help you achieve your aesthetic goals from your procedure.

The combination of butt implants and fat transfer can make a dramatic difference for patients in terms of overall shape and butt enhancement.

Butt augmentation has become one of the fastest growing aesthetic procedures in the U.S. Both fat transfer (Brazilian Butt Lift) and Butt Implants are both good procedures it just depends on the individual needs of each person.

The Brazilian butt lift has the benefit of sculpting a patient’s waist, it transforms the patient from a square shape to more of an hour glass figure. The fat can then be used to enhance the buttock. The other benefit is that you are augmenting the butt with your own natural tissue. The down side is that you have to have enough fat to do the augmentation and that there is a limit to how big you can make the butt in one setting with fat transfer.

Butt implants have the benefit that they can be used independent of the amount of fat that a patient currently has available. Also the implants tend to give patients more projection of their butt, so even when patients are very flat they will have an incredible result. The implants only augment the butt they do not sculpt the waist.

Butt implants with fat transfer is the third option and very common in my practice. It has the best of both worlds as it has the augmentation of the implant and the shaping of the liposuction. The fat that is harvested can also be used to enhance the hips or other areas that your plastic surgeon may want to enhance after the placement of the implant.

Deciding on the proper implant size can be difficult for patients just as it is when women are deciding on the proper breast implant size.

A couple things patients can do are having an open discussion with your surgeon about your aesthetic goals. Second is bringing in pictures that have the look that you are trying to achieve, as this will help your surgeon.

Typically we will take measurements of the buttock and determine what implants will fit your buttock. There are a range of butt implants and profiles (just like breast implants, though not as many).

Once we know what you are looking for in terms of appearance and what you body can accommodate then we will give you some implants to choose from and help guide you as to what is best for your aesthetic goals.

Discuss your butt augmentation procedure with a board certified plastic surgeon that performs a high volume of butt augmentations.

This question is less common with butt implants and with breast augmentation but does occasionally happen. In both butt and breast augmentation if patients could change one thing after their surgery they often wish they had gone bigger.

The short answer is yes you can typically go bigger. There is some limit to the initial surgery that can be done in terms of what implant your body and handle. With time the skin stretch to accommodate the new implant. That is why it is easier to place a bigger implant than you might have been able to do at the initial surgery.

Determining the best size for an individual person is always the most difficult decision. Also there is a limit to the size of butt implant that can be placed at an initial surgery, as the skin has to be able to accommodate the implant. After the skin has stretched and relaxed patients can then exchange their implants for a larger size if they desire.

The short answer is yes you can change your butt implants for larger ones. I typically make patients wait at least six months after their original surgery before exchanging the implants. This will allow all the swelling to resolve and the implants to settle before making any decisions.

There are not as many implant choices for butt implants like there is for breast implants but there are a few companies that offer larger implants. You still want to make sure the implants fit your body to minimize the risk of complications.

Most patients want to improve the appearance of their buttock but still want it to look natural and have a smooth transition.

Occasionally we will have patients that present with a visible implant after their augmentation. In these cases you may be able to see the outline of the implant in an extreme flexed position. There are several ways to improve the appearance of the augmentation. One is fat transfer, however the majority of patients that have butt implants have little fat for further augmentation and buffering of the implants.

The second option is exchanging the implant. There are different butt implants in various sizes and shapes. An implant that is wider and has a more gradual transition may give you a more natural appearance.

As technology has improved our options for butt augmentation (and breast augmentation) have continued to grow. Which is great for patients and helping them achieve their aesthetic goals. However sometimes there are so many options that it can be overwhelming.

Patients often come in and ask which is the best implant? And unfortunately there is no one “best” implant for everyone. The correct implant depends on each individual patient’s desired shape and size, their body from and the pre-operative shape of their buttock.

The round implants are the most common implant in my practice for several reasons. The implant is more forgiving if the patient ever has trauma to her butt. If the implant rotates or shifts just a little it will not change the appearance of the buttock. It also give patients a very nice round full shape that the majority of my patients are looking to achieve.

The shaped implants are great implants as well. We only use them if we really think they are going to make a difference for a patient as they do have the added risk of the implant rotating or shifting. There is this thought that a shaped implant (in both breast and butt) can lift more of the lower portion of the butt or breast. It might, but very little and typically is not worth the extra risk.

Butt implants have continued to gain popularity as butt augmentation in general has become a more common surgery. Butt implants are used in two groups of patients most commonly, with the first group being patients that do not have enough fat for a Brazilian Butt Lift. The second reason is in patients that have had a Brazilian Butt Lift (fat transfer) but have not achieved the fullness that they desire. These implants can be a great option for both groups of patients.

There is a wide range of implants for patients to choose from to help them achieve the butt augmentation they desire. The butt implants range from round to oval (shaped) and in sizes from 200 to 700cc. We typically use the round implants most often in our practice for several reasons. The first is that they tend to give patients the most projection and round appearance that most patients wanting butt implants are hoping to achieve. Second is that they are less likely to have problems such as rotation, in an oval implant they have to keep there exact position. Round implants have some flexibility to rotate and still look great.