If you’re considering butt implants for the very first time, it’s essential to know what they are and what’s involved before you take the plunge. As a new mom looking to get your pre-baby body back, there are a wide variety of invasive and non-invasive surgical procedures to choose from.
Knowing your options will help you make the right, informed decision for your needs to determine whether butt implants are the optimal route for you.
For a comprehensive guide to butt implants, how they work, the different types available, benefits, risks, and more, keep scrolling.
What Are Butt Implants?
Butt implants are artificial components inserted in the buttocks through surgery to enhance volume and help achieve a more defined, desired shape. Also known as a gluteal augmentation or buttock augmentation, butt implants have vastly increased in popularity in recent years, with a study by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons revealing that butt augmentation surgery rose by 252% in the period between 2000 and 2015.
Butt implants are one of the most well known and popular procedures of the butt augmentation options available, but they do carry a certain amount of risk as well as rewards.
Be sure to always discuss any risk factors with the board-certified surgeon you’re considering for your implant surgery before making a final decision about whether or not the procedure is right for you.
How Does a Butt Implant Surgery Work?
A butt implant surgery is typically outpatient, with the procedure typically taking around two to three hours in total. However, it is important to note that the amount of time it takes to perform the surgery will depend on a variety of factors, such as the experience of the board-certified surgeon you select, your physical state, and the type of technique used.
Prior to the procedure, you will receive anesthesia to ensure your comfort through the implant surgery. Anesthesia options include general anesthesia and intravenous sedation. Your doctor will discuss your choices for an anesthetic and advise which is the best option for the type of butt implants you are having done.
Next, the surgeon will make the incision for the implants. The incision can be made in several different ways. The first is to make the incision at the top of each side of the upper part of your buttocks. The next is to place the incisions between the buttock cheeks inside the crease, and the final option is to do a single incision straight down the middle of the sacrum (or buttocks crease).
The surgical target area affects the extent of the incision made and how extensive the scar will be after surgery. Silicone implants, which are designed specifically for insertion in the buttocks, are installed above the gluteal muscle on both sides or in either one of the buttocks muscles.
The technique used to install and situate the implants greatly depends on the type of butt implants you use, the extent of the enlargement, your specific body type, and the advice of your surgeon.
After the implants are inserted in the chosen region, layers of sutures seal the skin tissue of the buttocks. Alongside the sutures, the surgeon also uses surgical tape or skin adhesive to seal the skin area.
Types of Butt Implants
There are several different types of butt implants you have to choose from when deciding on the procedure. Butt implants are specifically meant to magnify and sculpt the overall shape of the region, but there are multiple ways to achieve this look. It is also dependent on how dramatic you want the look to be and your personal comfort level.
Fat Transfer
The first type of butt implants, and one of the most popular options available is a fat transfer procedure. Fat transfer is butt augmentation by fat grafting, which is also known as the Brazilian butt lift. The procedure involves suctioning fat from another region of your body to secure the fat needed for the implants.
The fat is typically taken from areas like your thighs, flanks, or abdomen, before it’s injected into the butt to enhance overall volume. Sometimes, these types of butt implants are used in congruence with silicone implants to offer a more natural, yet still defined appearance.
Sculptra
Another implant procedure option is called a Sculptra butt lift. In this procedure, the doctor injects the soft tissue in your buttocks with a filler known as Sculptra. The procedure is outpatient and is performed at the doctor’s office, with very little recovery time involved.
The Sculptra injection increases butt volume only slightly after the first injection. In the weeks and months following, your body interacts with the Sculptra to develop more collagen, thereby having the potential to enhance the overall volume in the target region.
Because of the non-invasive nature of a Sculptra butt lift, it may take several injection procedures to notice a palpable difference in the overall appearance of your buttocks. Furthermore, several vials of the Sculptra injection will need to be administered in each session to achieve the desired effect, which can be costly.
Hydrogel
Hydrogel butt implants are a less expensive form of butt augmentation that offers temporary effects and involves an injection rather than an actual surgery. With that said, hydrogel butt implants are very dangerous and not FDA approved, and have the potential to be life-threatening.
Similar to hydrogel butt implants are silicone injections, which are non-surgical and don’t alter the shape of your butt. It is not advisable to opt for silicone injections in lieu of butt implants, as these also have the potential to be very dangerous and life-threatening.
If you’ve seen stories on the news about butt implants gone wrong, chances are these were from hydrogel or silicone injections.
Silicone and other components have been known to be illegally injected by unlicensed individuals in nonmedical environments. These dangerous procedures involve an injection of silicone sealant along with other elements used as sealants for tile floors or bathrooms!
Not only are these components unsterile, but the injection of such can be fatal. Furthermore, silicone injections involve soft materials that migrate to other locations in the tissue, causing tough lumps, or granulomas, to form.
If the injections are inserted into your blood vessels, they can migrate to the lungs and heart, which can be fatal. In short, this is not the route to go if you are considering any type of implant.
Silicone
Silicone implants, on the other hand, are a recognized type of butt implant which is inserted into tissue. Opposite to the dangerous injections discussed above, silicone implants are inserted into the butt during a surgical procedure through an incision situated between your butt cheeks.
Silicone implants may also be placed alongside fat grafting to achieve the desired results. Butt implants enhance the volume of the region, as fat grafting and injections can’t do this on their own.
Silicone implants are considered a safe, viable option of butt implants. They are also a preferred choice by women who don’t have very much body fat which would be of use in a fat transfer or Brazilian butt lift procedure.
Benefits of Getting Butt Implants
There are some marked benefits of getting butt implants to achieve your personal body goals. They might be a good option if you want a more defined, rounder shape, but have little extra fat to work with. Implants are ideal for individuals who are thin and want additional volume but don’t have sufficient fat for a lift procedure.
Butt implants can turn a flat butt into a firmer, round one. Implants can be a viable choice if you’ve lost weight recently and want to retain some of your natural shape or feel your shape is too square or flat.
Following the implants, your clothing may fit you better and your overall shape could be enhanced and more proportionate. Implants can also offer a firmer butt that gives a youthful, curvier look.
Butt implants are best for women who do not have excess skin, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and don’t smoke, as smoking can put you at risk for complications during the procedure. Another benefit of butt implants is that the recovery time is not as long as some other surgeries.
While it can take a few weeks to get back to normal, sufficient rest and downtime will help promote a healthy recovery process.
Risks Associated to Butt Implants
As with any surgical procedure, there are risk factors to be aware of. Viable butt implants procedures like fat transfers are considered safe with a high rate of success, but it is important to know the potential risks involved before moving forward.
Common risks include:
- Pain
- Excess bleeding following the surgery
- Discoloration in the skin
- Scarring
- Infection
- Blood or fluid gathering beneath the buttocks region
- Skin loss
- Allergic reactions
- Nausea and vomiting due to the anesthetic used
It is possible for implants to shift out of place after the surgery, which may make the area look uneven and require additional surgery to correct. There is also the potential for unevenness because of your body’s fat absorption. It is possible to correct this as well, but any additional procedures will, of course, involve further cost and recovery time.
It is key to note that the FDA has not approved the use of injections for augmentation and contouring, such as silicone and hydrogel injections. These types of injections are extremely dangerous and can lead to severe complications, including scarring, disfigurement, infection, stroke, and even death.
Injections such as Sculptra were until very recently held as off-label by the FDA, but have since been approved and were already in use by many doctors for some time.
The Cost of Butt Implants
The cost of getting butt implants varies based on the type of procedure you’re having done. The costs also depend on the experience of the surgeon and where the office is located. The majority of health insurance providers don’t cover butt implants or related complications, but plenty of plastic surgeons offer payment plans that are worth looking into.
The cost of butt implants can include components like:
- Surgical facility or hospital costs
- Surgeon costs
- Medical prescriptions
- Anesthesia costs
- Post-surgery apparel
- Any special pillows needed for recovery time
- Medical testing
Let’s take a closer look at the costs involved in each type of butt implants procedure discussed.
Cost of Getting a Fat Transfer
Fat transfers in the buttocks region can be on the higher end of the cost spectrum, ranging from $6,000 to $9,000. The price really depends on the extent of the procedure performed, so these figures could vary based on the surgeon you choose and the nature of the surgery done.
Cost of Getting Sculptra Butt Implants
Remember, Sculptra butt implants are a non-invasive procedure done through the use of injection, so it may require several sessions to achieve the desired effect. An individual Sculptra vial typically costs approximately $1,000. Most individuals will require anywhere from 4 to 7 vials but some prefer 10 and higher.
Cost of Getting Hydrogel Butt Implants
Currently banned by the FDA, hydrogel butt implants typically require 200 cc’s of hydrogel per procedure. A single cc can cost upwards of $300 to $500.
Cost of Getting Silicone Butt Implants
The cost of silicone butt implants can vary significantly. The typical cost of silicone implants is around $5,000. Some procedures can run as high as $14,000, depending on whether other techniques are used in congruence with the procedure such as body sculpting.
Recovery After Getting a Butt Implant Surgery
Recovery after butt implant surgery will take at least two weeks. It is advisable to avoid sitting straight on your buttocks for a minimum of 10 days following invasive butt implant surgery so the incision can heal properly. You can typically start walking the day after the procedure, but it can take anywhere from two to three weeks for the area to return to normal.
Following the butt implants surgery, you need to wear compression garments to reinforce the tissue in the incision area. You will also have surgical drains, which can be removed a few weeks after the surgery at the doctor’s office.
You may experience swelling, bruising, or pain for a few weeks following the butt implant surgery. It typically feels like muscle strain following a workout and should abate in a couple of weeks or so at the most.
When Will I see the Results from My Butt Implant Surgery?
You will see results from your butt implant surgery right away. As time progresses, the swelling you experience post surgery fades and the incision lines will reduce in appearance. Your buttocks will be rounder in appearance immediately, but your completely new shape could take a few months to show itself in full.
How Long Will the Results Last?
Butt implants usually last a very long time, and shouldn’t require removal or adjustment except in very rare scenarios. If your body changes over a period of time, some maintenance may be required such as combining butt implants with fat transfer for a more rounded, even appearance.
Alternatives to Butt Implants
A few alternatives to butt implants include butt lifts, thigh lifts, and hip implants. Butt lifts involve the removal of excess skin to offer a more firm appearance. A thigh lift is a surgery that reshapes the inner and outer region of the thighs through the removal of excess fat and skin. It may also be used in congruence with liposuction, and additional body lifts to fade cellulite.
If you’re interested in achieving a rounder look in your lower body, a hip implant can be achieved through fat transfer and cosmetic hip implants. Cosmetic hips implants are manufactured from silicone and inserted beneath the skin to increase the shape and size of the hips. Speak with your doctor to assess your desired look after butt implants surgery and see which option is best for you.