Dr. Moises Salama is an award-winning board-certified plastic surgeon in Miami, FL. In this blog series, “Your BBL Resource,” he will cover some of the most frequently asked questions about Brazilian butt lift surgery, as well as provide advice on how to get the best result should you choose to have the procedure.

In our last blog post I outlined the questions that are essential to ask during your Brazilian butt lift consultation. In this article, I’d like to explain the details about BBL recovery, but let’s review the basics about this procedure first. In a Brazilian butt lift, the patient’s excess fatty tissue is transferred from one area of the body to another to achieve the desired volume boost. During the contouring process, the plastic surgeon will perform liposuction to sculpt the patient’s silhouette and harvest the tissue needed to lift and enhance the lower body. As a result, there are no foreign objects or substances left in the body once BBL healing is complete, so there is no risk of implant rupture or displacement. By using fat injections, patients can see long-lasting, potentially permanent results—but it is imperative to choose a highly qualified and extensively trained plastic surgeon who performs this procedure often and successfully to obtain the best possible outcome.

Recovery after a Brazilian butt lift can take longer than other surgical procedures since the targeted area is affected by sitting, standing and walking. You will be sent home wearing a compression garment that must be worn as directed (usually up to eight weeks) to maximize the amount of fat that “takes,” and to help skin conform to the new shape of areas where liposuction was performed. Your surgeon may also insert drains that remain in place for up to a week in order to minimize fluid accumulation and promote the BBL healing process. Leaking from the liposuction incision sites is common after the Brazilian butt lift, so be sure to plan ahead and have bedding and clothing that you don’t mind possibly having to discard once you’re recovered. As with other plastic surgery, bruising and swelling are to be expected, and pain or discomfort should begin to improve within a few days after surgery.

In addition, it’s important to keep these BBL post-operative instructions in mind as well:

• Although you may be in bed immediately after surgery, you must begin walking around the day after the procedure to prevent blood clots.
• It is imperative to lay on your stomach or side for at least the first three days (including while traveling home after your surgery, in bed and in the car going to your first post-op visit) to avoid putting pressure on the newly transferred fat.
• Do not shower for the first two days after a Brazilian butt lift.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
• Wear the provided compression garment at all times, except when showering.
• You should avoid sitting without a pillow for six to eight weeks after a Brazilian butt lift.
• Avoid strenuous activity for at least four weeks.
• Avoid pools, hot tubs and the ocean for at least four weeks.
• Most patients return to normal activity and exercise after six to eight weeks.
• Final results are visible approximately three months after surgery.

Selecting the right surgeon and following “the rules” following Brazilian butt lift surgery is key for obtaining the optimal outcomes, and an overwhelming majority of patients who have undergone this surgery say the post-treatment recovery is well worth it.

—Moises Salama, MD
Elite Plastic Surgery

To see Dr. Salama’s work in real life, follow these social media stars and their Brazilian butt lift stories!