Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL)

Once the fat "settles’’ it is permanent. Sure some of the initial size is swelling and some of the fat resorbs but by about 6 weeks you will see the approximate final volume of what is going to be there. Naturaly, there are changes as your weight fluctuates.

The Lipo foam is not something really necessary, as long as your garment provides you with enough compression and it can be taken in as it becomes bigger to you when the swelling goes down. Now, if you do need the foam you can use it on your back, I recommend, and wear a t-shirt underneath your garment to protect your skin. Also, make sure the material of the foam you will use doesn't heat your skin so much, and try to be under fresh temperatures.

It's recommendable that you consult your preferred surgeon in person or send pictures of how you look now and what you want to achieve, so you can have a better opinion. There’s not certain weight stablished for you to have a BBL, but we must take into consideration the amount of available to use (fat being useful or not is something your surgeon will realize in surgery) and in which places it is located.

I, personally, advise my patients to sit right away and it will not affect the results. Some doctors recommend patients not to sit for couple days, some others don't, due to the fact that doctors have different techniques. But, from y experience, there has been no inconvenience for starting to sit on your buttocks right after surgery.

These are the main supplies Dr. De Los Santos recommends her patients to have for a BBL surgery:

1.Loose clothes. Example: maxi dress, sweats, button down shirt, etc.

2.T-Shirt/tank top to wear under your garment.

3.Box of baby wipes (to keep yourself clean)

4.Kotex (menstrual pads). Thick ones. (To be placed under your garment to provide cushion and make you comfortable)

5.Compression Socks.

6.Baby pillow (to make you comfortable when you're sitting down)

Losing some fat after a BBL is actually normal. This is because the buttocks absorb some of the fat that is transferred, and the rest settles to give you the projection and size increase, now, this vary among patients; in some cases there can be a lot of absorbing in the buttocks, which can cause you to lose most of the fat transferred and a not desired result, this cannot be controlled, since it is a natural reaction of the body.

Besides the absorption probabilities, it can also happen that there's not enough muscle in the buttocks to retain the fat, therefore, not much of it can be injected or would stay. The reason why you see some patients whose buttocks get bigger after the healing process is because the body area in which you get the fat transferred tends to gain more volume than the areas where you got Lipo.

Yes, a diabetic patient can receive a BBL as long as his/her medical condition has been controlled for several months before surgery. It must stay under control during recovery process and after that. I personally require a clearance from a Specialist to make sure the patient is healthy, and then take precautions so he/she can have a successful recovery. I also have my patient getting tested after surgery to confirm the sugar is still on good levels. So basically, it's about keeping diabetes controlled and you can have a safe procedure done

Weight loss will undoubtedly help you return closer to your pre-pregnancy figure.  That being said, sometimes weight loss alone won't get the job done.  For some women, the growing uterus damages the rectus muscles, causing them to separate in the middle, leading to a little pouch that does not go away with weight loss.  If this is the case for you, don't fear as a mini or full tummy tuck would cure that. Sometimes, patients don't end up with too much fat on the abdomen, but they do have some extra skin, hopefully that's not your case, and if it is, then it's up to you to get a touch up or not.

Every recovery experience is different. Some patients say they experience a lot of pain, some others say they don’t even feel uncomfortable. Sincerely, Lipo is not a too complicated process. Patients use to complain about swelling, but it is more discomfort than pain.

Fat transfer helps to fill in the dimples a little bit, but they won't go away completely.

 It depends on what facial procedure you're requesting. Example: the Lip Reduction and Eyelid Lift can be done along with the BBL if you're a healthy candidate. Now, a lower cost for getting several procedures at once is something that varies depending on the Doctor you choose.

It's a must that you need to wait, at least, 6 months after giving birth before going under any elective surgery. Doing it right away is too risky. Give your body some time to recover first. To have a BBL you need to be healthy, maybe you won't be too strong right after having your baby.

Smoking days before your surgery is something that nobody should do at all. In fact, smoker patients (that's what Dr. De Los Santos recommends to her patients) should pause it, at least, 2 months prior surgery, and until a month after surgery (this time frame can vary).
I don't know for how long you've been smoking, but I recommend you to consult a Specialist before your surgery, to check your lungs and make sure you're healthy for this procedure. It would be good for your Surgeon to have a clearance before proceeding to operate.

The satisfaction with the BBL will be based on your expectations and what you have to work with. If you don't want something ''big'' (which is relative) you should be fine; but it's better if you send picture to your preferred surgeon or have a consultation in person to discuss it and get certain opinion.

A Tummy Tuck is not needed for all the patients who get Lipo. Tummy Tuck is mostly recommended for patients who need muscle tightening after having kids, have a hernia, or those who have excessive/saggy skin on the abdomen or could end up having excess of skin after surgery Lipo. There's no need for you to get a Tummy Tuck if your Doctor doesn't consider you have these problems I mentioned. If it is the case, what I usually do is to combine both procedures, focusing on tightening the abdominal muscle and doing the more Lipo on the sides and back; as long as the patient qualifies for it.

What I recommend to my patients is to wait after finishing pregnancies before getting a Tummy Tuck. It's true that many patients don't have drastic changes if they have a baby after a TT. But you can't really guess if you will be one of the lucky ones. Another thing is that a TT limits your abdomen because of the muscle tightening, which can possibly interfere with your pregnancy development, but this is not something too common.

Tummy Tuck and Liposculpture always require massages, in fact, without massages you have no guarantee of good results. You need this treatment to avoid lumps and hardness on the areas you get worked on, and, also, to drain possible rest of liquid that might be left after your drain is removed. I always recommend my patients to start with the massages on the 5th day post-op, and to take at least 10 sessions of 30 minutes minimum, you can get more sessions if desired, like 15 or 20.

I, sincerely, don't recommend to get all these done at the same time. Every surgical procedure has it's own risk, getting many procedure done together, like the ones just mentioned would be just too much. I would recommend to do it in 2 or 3 rounds, depending on your health. My advice is to focus on the main areas first and leave the rest for a second round, this you should discuss with your surgeon to get a certain opinion.

An EKG isn't mandatory if you don't have cardiac history, but some Clinics have this policy that patients from 40 and above should have this test just for safety. But you shouldn't be scared, it's just the routine.

Usually, you won't have to go on a diet right away. You can eat regularly, just avoid unhealthy food (like greasy food) food. Try to eat things that give you strength because you may be anemic after surgery.