The Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) and Skinny BBLs have become one of the most popular cosmetic surgical procedures in recent years. And as with any surgery that causes trauma to the tissues, inflammation and excess fluid around the surgical site will cause swelling.
When it comes to butt augmentation, you are sure to want to know much of your new accentuated shape is due to temporary swelling and how much is your permanent newly-formed twerking tool.
Despite patients being informed before surgery that initial post-surgery size will decrease, many experience disappointment at this size reduction.
So what’s the deal? Here is a rundown of what to expect from BBL swelling.
BBL Recovery Timeline and Swelling
First few days
Immediately after surgery, your butt may appear significantly larger, but swelling contributes to most of the excess size.
Up to 40 percent of grafted fat may be reabsorbed into the body. Some surgeons make accommodations for this and increase the fat volume injected to compensate for this anticipated shrinkage.
Week one
It is essential to follow your surgeon’s post-operative care instructions. Failing to do so can result in excess fat cells dying off or displacement.
Your doctor will instruct you to wear a compression garment over the areas that received liposuction. This garment helps minimize swelling and fluid retention as well as decrease discomfort. Apply cold compresses or ice packs and stay hydrated during the healing process.
Patients are usually advised to wear a compression garment for 4-6 weeks after the surgery. This will help prevent tissue swelling and also allow the treatment site to heal correctly and quickly.
First few weeks
Everybody heals at a different pace. So, although we give you a rough timeline here, you must remember that individual factors such as health, age, and medical history all contribute to how quickly you heal.
By the end of the third week, most of the swelling should have subsided. By six weeks, you should no longer feel pain or discomfort.
Residual swelling can persist for several months as inflammation takes a while to resolve. This causes the skin to feel quite firm.
Three to six months
From the third month onwards, fluid retention disappears, and you will have a good idea of how much of the fat graft your butt has retained.
The total volume reduction is around 30%. This includes the inflammation and fluid from the surgery and reabsorbed fat cells.
Aside from swelling, the added volume of fat makes the skin tight. This is because it has to accommodate volume that was not there before.
As the skin stretches to accommodate the newly inserted fat, the butt becomes softer and rounder. There is an increased projection as the skin softens.
This is the period that patients refer to as “fluffing out.”
Read more: Types Of BBL Shapes – Which Shape Is Right for You?
The Bottom Line
How much your body expands after a Brazilian Butt Lift depends on multiple factors. Age, ethnicity, weight, and genes all influence skin elasticity.
If you lose or gain weight, you will lose or gain proportionately from all over your body. So your buttocks will change size in proportion to the size of the rest of your body.
If you are interested in getting yourself a more curvaceous butt or just exploring your options, be sure to check out Millennial Plastic Surgery.
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