So you’ve decided to have Brazilian butt lift (BBL) surgery. What an exciting time for you! This cosmetic surgery is growing more and more popular and provides great results with minimal recovery time. However, you might be wondering what you should expect after BBL surgery. How much time should you take off work or school? Do you need to have someone around to help you? How much pain will you be in afterward? These are all legitimate questions that we aim to answer in this article.
The Immediate Side Effects
BBL surgery involves two different procedures: liposuction to harvest fat from one area of the body (typically, the stomach or love handles) and fat injections into the buttocks. This means that you may experience pain, bruising, and swelling in two different areas: where the fat was harvested and the buttocks. Most pain can be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, and your cosmetic surgeon may also provide you with prescription pain relief. Ice can help to reduce swelling. You’ll also be advised to start walking around soon after the surgery to get the blood flowing and reduce constipation.
Some patients can return to work or school a few days after the procedure while others, especially those with active jobs or jobs that require a lot of sitting, may need to take at least two weeks off to let the buttocks heal more fully before resuming work.
The Next Two to Four Weeks
Over the next two to four weeks, you’ll have two goals: wear your compression garment and refrain from sitting on your butt.
Compression Garment
Wearing a compression garment for a few weeks after a liposuction procedure is part of the recovery process. These garments help reduce swelling and discomfort, decrease bruising, and improve the contour of the treatment area. While the compression garment should be tight, it shouldn’t cause added discomfort.
No Sitting Around
The most important part of the BBL surgery recovery process is taking care of your buttocks. After all, that’s the whole point of this procedure—to enhance your backside! You’ll want to refrain from sitting directly on your buttocks for at least six weeks and to use a donut or inflatable pillow when you do. When sleeping, try to sleep on your side or stomach and not on your back.
One Month Later
A month after your BBL surgery, you should be back to normal activities, including exercise. This, of course, depends on your recovery and your cosmetic surgeon’s recommendations. However, most patients are back to their normal activity levels a month later. It’s around this time, too, that patients start to notice the results of their BBL surgery. Those results will only become more and more noticeable as the months go on.
BBL Surgery at Tampa Surgical Arts
Tampa Surgical Arts offers many types of BBL surgery for patients in Odessa, Florida, and throughout the Tampa Bay area, from traditional BBLs to skinny BBLs to Sculptra BBLs. We would be glad to sit down with you to discuss your options and what to expect from the postoperative process. We’re led by a renowned cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Manik S. Bedi, who is triple board certified and delivers an expert, compassionate touch.
Contact Tampa Surgical Arts today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Bedi about BBL surgery.
