Three things to know about a Brazilian butt lift

The Brazilian butt lift is a confusing term for those interested in butt reshaping. The combination of the name of a country and the surgical procedure implies something special or exclusive to that geographic region. Like the number of words in its name, The Brazilian Butt Lift can be understood by understanding these three things about it.

First, the misleading part of its name is the elevator. It is absolutely logical to assume that the buttocks are actually moved upwards by some type of lifting or relocation of tissue. Usually this would mean that the skin and fat are removed and tightened like a tummy tuck or breast lift. But that is not the case.

Second, the qualifying term is the Brazilian word that precedes the butt lift. Understanding the importance of this country descriptor goes a long way in appreciating the ethnic significance of the larger buttocks and what is actually done during this cosmetic procedure. The buttocks have long been associated as an important sexual characteristic of a woman. The glutes are formed anatomically by the gluteal muscles of the hips and upper leg. The skin and the fat that surrounds it help form its overall shape, but the size of the muscle plays a key role. This muscular feature has received many cultural interpretations, but it is largely aligned with the reproductive organs. Thus, when cosmetic surgery is performed, it is to increase their sexual attractiveness.

The butt lift as we know it today comes from Brazilian plastic surgery. The Brazilian minimizes the size of the breasts, but emphasizes the size and shape of the buttocks … the exact opposite of the American or Northern Hemisphere emphasis. This is the Brazilian view of the body. Given the large number of cosmetic surgeons in that country, Brazil has become an international center for cosmetic surgery and its techniques have subsequently been promoted throughout the world.

Firming and tightening the buttocks has been around for more than fifty years. But the age-old approach to removing skin and fat, which leaves noticeable scars, never caught on. Increasing the size of the buttocks, through volumetric addition, creates both more fullness and a bit of ‘lift’. As a natural alternative to a synthetic implant, fat injections are used in the buttocks that offer a double benefit. The extracted donor fat improves the contour at the harvest site, which is usually around the waist and stomach. It is essentially a redistribution of a problem at a profit.

Lastly, the Brazilian butt lift is, therefore, buttock enlargement by fat injections. The lifting part occurs when the buttocks are filled and it is lifted by expanding the skin. The downside to using fat is that it is not always predictable and all injected fat will not survive. For some patients, a second fat injection session may be necessary.