Wondering how to get a bigger bum? Not surprising if you are. With style icons like Beyoncè, Kim Kardashian and J-Lo celebrated for their wonderfully curvaceous derrières, surgeons are seeing more patients seeking out a fuller, more shapely behind.
But what are the options of a safe and effective treatment, and is bigger actually better? MyFaceMyBody looks at the different ways to boost your behind and finds out which ones the doctors rate in 2016.
Buttock Implants
Like breast implants, this is a surgical procedure where silicone implants are inserted under general aesthetic. In fact, few surgeons in the UK offer the treatment, because of the high risks associated with it. “I don’t believe implants to be a safe option,” says Dr Max Marcellino, Harley Street plastic surgeon. “They can cause serious infection and displacement.”
French surgeon Dr Eric Auclair from luxury Paris clinic Nescens agrees. “In France, we think the butt implant is not a good technique,” he says. “It leads to an unnatural shape and there is a high level of implant migration.”
Hyaluronic Acid Filler
Injectable buttock enhancements are a controversial topic – there’s an entire black market of illegal “butt shots” in the US offering cut price injections of unknown substances, which has caused the tragic deaths of dozens of young women.
However, FDA approved fillers using stabilised HA are available, such as Macrolane. A study published in the professional journal Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in 2014 found no serious side effects with this filler. Like dermal fillers in the face, it’s not a permanent change, but expect to see an increase in volume for up to two years after the procedure.
Fat Transfer
Also known as the Brazilian Butt Lift, fat transfer procedures have become the doctors’ and patients’ treatment of choice when it comes to buttock enhancement. “Fat transfer has become a lot more popular in the last couple of years because of its fantastic results and natural approach to enhancement,” says founder of award-winning London clinic chain EF Medispa, Esther Fieldgrass.
Fat transfer procedures are a bit of a Buy One, Get One Free treatment for patients, as it involves a liposuction-style fat removal from one area of the body – often the thighs or “saddle-bags” area – followed by the fat being placed in to the buttocks to add volume. Because the fat is from the patient’s own body there’s no chance of a reaction, and it is a significantly less invasive procedure than implants. “I only recommend fat grafting for buttock lifting and shaping,” says Dr Marcellino. “Fat is soft and easy to shape, which is why fat grafting is the best option for buttocks procedures.”
Final Verdict?
Most of the pros we spoke to preferred fat grafting procedures, saying they achieved the best results and had very low risk of adverse side effects. However, if you have very little body fat you could consider a filler as an alternative. Some practitioners opt for a composite treatment, combining filler and fat graft.