Brazilian butt lift is a major surgical procedure in which fat from other parts of the body is extracted and injected into the buttocks to enhance their shape and volume. Your buttocks are key to movement, sitting, and balance, which makes proper post-op care critical to protecting your incisions and ensuring safe recovery.
Following your surgeon’s post-operative instructions plays a key role in timely healing and achieving more contoured, lifted, and fuller buttocks.
Post-operative instructions after Brazilian butt lift
After the surgery
- One of the most important things to know after your Brazilian butt lift is ‘absolutely no sitting’ on your buttocks for 3 weeks. Survival of the grafted fat is crucial, and any pressure on the buttocks can kill or shift the transplanted fat, ruining your surgeon’s efforts.
- You must sleep on your stomach or sides for at least three weeks after the surgery. Put a few pillows under your pelvis, and they will help your hips flex and provide further comfort.
- Get up from the bed and go to the restroom with assistance.
- You will go home wearing a compression garment. This special garment is designed to place gentle pressure on the grafted sites. You must continue wearing it all the time, except when you go to the bathroom or take a shower. This garment must be fit and snug but not too tight to cause blisters on the skin or cause breathing issues. It promotes a safe and comfortable post-operative period, keeps swelling down, and encourages even skin shrinking.
- You may notice considerable amounts of drainage of a pink to light red liquid oozing from the incision sites within the first 48 hours. Do not panic; it is a normal occurrence. Use a gauze or a light pad to reinforce post op dressings.
Movement is important, so make sure you are up and walking. Even if you are lying in bed, move your legs and ankles to improve circulation and prevent blood clots. If sitting is unavoidable, use a BBL pillow or doughnut cushion, and limit sitting to short periods. It will minimize direct pressure on the grafted site and prevent complications.
Caring for your incisions- BBL incisions are usually closed with dissolvable or self-absorbing stitches. They break down naturally within 2 to 3 weeks, depending on your surgeon’s techniques.
- Keep your incision sites clean and dry. Follow the wound care instructions as provided by your surgeon.
- Do not smoke or take any nicotine products after surgery. Nicotine reduces blood flow, which can delay healing, increase the risk of infection, and lead to fat loss and poor scarring, jeopardizing the results of your surgery.
- Avoid direct exposure to the sun for several weeks after your Brazilian butt lift to protect your healing skin and incisions.
It is advised to use an extra cushion or rolled-up blanket under your hips when sitting, even after the initial weeks, to avoid pressure on the buttocks.
What to eat?
- A light, low-fat diet is best for a few days after surgery. You can start with your regular diet if you are not feeling nauseous or vomiting.
- Drink plenty of fluids. Surgery can result in dehydration, which can cause nausea and dizziness, so make sure to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water every day.
- Avoid greasy, spicy, fried, and heavy foods.
- Stay away from alcohol for at least 2 weeks or as directed by your doctor.
Medications
- Take all your prescribed medications, including pain-relieving medications and antibiotics, as directed by your doctor.
- Make sure to take all your medication with food to prevent nausea.
- Avoid alcohol for the next 2 to 3 weeks while you are taking any medications.
- Do not take any other medications without talking to your doctor first.
Showering after a Brazilian butt lift
- You can shower after surgery with assistance. It is because you may feel dizzy or nauseous due to anesthesia or medications.
- Remove your garment and any compression foam before showering.
- Do not scrub the treated areas. Pat them dry gently and put your compression garment afterward.
- No bathtubs or Jacuzzis until your incisions have healed completely and you have been cleared by our surgeon. Stay away from hot tubs as they tend to have more bacteria, which can affect your recovery.
What to expect?
- Pain – Pain, soreness, and tightness in the buttocks and areas of fat harvest are normal after surgery. You will feel most pain in the first 3 to 5 days, but it will gradually improve over 1 to 2 weeks.
- Bruising – Bruising is not uncommon after liposuction and fat transfer. Most bruises start healing in 2 to 3 weeks. They will change color from a purplish color to a yellow or green shade as they start to fade.
- Swelling – Swelling in the surgical areas is normal. It usually starts subsiding within 4 to 6 weeks. The amount of swelling varies from person to person.
- Bleeding – Small amounts of blood-tinged fluid from the incision site or mild spotting are usually not dangerous, unless you notice large amounts of blood.
The treated areas might feel firm and lumpy. This is normal and improves with time, compression garments, and, if your surgeon recommends, lymphatic massage.
Physical activity
- Stay away from all strenuous activities for a few weeks. However, it is important to be as active as you can be, take light walks around the house, and move your arms and legs gently. Lying in bed all day is not recommended.
- Avoid pushing, bending, straining, or lifting more than 5 pounds for at least 6 weeks to prevent stretching the incisions. Swelling can worsen with increased activity, so follow your surgeon’s advice.
- You can resume normal activities gradually, based on your recovery.
Remember, everyone heals differently. Pay attention to your surgeon’s guidance for the best healing and optimal results.
Returning to normal activities
- You can return to your normal activities slowly as your body recovers and your energy levels improve.
- You can start remote work if you can stand, lie down, or use a BBL pillow for very short periods after 2 to 3 weeks.
- No driving unless your surgeon has cleared and only with proper support.
- Rushing back to routine tasks too soon can increase swelling, affect healing, and compromise fat survival.
- It may take 4 weeks before you can resume more daily activities, as sitting is still limited and you must only sit with a BBL pillow.
- It may take up to 8 weeks before you can sit normally and return to most activities.
- Resume exercise gradually with your surgeon’s approval.
You will continue seeing the results as the swelling and bruising subside.
Call your doctor’s office if you have any unusual symptoms, signs of infection, or have any questions. Getting timely guidance is crucial for your safety and the best possible outcome.
Conditions that require emergency care
- Call 911 immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Intense pain that does not go away with pain-relieving medication
- Sudden onset of significant swelling
- Redness that also feels hard to touch
- Excessive bleeding from the incision site
- Pus or foul-smelling drainage
- Signs of allergic reaction, such as itching or rash
- High fever
- Breathing issues
- Shakes and chills
Prompt medical attention can save you from life-threatening complications and help you with recovery.