Real Patient Results

At Butts By Design, we see patients of all shapes and sizes. We offer a variety of buttock enhancement options so we can help as many patients as possible and tailor our treatments to each person’s specific needs.

For patients who have fat that can be removed with liposuction, we typically recommend utilizing the fat for fat transfer to the buttocks (a Brazilian butt lift or BBL). However, some patients have significantly less fat than others, and some patients have goals that cannot be met by a BBL alone. For these patients, we recommend buttock implants or a combination of buttock implants and a BBL.

The decision on buttock implant augmentation versus buttock implants with a BBL can be discussed in detail at your consultation with our board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Matthew Nykiel.

Butt Implants Overview

The butt has become a popular and recognized aesthetic feature. The increased emphasis on the buttocks has also ushered in an appreciation for different body types. This is why butt enhancement procedures are becoming a more and more common treatment.

At Butts By Design in Newport Beach and Upland, California, we offer a few approaches to butt enhancement through simple and effective plastic surgery, including fat transfers (BBL) and/or butt implants.

How Common Are Butt Implants?

In 2020, buttock implant augmentation increased by 22% in the United States. In our practice, roughly 1/4 of our patients undergo buttock implant augmentation.

However, we’ve found that buttock implant patients often wish to be discreet about their procedure. Many are unwilling to discuss the surgery, allow videos of the surgery to be shared or show their post-operative result. This has created the illusion that buttock implant augmentation is not commonly performed.

The truth is: butt implant augmentation is a frequent procedure in our practice and the nation, and it is on the rise!

Why Are Butt Implant Augmentations on the Rise?

For safety reasons, Brazilian butt lift procedures are currently only performed with injections above the buttock muscle. This is a critical part of ensuring the procedure is as safe as possible. However, the fat transfer has a smaller size limit when injected above the muscle. Butt implant augmentation is gaining popularity as an alternative that can create significant volume changes that are unattainable with a BBL.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Butt Implants?

Our first recommendation for butt enhancement is a Brazilian butt lift; however, it is not a suitable procedure for everyone. Some patients do not have the necessary fat available to make a BBL an option. Others desire a buttock size, torso contour shape change and/or buttock projection change that exceeds what their current fat can offer. For these patients, we recommend butt implants. Schedule a consultation to find out if butt implants are the right option for you.

Why Combine a BBL With a Butt Implant?

Depending on the specific patient and her/his goals, we may utilize a BBL in combination with butt implants to achieve the best results. Why recommend a combination? Sometimes we need liposuction to decrease the size and improve the curve of the torso, fat transfer to round the hip and fill the hip dip, and buttock implants to provide volume and projection. This one-two combination offers one of the most powerful transformations in the arsenal of cosmetic surgery procedures.     

Butt Implants vs. Breast Implants

Buttock implants are frequently compared to breast implants. This creates confusion because although there are some similarities, butt and breast implants are different in critical ways.

What Material Are Butt Implants vs. Breast Implants?

Butt implants and the majority of breast implants are form-stable (cohesive) implants made of silicone. Breast implants are a cohesive silicone gel similar to the quality of Jello. This creates a soft, squishy feel that is desirable because it is similar to the natural breast. The same level of softness would not be desirable in the butt. Therefore, buttock implants are solid cohesive silicone implants, which creates the quality of firm gluteal muscles.

What Shape Are Butt Implants vs. Breast Implants?

Butt implants come in both a round and shaped style. The round butt implant is most commonly used. When we enhance the buttocks, we are typically attempting to round and volumize the buttocks at the same time. These two goals are accomplished simultaneously and easily by using round implants.

Breast implants are also available in both round and shaped styles. Round implants are more popular because they provide greater fullness in the upper pole of the breast (in other words, more cleavage) and are not associated with some of the complications linked to shaped implants.

What Size Are Butt Implants vs. Breast Implants?

Both butt and breast implants are chosen based on width. This is referred to as the base width. The base width must match the buttock width or width of the natural breast in order to achieve a natural and integrated appearance.

The firmer quality of buttock implants means that smaller volume implants produce a greater increase in buttock projection and shape. The most common buttock implants are in the 300cc to 400cc range because of the nature of the silicone implant.

What Is the Placement of Butt Implants vs. Breast Implants?

Buttock implants may be placed either within the gluteal muscle or above the muscle. Placement within the muscle is preferred because the implants are better camouflaged by your own tissue. This technique is referred to as intra-gluteal placement.

Breast implants may be placed above the pectoral muscle or under the pectoral muscle. Placement under the muscle is often preferred because it tends to produce a more natural appearance. Breast implants may also be placed using the ‘dual plane’ technique, in which the implant is located partly behind muscle and partly behind breast tissue.

What Is the Lifespan of Butt Implants vs. Breast Implants?

Buttock implants are called “semi-permanent” devices. They are not intended to be exchanged like breast implants, which some surgeons recommend changing every 10 years.

What Are the Risks of Butt Implants?

Butt implant augmentation is a well-tolerated procedure. However, everything in life has risks. The most common complications of butt implants center around infection and not following the post-operative protocol.    

The biggest risk to butt implant augmentation is failure to stay off your buttocks for the required timeframe. It is essential to allow sufficient time for the buttock to heal around the implant prior to placing pressure on your butt. If you do not, there is a high chance the butt implant will fail and need to be removed.

Buttock implants are placed in proximity to the anus. Therefore, infection is a concern. Fortunately, implant infection is rare.

The larger the buttock implant, the higher the risk of complications. In our practice, the most common buttock implant placed is 379cc and the largest buttock implant placed is 455cc.    

Are Buttock Implants Uncomfortable?

After the initial six-week healing period, when patients begin to sit directly on their butt, they describe the feeling as “awkward” but not painful. At the three-month mark after surgery, almost all patients say they have relearned to sit and forget a butt implant is even present.

Butt Implant Augmentation Procedure

The first step to a buttock implant augmentation is implant size selection. Sizing is discussed during your consultation and then finalized during your preoperative appointment, where you will try on different sizes to determine what implant size best fits you.

During the surgery, the buttock implants are placed via peri-gluteal-cleft incisions or incisions on each side of the gluteal cleft. The peri-gluteal cleft incisions allow the incisions to be hidden and have the lowest risk for healing issues post-surgery. The silicone implants are inserted either in the gluteal muscle or above it, based on the plan created during the preoperative stage. Incisions are closed with layered sutures within the buttocks tissue, followed by sutures, medical adhesive or surgical tape to seal the skin.

Buttock implant augmentation is done under general anesthesia.

Buttock Implant Augmentation Recovery

The recovery from a buttock augmentation is fairly straightforward. The number one rule is to stay off your buttock and sides. This means sleeping or laying in the prone position (on your abdomen/tummy) and standing or kneeling to avoid sitting. After the first two weeks, there are pressure off-loading pillows that help make this easier by allowing you to sit with all your weight on your thighs.

The majority of patients describe the pain from surgery as mild to minimal. Swelling is normal and typically takes 12 weeks to go down. Despite the swelling, you will be able to see your results of a rounder and fuller butt immediately after surgery. At six weeks post-surgery, the buttock implants will “drop” or “fall” into place. By week 12, the buttocks will soften, and most of the swelling will be gone.

We provide you with a complete post-operative recovery protocol so that you know what to expect. We may adjust the protocol as needed for your specific circumstances. It is extremely important that you follow the post-operative recovery protocol, as failing to follow instructions can change the end results.

Schedule Your Buttocks Implants Consultation Today

If you are interested in enhancing the size of your butt or want an hourglass figure, schedule a consultation with our board-certified plastic surgeon to find out which butt augmentation option is right for you. You can schedule a consultation that takes place at our Newport Beach, California office or in Upland, California. We also offer virtual consultations if you are out of town.

To get in touch with our office, call (949) 416-0038 or visit our contact page to fill out our online contact form.