No matter what you call it -- buttocks augmentation, butt augmentation or butt implant surgery -- a perky, rounded booty is pretty important to your overall looks these days. That is, if you believe my style-conscious daughter, who, at age 24, knows a lot more about staying in step with current trends than I do.
You see, I have spent some of my adult life trying to trim my round behind. But my daughter, whose rear is less prominent than mine, claims that a generous bum is way more desirable these days than one that doesn’t bubble out much at all.
No doubt about it, if you poke around the Web a bit you’ll see that rounded rear ends are “in” like never before. And if you lack a bodacious booty, you can elect cosmetic surgery to get one. For while butt augmentation is nowhere near as popular as breast enhancement or various rejuvenation procedures, it’s not last on the cosmetic surgery hit parade either. Butt augmentation ranked ahead of vaginal rejuvenation and cheek implant surgery in 2008, according to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
There are two main approaches to butt augmentation in the U.S: fat transfer and implants. Fat transfer, a procedure more and more plastic surgeons are using on various parts of the body, is the preferred method for many patients. Advantages of using your own fat include reduced risk of infection and the chance of a more natural looking result. In addition, removing unwanted fat from other areas and transferring it to the buttocks -- a procedure known as a Brazilian butt lift -- yields double the rewards. The major downside of fat transfer is that the body often reabsorbs a portion of the fat. In the case of buttocks, there’s the possibility that one cheek will end up smaller than the other. It’s not unusual for a patient to return for a second transfer procedure.
Implants can also be used for butt augmentation. For people lacking fat that can be harvested from elsewhere, implants are virtually the only choice. They also may be recommended for patients looking to increase the size of their buttocks dramatically. Along with risks that accompany any surgical procedure, butt implant risks include the possibility that the devices may shift, causing an unnatural look. Scar tissue can also squeeze the implants in a condition called “capsular contracture” (also a risk in breast augmentation) and implants can rupture and require replacement. Finally, this surgical procedure is reported by many patients to be extremely painful.
There’s much interest in injections for butt augmentation as people look to improve their bodies without surgery. Someday there may indeed be an injectable approved by the FDA for use in the buttocks, but that’s not the case today. Instead, surgeons warn about injections of all types. Horror stories abound related to permanent fillers, usually based on silicone or PMMA, a cement-like substance. Temporary fillers, such as Macrolane, already in use in Europe, may eventually be offered in the U.S. But even though Macrolane is formulated for higher volume use than its cousin, Restylane, enhancement is still generally modest. And of course the results last months, not years.
So what’s a bum-challenged woman to do? Given the current suite of medical options -- including the risks and costs -- my daughter has chosen to live with her shape just the way it is. Exercise and strategic clothing choices are right for her.
The answer may be different for you. If your New Year’s resolutions include finding the right way to boost your booty, above all else choose a board certified plastic surgeon with plenty of experience. In spite of all the attention on butts these days, augmentation isn’t yet a mainstream procedure. You don’t want to regret your choice in hindsight.