A Brazilian buttock lift (BBL) is a surgical procedure that augments the appearance of your buttocks by removing fat from other parts of your body and transferring it into the areas you feel are deficient. So, you can lose those love handles, that muffin top, or those saddlebags while also gaining fullness in your rear. We can use nearly any unwanted fat to create a rounder shape for your buttocks.

Lunges and squats may help shape the buttocks, but some people still desire improvement in their contour despite what exercise helps them achieve. Whether there are specific areas that don’t have quite enough volume (like “hip dips”) or you tend to be a little flat overall, a Brazilian buttock lift may be able to help. This gluteal-augmentation surgery creates new volume, making your rear end look curvier and firmer.

Plastic surgeons perform three different types of gluteal enhancement surgery in Atlanta: the Brazilian butt lift, the butt lift, and butt augmentation with implants. It’s often difficult for patients to tell them apart.

A butt lift (also called a traditional butt lift or a skin-only butt lift) is the perfect option for patients who are unhappy with their sagging buttocks. It involves removal of excess skin from areas of the buttocks, tightening the remaining skin. This reduces drooping and makes the rear end look more toned. Unlike a BBL procedure, it cannot create new volume. At Monarch, a butt lift is often performed as part of a lower body lift.

The Brazilian butt lift is best for those looking for an immediate increase in buttocks volume and curve, along with reduction of excess fat from other areas of the body. Despite its name, a Brazilian buttock lift does not “lift” the skin of the buttocks. It adds volume and improves the shape of the buttocks, but it does not improve sagging or excess skin.

The third type of buttocks enhancement, butt augmentation with implants, involves incisions and placement of solid silicone buttocks implants. Like a BBL, it creates instant volume, but it doesn’t include liposuction. It also requires much larger incisions, resulting in larger post-surgical marks. The risks are higher with this procedure, which is why our surgeons do not offer it.

The benefits of a Brazilian buttock lift are unique to each individual. A Brazilian butt lift can:

• Create a more shapely buttocks
• Address “hip dips” or areas of flattening in the buttocks
• Shape the lower back and waistline to improve the overall contour of the buttocks
• Create improved balance and body proportions
• Improve the fit of specific clothing

A Brazilian butt lift is considered an autologous procedure, meaning that the material used—fat cells—comes from the patient’s own body. Autologous procedures are generally much safer than ones that use foreign materials like implants, since they have a much lower risk of allergic reactions or rejection by the body.

The best candidates for a Brazilian butt lift in Atlanta have a flat or shapeless rear end. This can be the result of several factors, including genetics or loss of buttocks fat due to dieting or aging. Lack of exercise, sitting for extended periods of time, repetitive activities, and sleeping in the fetal position can also cause the gluteal muscles to become weaker, resulting in a lack of buttocks definition.

You may find that you are uncomfortable in specific clothing or a swimsuit because of the appearance of your buttocks. You may feel frustrated by the limitations of your current diet and exercise program. If you’re not happy with your proportions, and you have fullness in areas you don’t like and flattening in the buttocks, then you might be right for a Brazilian buttock lift. People who are looking for an increase in volume and curve are excellent candidates for this gluteal-augmentation procedure.

In addition to deciding whether a Brazilian buttock lift can meet your personal goals, several factors must be considered in determining whether you are a good candidate for this procedure. Good candidates for a Brazilian butt lift include those who:

• Are in good general physical health
• Have enough excess body fat available in other parts of the body to transfer to the buttocks
• Are nonsmokers, or are willing to stop smoking before surgery
• Have realistic expectations for this procedure
• Are not currently pregnant

While a Brazilian buttock lift can address various concerns, it has limitations. Knowing these limitations and understanding when you may be a candidate for a different type of surgery is essential. A Brazilian butt lift cannot:

• Improve sagging or excess skin
• Eliminate cellulite

The best way to ensure that a BBL is right for you is by speaking with one of our surgeons during a consultation. Our office isn’t far from a number of upscale restaurants, including Yao Atlanta, The Capital Grille, Louisiana Bistreaux, and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. We’re close to coffee shops like Bagel Boys Café, Zambawango, and Just Love Coffee Cafe.

If you’re looking for a qualified plastic surgeon in Atlanta for your Brazilian butt lift, it’s time to visit Dr. Carmen Kavali and Dr. Teri N. Moak. These experienced surgeons know how to deliver incredibly natural-looking results, and they always put the safety of their patients above all else.

Dr. Moak, a board-eligible aesthetic plastic surgeon, focuses on making patients feel heard and safely achieving their cosmetic goals. She began her journey in medicine in Oxford, MS, at the University of Mississippi, graduating with a Master’s in Biophysical Chemistry. She also received her Master’s in Biological Medical Sciences at Mississippi College. At the University of Mississippi Medical Center, she studied Physical Therapy.

She then traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas, attending medical school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. After graduating with her MD, Dr. Moak joined Washington University’s Plastic and Reconstructive Residency Training Program in St. Louis. Next, in Birmingham, she studied with Dr. Grady Core for a fellowship endorsed by the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Moak is a member of numerous medical societies. These include the Medical Association of Georgia, the Aesthetic Society, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and the International Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

She has delivered lectures and presentations at medical conferences, and she has also taught in clinical settings. Additionally, she has authored a number of journal articles, manuscripts, and textbook chapters.

Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Carmen Kavali is an award-winning expert in aesthetic procedures and has performed numerous Brazilian buttock lifts. She has been honored as a Top Doctor by Atlanta Magazine and The Atlantan magazine. She also has been recognized as a Castle Connolly Exceptional Woman in Medicine since 2020 and a Top Doctor by Castle Connolly since 2017. Additionally, the Consumers’ Research Council of America has named her one of America’s Top Plastic Surgeons for several years.

Dr. Kavali has written numerous medical journal articles and has delivered lectures at medical conferences. She has also been quoted as an expert on podcasts, in magazines, and on radio shows. She belongs to the Medical Association of Atlanta, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Atlanta Women’s Medical Alliance, the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, and the Medical Association of Georgia.

On her path to becoming the skilled surgeon she is today, she attended Macon, GA’s Mercer University, graduating with her MD. After a residency in general surgery at the University of Illinois, Dr. Kavali completed a specialized plastic surgery fellowship at Wayne State University.

Both Dr. Moak and Dr. Kavali are also staff members at Northside Hospital and Atlanta Outpatient Surgery Center, where they have surgical privileges.

BBL consultations take place at our Atlanta office. We’re not far from downtown Atlanta, which features popular tourist spots like the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, SkyView Atlanta, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and Centennial Olympic Park. Downtown Atlanta is also home to The Curb Market, The Sun Dial Restaurant, MET Atlanta, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, and ZuCot Gallery.

At the start of your BBL consultation at Monarch, you’ll first meet with one of your surgeon’s assistants. The two of you will go over your aesthetic needs and goals, our buttocks-enhancement options, and your medical history.

Next, you’ll meet with your plastic surgeon, who will perform a physical examination. This will help her ensure that you have enough excess fat for transfer to the buttocks. She will also ask you questions about your BBL goals. She will discuss the details of your procedure, including preparation and recovery directions. Feel free to ask any questions during the consultation process.

Before the date of your Brazilian butt lift in Atlanta, you’ll need to prepare properly. For several weeks beforehand, you’ll need to avoid smoking. Smoking increases the risk of experiencing surgical and post-surgical complications, and it increases the time required to heal after the procedure.

Avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, also known as NSAIDs, along with herbal supplements. These can increase the chance of bleeding and make post-surgical bruising more prominent. Alcohol can also cause these issues, so you’ll need to avoid alcohol before your Brazilian butt lift.

Arrange in advance for time off from work, a ride home from the BBL procedure, help around the house for the first day or so, and assistance with childcare and petcare.

Ensure that your rest area is stocked with pillows, blankets, ice packs, BBL pillows, and other recovery essentials. Fill post-op prescriptions, and purchase all recommended ointments and soaps.

Starting at midnight before the day of the BBL procedure, avoid all food and drink. On the day of the procedure, avoid lotions, deodorants, perfumes, makeup, hair gels, and creams. Do not wear jewelry, and make sure to wear comfortable clothing.

Gluteal enhancement with fat transfer can take anywhere from one and a half to four hours to complete. This will depend on factors like the size and number of areas addressed using liposuction.

A BBL is a three-step procedure. It involves liposuction to harvest the fat cells, purification of those fat cells, and injection of the purified fatty tissue.

The first step of the BBL procedure is using liposuction to gently remove excess fat cells from one or more areas of the body. Abdominal fat, upper-arm fat, thigh fat, and hip fat are perfect for a Brazilian butt lift. Removing the fat cells using liposuction also helps to contour the areas and reduce them in volume.

At Monarch, we perform tumescent liposuction. This process involves injecting tumescent fluid into the treatment area. Tumescent fluid is composed of epinephrine, lidocaine, and normal saline. This combination reduces bleeding, numbs the area, and causes the fat cells to swell, making removal much easier.

After the region is numb, the surgeon creates a small incision in a discreet area, ensuring a well-camouflaged post-surgical mark. She inserts a cannula (a thin tube with a sharp end) and then gently dislodges the fat cells from the surrounding structures. This process must be especially gentle when harvesting fat cells, since causing trauma to the cells can negatively affect their candidacy for reinjection into the buttocks.

Once the surgeon has loosened the fat cells, she will apply medical suction to remove them from the area. The surgeon must harvest enough excess fatty tissue to augment the buttocks to the desired dimensions, and this sometimes means using liposuction on several areas of the body.

The next step in the Brazilian butt lift process is fat purification. When fat is removed using liposuction, other substances come along with it, such as blood, free lipids, cellular debris, and oil. Dead and damaged fat cells are also present.

These unnecessary substances must be removed through fat purification. If they remain present, they can cause complications like oil cysts, infections, fat-cell death (necrosis), and depressions in the treated area. They can also result in tissue inflammation. By avoiding inflammation, patients can enjoy a faster and more comfortable BBL healing process.

Removing all of the unnecessary substances leaves only the healthiest fat cells, which are the most viable for grafting. This process is incredibly important for the success of the procedure. Healthy fat cells have the highest chance of connecting to the blood supply in their new location, allowing them to survive. Healthy fat cells provide high-quality results that can last for a lifetime.

After the fat cells have been purified, local anesthesia will be administered to the patient’s buttocks to numb the area. Next, very tiny incisions will be created in the natural curves of the buttocks, camouflaging post-surgical marks effectively. These incisions may be made under the crease where the buttock meets the thigh, between the cheeks, or near the top of the buttocks.

The fat cells will be injected through these incisions, typically using a specialized cannula. The cells are injected evenly into various locations at several different depths. The process takes a fair amount of time, since it must be very precise in order to ensure that the fat cells connect to the blood supply effectively.

Even with the most precise and effective fat transfer, only 65 to 85 percent of the fat cells will survive. In order to compensate for this, surgeons must inject a larger quantity of fat cells.

Generally, a Brazilian buttock lift is an outpatient procedure, meaning you can go home shortly after the surgery. In some cases, though, particularly if you have other procedures done simultaneously, you may need to stay overnight and go home the next day.

After your surgery, you will be placed in dressings and a supportive compression garment. This garment will help your skin better conform to the new contours of your buttocks and the areas treated with liposuction. It will also help control post-surgical swelling during the recovery process.

You will spend a short time in the recovery room before a friend or family member takes you home, where you should plan to rest for the remainder of the day. Be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home after surgery and to stay with you for at least the first night.

We will advise you on pain medication to ease any discomfort, give you detailed post-operative instructions, and schedule a follow-up appointment to check your progress.

Plan to take it easy following your surgery. It’s best to be up and walking the day following surgery, although you will be sore for several days. Generally, you’ll need to be as gentle as possible with your rear end during the recovery process. This will help avoid damaging the transferred fat cells, which will in turn lead to longer-lasting BBL results.

After a Brazilian buttock lift, you will be sore but functional. There will be swelling and bruising around the liposuction treatment areas and the buttocks. These issues will go away as time passes, and it will help to apply ice packs as directed.

In the first few weeks following your surgery, you will have strict precautions to avoid pressure on the fat-grafted areas of the buttocks. This may mean sleeping on your side or your stomach. You may also need a specialized pillow to prevent pressure on the fat-grafted areas while sitting. Depending on the areas treated and the extent of treatment, these precautions may last six to eight weeks after surgery.

You should be able to resume your normal daily activities within one to two weeks following surgery. As we monitor your recovery, we will advise you when it is safe to resume specific activities.

It’ll be important to keep your incisions clean and dry during recovery. You’ll need to avoid pools, hot tubs, and swimming in large and small bodies of water for around four weeks. This will help keep your incisions from becoming infected while they’re healing.

Once you’ve been able to heal for about two weeks, you may be cleared to return to work, depending on the nature of your job. You’ll need to avoid physically taxing activities like heavy exercise for several weeks.

Depending on the particular needs of your procedure, you should be able to resume all of your physical activities within six to eight weeks of surgery. Plan to wear the compression garment for about six weeks following surgery.

You can drive when you are no longer taking narcotics for pain and you feel like you can react appropriately in traffic. Most people can drive sometime near the end of the first week after surgery.

Several follow-up appointments will be scheduled with your surgeon at our Atlanta office. Our office is not far from midtown Atlanta, home to the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Piedmont Park and the High Museum of Art. During your follow-up, your surgeon will examine your incisions, address any complications, and clear you to return to various activities. Since every patient’s recovery is different, your recovery may be quicker or take more time than average.

Once your incisions have fully healed and all bruising and swelling has ameliorated, you will be able to enjoy the full results of your Brazilian butt lift. Your buttocks will have more volume and curve, and the areas treated with liposuction will look more sculpted and contoured.

To maintain the appearance of your liposuction and BBL results, it’s best to keep your weight stable. The areas that have been reduced in volume will not change with weight loss, since the fat cells have been permanently removed. However, the surrounding areas will still have fat cells that can swell in size.

At Monarch, several factors are considered when determining the overall price of a Brazilian buttock lift. These can include the amount of fat harvested via liposuction, the number of areas treated with liposuction, and the total procedure time. Anesthesia fees can also impact the overall cost of a BBL.

For patients who are interested in financing the cost of their Brazilian butt lift, we have partnered with CareCredit and Alphaeon Credit. These financing companies offer a number of convenient payment plans suited for each client’s financial needs.

Learn more about whether a Brazilian butt lift is right for you—contact Monarch Plastic Surgery and Skin Renewal Center today for your personalized consultation. For out-of-town patients, our office isn’t far from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport. We’re near several high-quality hotels, including the Crowne Plaza Hotel Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia, the Hyatt Place Perimeter Center, and the Sheraton Atlanta Perimeter North Hotel.