The cultural obsession over butts is perhaps greater than it has ever been. Everyone is dying to have the perfect butt, with models, musicians, and other celebrities sporting their amazing derrières. But achieving the perfect balance of “thicc” and firmness isn’t as easy as hitting the gym. For some of us, we may need help with a butt lift.
While many people may be afraid of the traditional butt lift because of the surgical implications, there are now non-surgical butt lift options with Sculptra that drastically improve a butt’s appearance without the need for surgery.
In this article we will discuss the different types of butt lifts to help you discover the perfect butt lift procedure for you and your needs.
Sagging butts is primarily a result of the weakening of the gluteus maximus, the major muscle in the buttocks area (the butt and thighs). Like all muscles, the gluteus maximus can become stronger or weaker, depending on the level of attention given to it.
As the muscle strengthens, so does the appearance of the buttocks area improve, becoming tighter, firmer, and more voluminous. Certain causes of the gluteus maximus becoming weaker include:
Thankfully, the butt lift procedure can drastically improve sagging butts.
A butt lift or a buttock lift is a surgical cosmetic procedure that focuses on the general appearance, size, and shape of the butt. This procedure is sometimes included in a complete lower body lift or a tummy tuck, or procedures that focus on improving the appearance of the abdomen, thighs, groin, and buttocks.
According to various studies, patients can safely undergo butt lifts or buttock augmentation treatments when combined with other treatments to achieve a more complete look (source).
Also known as a gluteal augmentation procedure, butt lifts have risen drastically in popularity, with an increase of 252% butt lift procedures from 2000 to 2015, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (source).
There are various approaches towards achieving an improved look for the butt. These different butt lift procedures include:
Fat transfer, commonly known as the Brazilian butt lift, was the most popular butt lift procedure for some time, however, it has recently fallen into hot water due its dangerous and unpredictable results (source).
The Brazilian butt lift involves a basic fat grafting procedure. Your doctor will take fat from a certain part of the body – generally the thighs, flanks, or abdomen – and graft (inject) it into the butt area.
This adds volume and shape to the butt, giving it a lifted appearance. In some cases, silicone implants are paired with the fat transfer procedure to create a more natural appearance.
For patients who want less invasive surgical procedures that involve no fat grafting or liposuction, silicone implants can be an effective standalone butt lift procedure. Through an incision at the side of the butt cheeks, doctors place silicone implants into the patient’s butt.
The most prominent result of a silicone implant is volume, which fat transfer procedures can have difficulty affecting. When done by trusted professionals, silicone implants are safe procedures for butt augmentation.
The Sculptra butt lift is the only butt lift that involves no surgical procedure. This means little to no downtime and recovery, little to no pain, and maximum safety throughout the non-surgical procedure.
Sometimes referred to as a non-surgical gluteal augmentation the Sculptra butt lift involves the injection of a filler known as Sculptra Aesthetic into the butt. Sculptra adds volume to the butt and rejuvenates the skin, while engaging with the body’s natural collagen production systems to create greater levels of collagen, improving the butt’s general volume.
| Procedure | Fat Transfer | Gluteal Implants | Sculptra Butt Lift |
| Procedure Type | Surgical procedure, cutting into a fat source, sucking the fat out, and injecting into the buttocks | Surgical procedure, cutting into the side of the butt cheeks to insert the gluteal implants or silicone implants | Non-surgical procedure, involving a simple injection of the Sculptra Aesthetic dermal filler into the butt |
| Procedure Duration | 2-3 hours or more | Up to 1 hour | 30 minutes |
| Recovery Time | 3-4 weeks | 4-6 weeks | No recovery time |
| Safety | Criticized as a dangerous procedure | Minor risk of complications | Almost no risk of complications |
| Is There Scarring? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Lifetime of Results | 10 years | Permanent | 2-3 years |
| Type of Results | Immediate results | Immediate results | Results that gradually improve over the next 2-3 months |
| Fat Transfer | Gluteal Implants | Sculptra Butt Lift |
| The fat transfer procedure is an invasive, surgical procedure that involves fat grafting or fat transfer to improve the appearance, shape, and firmness of the butt. Fat is grafted from other areas of the body – removed with liposuction – prepared and reintroduced into the body through injection in the butt. | Gluteal implant is an invasive, surgical butt lift procedure that involves creating an incision in the side of the butt cheeks and carefully inserting silicone implants directly underneath the butt cheek skin. This dramatically increases the volume and improves the shape of the butt. | The Sculptra butt lift procedure in the only non-invasive option, allowing patients the opportunity to improve the appearance of their butt without going under the knife. This procedure involves an injection of the Sculptra Aesthetic filler into the buttocks, which boosts the body’s collagen production. |
| Procedure | PROS | CONS |
| Fat Transfer | – Immediate results – Natural look and feel to the buttocks area – Less body fat in fat source due to liposuction | – Only works with patients who have fat in other areas of the body – Possible infection risk – Fat embolism, in which the procedure is botched and the fat enters the bloodstream – Fat necrosis, in which the fat dies before it is injected, becoming lumpy in the body |
| Gluteal Implants | – Immediate results – Permanent results, due to the silicone implants lasting forever – Minimal risk of complications, with silicone being the ideal material for implants | – Inconveniently long downtime which some patients may not be able to do – Risk of negative immune system response, with the body tightening the scar tissue – High infection possibility – Less natural feel – Bigger implants lead to greater risks |
| Sculptra Butt Lift | – Results that gradually improve as the body’s collagen production increases – The skin becomes tighter, smoother, and generally more pleasant – Natural and subtle results No surgical procedure at all, meaning no downtime or risk of complications | – Slight infection risk if done by inexperienced doctors – Slight risk for bumps, as Sculptra has difficulty dissolving into the body |
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, there has been a steady rise of fillers for plumping and volumizing the buttocks over the last few years (source). Many patients are turning to non-surgical butt lifts for its most obvious benefit: the ability to benefit from a butt lift procedure without going under the knife in surgical and invasive treatment.
With a dermal filler (also known as an injectable), patients can experience subtle but gradually improving results with little to no pain, recovery concerns, and downtime. Dermal fillers have gained popularity in recent years in other parts of the body, most commonly in the lips and the face.
Fillers injected in the butt help to improve the size and shape of the butt by contouring and lifting it without creating an incision that may lead to permanent scars. If a patient is unwilling to undergo surgical or invasive treatment for whatever reason, then non-surgical gluteal augmentation with the use of a filler injection is the ideal treatment for them.
Brazilian butt lifts have also lost popularity in recent years due to issues caused by inexperienced doctors performing the procedure, leading to fatal results in one in every 3000 procedures.
British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons
The surgical Brazilian butt lift has been named the most dangerous cosmetic surgery, causing many patients to actively avoid this treatment (source). This rise in botched cases is caused by patients traveling to less experienced clinics in countries such as Turkey and Colombia, where patients can pay around half the cost for the surgery.
A badly performed Brazilian butt lift comes from a failure of injecting the grafted fat into the right place in the butt. Inexperienced doctors may possibly inject the fat into the butt’s surrounding large veins.
The fat enters the bloodstream, leading to fat embolism. The fat can then travel to vital parts of the body (including the brain and the heart), leading to serious issues including death.
Aside from death and severe illness, other possible complications include:
Sculptra is the chosen dermal filler for non-surgical butt lifts due to its unique formula that makes it different from most fillers on the market. Unlike most fillers, Sculptra is made up of poly-L-lactic acid.
Most dermal fillers are hyaluronic acid fillers, which increase the volume underneath the skin by pumping product into the area. Sculptra’s formula triggers a safe yet reactive response in the body’s immune system. This response leads to the rapid production of new collagen and scar tissue in the body, leading to a natural increase of volume in the butt.
The reason for this difference in formula is due to the size of the area to be treated. Most dermal fillers are injected into the face, filling in thin lips, wrinkles in the foreheads, and any other areas where the skin has become thin and less plump. This means that the treated area is generally small, so the fillers (made of hyaluronic acid) can fill in the entire area on their own.
Read more: Lip Fillers and Your Smile: The Good and the Bad
However, the buttocks area is much larger, requiring more overall volumizing for any noticeable results. A filler can’t be expected to fill in this much larger area on its own, which is why Sculptra uses the body’s own natural systems to help with its results.
There are many reasons why you might want a butt lift or butt augmentation. These include:
If you believe that a butt lift procedure is a right option for you, then you now need to consider the type of butt lift you want. Ask yourself the following questions to understand if the Sculptra butt lift is the right procedure for you:
The best patients for the Sculptra butt lift procedure are those who are not looking for immediate, drastic results and aim to improve their body’s overall appearance with exercise, healthy diet, and proper care. If your butt just needs a subtle touchup or a bit of help to get that perfect shape, then a Sculptra butt lift procedure might be exactly what you need.
To ensure absolute safety in any cosmetic or medical treatment you may undergo, it is important to choose the right clinic and doctor to trust. To assess your Sculptra doctor, ask them the following questions:
Overall, your consultation should be a thorough and informative discussion regarding your goals and expectations, the doctor’s expertise and qualifications, and everything else you may want to know about Sculptra.
The Sculptra butt lift procedure may vary from clinic to clinic, but in general, it should go as follows:
It will take roughly three weeks for the Sculptra to begin stimulating the body’s collagen-production system. Patients who are looking for maximum effects will require one or two more sessions; full results will be noticeable about six months after the first session.
There is little aftercare involved after a Sculptra butt lift. Patients may feel some bruising, soreness, and redness in the injection sites; this is normal and should disappear after a few days. While the risk of complications is extremely low, there are some cases where complications do arise.
Possible complications include:
Does the procedure hurt? – A topical agent is applied to the butt prior to the injection to numb it, ensuring that the patient feels little to no pain during the procedure. You will feel the injection going into your butt, but there should be very little or no painful sensation.
How long does the procedure take? – The Sculptra butt lift procedure is fairly simple, but it still requires several injections distributed evenly around the buttocks. Overall, the procedure can last 30 minutes to 1 hour.
How much Sculptra is used during the procedure? – This depends on the expectations of the patient as well as shape and size of their buttocks area. Generally, doctors will apply at least 5 vials of Sculptra to each butt cheek.
When will I see results? – Unlike surgical and invasive butt lift procedures, Sculptra butt lifts require time before noticeable results can be seen. This is because the body needs enough time to produce the fresh collagen stimulated by the injections. Generally, patients can see their first changes about 3 weeks after the procedure. The full results can be noticed a few months after the first procedure, or 2-3 weeks after the third treatment of Sculptra.
How long will results last? – Results from the Sculptra butt lift will last anywhere from 2-3 years. This is how long it takes for the filler to dissolve into the body and stop stimulating collagen production in the body.
Why are results not permanent? – Unlike silicone implants or fat transfers, Sculptra butt lifts involve filler injections which slowly dissolve into the body. While results from a single series of treatments will never be permanent, patients seeking long-term solutions can return for another treatment every year to maintain the results.
How much does Sculptra cost? – Sculptra vials cost anywhere from $850 to $1200 each on average. Each session will require at least 5 vials for each butt cheek.
Should I avoid any activity after the procedure? – While Sculptra is noninvasive and demands no recovery time or downtime, it is still recommended that patients avoid any vigorous activities such as exercise for 1-2 days after every session. This is to ensure that the Sculptra product stays in the general injection site.
More patients than ever before are opting for butt lifts thanks to the non-invasive and non-surgical approach of the Sculptra butt augmentation procedure. At Ethos Spa, Skin and Laser Center, we have perfected the art of injecting dermal fillers like Sculptra over the years, having assisted countless patients with their Sculptra butt lift procedures and more.
Contact us today and inquire about our Sculptra butt lift procedure, and find out exactly why we are the home for Sculptra butt lifts in New Jersey. With professionals you can trust and a history of thousands of successful procedures, there is no better option than Ethos Spa.
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