According to the ISAPS Global Statistics of 2016, fat transfer buttock augmentations are one of the top ten plastic surgery procedures performed in the world today. We find this news unsurprising! The Brazilian Butt Lift has been getting more popular year after year, and we suspect that we might even see it move further up that top ten next year.

The Brazilian Butt Lift is well loved for the fantastic level of enhancement and contouring it provides. Unlike artificial buttock implants, the Brazilian Butt Lift uses your own fat, liposuctioned from a donor location, purified, and then reinjected into your bottom. A good Brazilian Butt Lift can provide you with a very natural looking enhancement, while still providing the volume and shape that you desire.

The biggest issue with getting a Brazilian Butt Lift is the associated downtime and recovery period. As with all cosmetic surgery procedures, you will get the best results if you carefully follow your doctor’s post-surgery instructions to the letter. In the case of a Brazilian Butt Lift, the transplanted fat is very fragile, so in order to avoid any complications and get the shape and volume you want, you have to resist… sitting down.

Here are some tips on how to recover from a Brazilian Butt Lift:

Don’t Sit Down

Do you know how many times you sit down over the course of a day? At work, we generally spend hours sitting down. When going to the movies, we sit down in nice padded seats. We sit down at the dinner table. And heck, we even sit on the edge of the bed after waking up or before going to sleep. Whenever we get tired for any reason, we instinctively want to sit down. And if you get a Brazilian Butt Lift, you can’t do it.

To protect the transplanted fat, you can’t sit down for 10-14 days after the surgical procedure, with the exception of using the toilet. The newly transplanted fat cells need to settle and heal in their new location. Sitting down will literally put them under pressure and restrict their blood flow. This can result in some of the fat cells shifting, or possibly even dying, creating unwanted and unintended indentations.

This also means that you cannot sleep on your back, as this will put pressure on your bottom. You must sleep on either your front or side during your recovery period. If you are concerned about unconsciously turning over onto your back in your sleep, we might suggest wearing on a small backpack with a tennis ball in it to bed. This might sound ridiculous, but if you try to turn over, the tennis ball will dig into your back, forcing you to shift again onto your side to prevent discomfort.

Manage the Pain

Like with any surgical procedure, you can expect some pain and discomfort during your initial recovery period as your tissue begins to heal. There is a very good chance that you have extensive bruising and swelling in the areas where the fat cells were taken from, and in the area where they were injected. This pain can be managed with prescribed painkillers from your doctor, or even Tylenol, depending on your level of discomfort.

Exercise Lightly

You shouldn’t do any heavy exercise or strenuous activity for at least a month after the procedure. That said, after a full week of recovery, walking is greatly encouraged. Walking will improve your blood circulation, speed your healing, and might even improve your results!

Use Compression Garments

A compression garment will help prevent any tissue swelling, help with discomfort, and ensure that you will get the best possible body contouring results. We recommend wearing the compression garment in the areas treated for up to eight weeks after surgery.

Be Patient

For the first few weeks after surgery, your initial results will be completely masked by swelling caused by tissue damage. Even after the swelling goes down, it can take upwards of six months to see your final results. Be patient and don’t worry, this is all part of the recovery process.

These are just a few tips on how to make your recovery process as smooth as possible. This advice is, of course, no replacement for your surgeon’s actual recovery instructions. Make sure to follow them to the letter, as an ISAPS plastic surgeon will know exactly what you need to do to ensure a quick and relatively comfortable recovery period after your Brazilian Butt Lift.