BBL Aftercare and Recovery Tips

Brazilian Butt Lift is a popular cosmetic procedure that adds volume to the hips and buttock using fat transfer. The outcome of BBL and the speed at which you see results are contingent upon you following the aftercare instructions that you will receive before the surgery. This article discusses some essential aftercare and recovery tips to help you achieve your desired cosmetic goals and ensure as quick and comfortable a recovery as possible.

What to Expect After a Brazilian Butt Lift 

After a Brazilian Butt Lift, you will have a more contoured and enhanced buttock. However, below are some common side effects that you can expect immediately after BBL, which will gradually dissipate to reveal the final results. 

Swelling

Your buttock and the areas where you had liposuction will be swollen after BBL as your tissues will be inflamed and have extra fluid. As a result, the affected areas may appear noticeably larger. However, as the swelling recedes, the liposuctioned areas will appear more contoured, and the buttocks will enter the fluffing stage of the recovery. 

Fluid Draining

The liposuctioned areas will appear swollen due to excess lymphatic fluid, which may ooze out of the surgical incisions. It’s also normal for the lymphatic fluid to contain blood. The drainage will stop as the incisions heal, which usually takes a few days after the cosmetic procedure.

Discomfort

Naturally, the swelling, fluid drainage, and other symptoms such as bruising and pain in the affected areas will pose a degree of discomfort after the cosmetic procedure. Your surgeon will prescribe pain medication and aftercare instructions to help minimise the discomfort.

Bruising

It is normal for the buttocks, hips, and the liposuction areas to appear bruised, which may look severe. This bruising appears and gets worse in the first few days after surgery because of small amounts of blood staining the deep layers of the skin. However, it should disappear in about 2-3 weeks after BBL. 

BBL Recovery Timeline

Below, we have outlined a typical recovery timeline following a BBL surgery. However, the timeline may vary for each patient depending on their profile and the complexity of the surgery. 

Week 1

During the first week of recovery, you may experience swelling, soreness, numbness, and bruising in the affected areas. These symptoms will likely persist for a few days and begin to subside toward the end of the week. Furthermore, the fluid drainage will lessen within this period.

Weeks 2-6

Typically, most patients begin to see significant improvements in side effects within 7-10 days and don’t experience any significant discomfort 2-3 weeks after the cosmetic procedure. Furthermore, most patients resume their usual routine, including strenuous exercise, after four weeks. During this period, patients will have at least one follow-up appointment to examine their wounds and recovery process. 

Week 6

After week 6, most patients will have fully recovered, while some may still experience residual swelling and numbness in the affected area. By this time, patients can appreciate the final results of their BBL as the fat grafts will have settled, and the buttock and liposuctioned areas will appear more contoured. You will have an appointment 6-8 months after the cosmetic surgery to assess the final results.

BBL Recovery Tips

You will receive a personalised and detailed treatment and recovery plan before the cosmetic procedure. Below are some tips that our surgeons recommend all patients follow as they recover from a BBL.

Don’t Sit on Your Butt

The fat grafts need time to stabilise and integrate into the blood supply. During this process, your body will absorb 30-50% of fat cells. To prevent more fat cells from being damaged, you should avoid sitting down after BBL or putting direct pressure on your butt as much as possible for the first three weeks of recovery and sit on a soft pillow for a further two weeks.

Avoid Strenuous Activity

You must give your body time to rest and recover after cosmetic surgery by avoiding strenuous activities for at least two weeks. Furthermore, putting too much pressure on your body too soon can damage the fat grafts and compromise your results. However, you are encouraged to take light walks and light exercises as soon as you feel able, as this helps blood circulation and minimises post-surgical risks.

Wear the Compression Garment

You will receive a compression garment before surgery that you should wear for six weeks except when you shower. Compression garments tightly fit your body, thus applying pressure to the treated area. As a result, it protects the incisions, improves circulation, minimises pain and swelling, and further contours the body.

Get a Lymphatic Massage

Lymphatic drainage massages are a type of massage therapy that encourages the movement and drainage of lymph fluids out of the body, which are likely to build up after surgery. As a result, the massages will reduce swelling and inflammation. Furthermore, the massages also reduce deep scarring by smoothening the muscles and fibrous tissue. Our surgeons recommend getting at least 3 lymphatic massages during your recovery period.

Take Showers, Not Baths

You will be able to take a shower two days after your cosmetic procedure. However, you should avoid having a bath for at least four weeks to avoid placing pressure on the buttock. Furthermore, submerging your incisions in water can increase the risk of infection. Therefore, we recommend only taking showers until the fat grafts have stabilised and the incisions have fully sealed.

Avoid Smoking

To qualify for BBL surgery, you should have healthy blood flow. Therefore, you should avoid smoking four weeks before and four weeks after your cosmetic surgery. Nicotine constricts blood vessels and therefore shuts down the blood flow, which leads to fat necrosis and post-surgical complications that prolongate your recovery.

Eat a Healthy Diet

You need to eat enough calories (at least 2000 per day) that are rich in nutrients to fuel your immune system and help the fat grafts survive and stabilise in your butt. In particular, we recommend a low carb, high protein diet; foods containing minerals and vitamins, such as fruits and vegetables; and foods containing healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, fish, and eggs. In addition, you should also drink enough water to avoid post-surgical complications such as blood clots. 

Is a Brazilian Butt Lift Worth It?

Despite the recovery process, BBL is a popular cosmetic procedure that many patients consider worthwhile for improving the appearance of their butt. In particular, the dual benefits of liposuction, which sculpt the body by removing excess fat, and the fat grafts which add volume to the butt, helping patients attain their ideal figure in one surgery. In addition, BBL produces permanent results using the organic method of repurposing the patient’s fat cells.

Schedule a BBL Consultation with CREO Clinic Today

The CREO Clinic’s Dr Omar Tillo is a key opinion leader on BBL surgery, having developed a safer technique for performing the cosmetic procedure known as the BEST-F technique. This surgical approach minimises the risk of fat embolisms associated with the traditional BBL while producing superior contouring effects. Having performed hundreds of BBL procedures, Dr Tillo has the skills and expertise to contour the buttock and liposuction targeted areas to produce proportionate results that look natural to each patient’s body. 

If you are interested in having a Brazilian Butt Lift, book a consultation with CREO Clinic to discuss the procedure and your cosmetic goals with Dr Tillo.