7 Tips for a Smoother Brazilian Butt Lift Recovery

A smoother recovery leads to a better butt.

By Allie Hogan, Senior Beauty Editor · Published: Apr 6, 2022

Getty Images / Image Used for Illustrative Purposes Only

With the popularity of the Brazilian Butt Lift continues to climb, it’s important to know everything about the surgery before you sign yourself up. Although it’s a notoriously risky surgery, with a long list of potential complications, including blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, fat embolism, and infection, people continue to be eager to get the procedure done. “Brazilian Butt Lifts are certainly gaining more and more momentum as we step into 2022,” says Arcadia, CA, plastic surgeon Art Yu, MD. “We have witnessed the cases of BBL tripling in numbers in our clinic in the last year,” he adds.

There’s a significant recovery process that comes with this procedure. If you’re thinking about getting a Brazilian Butt Lift or already have an appointment on the calendar, read on to learn about plastic surgeons’ top tips for the safest and smoothest recovery possible.

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Get in the right position

It may come as a surprise, but the way you sit and sleep following a Brazilian Butt Lift procedure can make or break both your results and comfort level. New York plastic surgeon Elie Levine, MD says it’s important to limit the amount of time you spend sitting or lying on your back.

When you do sit, it should be upright and never in a slouching position, advises Dr. Yu, which will “prevent the fat grafted buttock areas from being compressed, so no fat will be unintentionally lost.” The same applies when it comes to sleeping. Dr. Yu says, “patients are instructed to lie flat rather than on the sides to avoid loss of fat on the hip regions.”

Houston plastic surgeon Henry A. Mentz, MD, says sleeping wrong could result in lopsided results. “In the thousands of cases that we’ve done there have only been four or five patients that resulted with right-left asymmetry, and these were side sleepers,” says Mentz. He suggests placing “a pillow underneath the knees to keep you from sleeping more on one side than the other.”

shutterstock 1312076537 (1) — Photo Credits: Dean Drobot / Shutterstock

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Maintain compression

Wearing the right compression garments is essential post-operation to reduce swelling. Dr. Mentz advises wearing an elastic compression garment for at least six to eight weeks after surgery, noting that “progressing from zippered post-operative garments to pull-up garments in the second week allows more comfort.” Dr. Yu recommends Faja garments because they have products specifically designed for Brazilian Butt Lift patients.

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Moisturize

According to Dr. Levine, moisturizing after a Brazilian Butt Lift is important. Dr. Yu says he encourages his patients “to use a copious amount of oil-based lotion in the liposuctioned areas to protect the skin because, after liposuction, the nerve endings that supply the sweat glands and oil glands are almost all destroyed. As a result, the area of surgery will not be as moisturized as they usually are.”

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Monitor your movement

When you first return home post-surgery, Dr. Mentz recommends limiting movement to make recovery more comfortable. Additionally, he advises limiting intense exercise for a few weeks. However, staying too stagnant can be a problem.

Dr. Yu encourages patients to walk for about an hour a day, beginning a couple of days after surgery. The light exercise “helps to generate endorphins that facilitate shedding of edema and help regain their energy and reduce the pain,” says Dr. Yu.

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Limit your sodium intake

Dr. Levine says it’s essential to maintain a healthy diet post-operation, as it can play an important role in recovery. Dr. Mentz specifically notes that you should limit your sodium intake following the procedure. “Diets that are low in sodium will make recovery more comfortable by preventing increased swelling,” he explains.

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Get a lymphatic or radiofrequency massage later on

Three or four weeks after the procedure, Dr. Mentz recommends getting a lymphatic massage or Thermismooth (radiofrequency massage). Both of these treatments “can help to soften scar tissue, optimize results and provide added comfort,” explains Dr. Mentz.