The Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) is one of the most popular body contouring procedures today. Using the patient’s own fat which is harvested by liposuction and then concentrated, it is injected into the buttocks to increase its size. It is not really a buttock lift per se but one could argue that the increase in buttock size provides a bit of a volumizing lift. Regardless the name and its acronym, BBL, have stuck in the plastic surgery nomenclature.
Once the fat has been injected, there is no consensus as to how to keep fat in the desired buttock position or to help shape the fat-injected buttocks afterward. Most plastic surgeons use a general compression garment that is typically used for liposuction of the thighs and abdomen. It applies a generalized light compression force to the entire buttocks but it is certainly better than no wearing no after surgery garment at all.
But there are very specific types of buttock reshaping garments that are available that apply a circumferential compression around the buttocks, like a circular ring. This would seem to be a better method of force distribution, in theory keeping the fat localized to the desired area of maximal buttock projection. This forced projection is largely negated when one sits down but in a vertical or prone position helps keep the fat grafts localized. Such garments do the obvious, leave a large hole so that the buttocks is pushed up and out. These garments are available on eBay or Amazon at prices from 10 to 45 dollars.
While there is no real science behind the concept of shaping the fat-injected buttocks by an external garment, it seems to make sense and will certainly do no harm. Until one day an active buttock reshaping garment becomes available, these passive garments that provide buttock mound protrusion by compressing around it are an inexpensive option to help get the best buttock shape after fat augmentation.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana