BBL vs Squats

Most people are after a bigger and curvier butt to attain their ideal figure. A Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) is a popular cosmetic surgery for enhancing the butt, whereas squats are a widely recommended exercise that serves a similar purpose through more natural means. However, as discussed in this article, there are significant differences in results between both methods.

Major Differences Between BBL vs. Squats

Time

A Brazilian butt lift confers immediate results, as you will notice an immediate increase in volume after the fat transfer procedure. However, it takes 3-6 months for the final results and contouring effects to become visible. By this time, the post-surgical swelling will have dissipated, the fat grafts will have settled, and you will enter into the fluffing phase of your recovery, where your skin stretches to accommodate the new fat grafts. 

In contrast, the rate at which results from squats emerge will vary a great deal for each person, depending on their body composition, type of muscle fibres, hormone levels, alongside a range of other genetic factors. For instance, men usually build muscle faster due to higher testosterone levels. Additionally, you must consume a healthy high-protein diet to obtain results from squats. 

In general, beginners can expect to notice some toning in their butt within 4-8 weeks when consistently performing at least 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions at least 2 times a week alongside at least 30 minutes of cardio.

Safety

When performed by board-certified surgeons using appropriate surgical methods, Brazilian butt lift is a generally safe cosmetic surgery. However, as with any cosmetic surgery, BBL carries rare risks even when performed under safe conditions, such as infection, fat embolisms, and fat necrosis. Your plastic surgeon will openly discuss these risks with you during your initial consultation. 

In contrast, squats are a safe exercise for enhancing and strengthening your glute muscles, strengthening knee joints and the lower back, improving flexibility, and promoting weight loss. Thus, we recommend that patients incorporate squats into their workout routine after BBL to tone and maintain their results. 

Although squats are safe, they can lead to knee pain if not done correctly. To maintain proper form when squatting, you should keep your knees vertically aligned with your feet. Additionally, performing squats incorrectly with weights can increase the risk of injury to the knees and lower back. Therefore, you should seek the guidance of a trainer if performing weighted squats for the first time.

Results

A Brazilian butt lift surgery can provide a dramatic enhancement to your butt and provide you with curves that performing squats alone will not achieve. 

The exact amount of body fat that a surgeon injects varies for each patient. However, surgeons usually transfer up to 1 litre of fat to the butt, thus producing a significant enhancement. Additionally, surgeons can inject the fat to recreate your desired shape depending on whether you want more volume at the lower region of your butt, a more rounder butt, or curvier hips. 

In contrast, the results from doing squats are much less significant and much less predictable. Squats build up body muscle, in particular your glutes. The results of regular squats will differ for everyone based on their body composition. For most people, it will simply round out their butt.

Squats

Do Squats Make Your Butt Bigger?

For most people, regular squatting provides a rounder and firmer bottom rather than a bigger or smaller one. However, for the most part, whether or not squats will make your butt bigger depends on your body composition. 

If you are lean with less fat in your butt, doing squats will increase the size of your gluteal muscles, which will show up prominently on your figure. However, if you have more body fat in the area, squats can reduce the fat and increase muscle, making the butt appear smaller as muscle tissue takes up less space than fat. 

You can also tailor the squats depending on your desired results. For instance, if you’re after a bigger butt, adding weights will help increase muscle growth. Whereas, if you’re after a slimmer butt, you should incorporate squats alongside cardio exercises for burning fat.

Limitations of Squats

While squats are an effective exercise for toning your butt, there are limitations to the volume and contouring effects it can create. In large part, your existing body composition will determine the results you can expect from squats. Additionally, genetics partly impacts the rate at which people build muscle. Thus, for most people, squats are an effective exercise for shaping their figure rather than helping them achieve a bigger butt that’s comparable to surgically enhanced results.

Brazilian Butt Lift

What is a Brazilian Butt Lift?

A Brazilian Butt Lift is a surgery that extracts fat from areas of the body where it is not wanted and transfers the fat into the butt and hips to add volume and create your desired figure. It is the fastest-growing cosmetic surgery as it provides numerous aesthetic benefits.

Benefits

A significant benefit of Brazilian butt lift surgery is that it contours the body in two ways. First, liposuction surgery can remove excess fat deposits from areas such as the abdomen and waist, where it’s considered undesirable. Then, the fat grafting procedure adds volume to your butt and recreates your desired buttock shape. 

As a result, you can achieve an hourglass figure, get rid of hip dips, and improve your body proportions to attain your ideal figure. Additionally, many patients prefer BBL over having fillers or buttock implants as it provides permanent results without inserting a foreign material into your body.

BBL Before and Afters

BBL Cost

In general, the cost of a BBL at the CREO clinic starts from £7,900. However, the exact price varies for each patient depending on the number of liposuction treatment areas they require and the surgical complexity of their procedure. You will receive the cost of your cosmetic treatment after consulting with our plastic surgeon.

Procedure

A BBL procedure takes between 2-4 hours to perform under sedation or general anaesthesia. The surgeon starts by performing liposuction on a targeted area, which involves inserting a suction cannula through tiny incisions. The harvested fat is then purified and prepared for injection. Finally, the surgeon injects the fat into the butt.

At the CREO Clinic, Dr Tillo performs BBL procedures using the BEST-F technique, which he developed to improve the safety and contouring effects of the procedure. In this technique, the surgeon grafts the fat over the gluteal muscles while using an ultrasound device to monitor the fat transfer procedure to ensure safe and precise results.

BBL Recovery Timeline

The timeline for BBL recovery varies for each patient. Typically, most patients will begin to see their post-surgical side effects, such as swelling, soreness, and numbness, dissipate after the first week of surgery and will feel comfortable to resume office work and light daily activities in 2-3 weeks. Additionally, patients usually begin more strenuous activities in 4-6 weeks. Follow our aftercare and recovery tips to make your recovery as comfortable as possible and preserve your results.

Results

As previously mentioned, you can expect to see an immediate enhancement after your surgery. At first, your butt will look more enhanced than anticipated as the surgeon will inject the maximum amount of fat to account for the 30-50% of fat cells that your body will absorb as your new fat grafts settle. However, after 3-6 months, you can expect to see the final results of your BBL, as your butt will look and feel natural once the fat grafts stabilise.

Will BBL Leave Scars?

A significant benefit of BBL is that it leaves behind minimal scars. Our surgeons take great care to place the incisions in inconspicuous areas. The liposuction procedure requires 2-5 tiny incisions and the fat injections require 4-8 small incisions, both of which resemble dots a few millimetres long. You can expect these incisions to heal in 1-2 weeks and the resulting scars to fade away in 1-2 years.

Am I a Good Candidate For BBL?

You will need to attend a consultation with our plastic surgeon to confirm your eligibility for the cosmetic procedure. In general, a good candidate for BBL is someone who carries excess fat in areas other than their butt, has a BMI between 23-30, and has no underlying medical conditions. However, if your BMI is 22 or below, you may still benefit from a skinny BBL.

Is BBL Surgery Safe?

A BBL is a generally safe cosmetic procedure if performed by a board-certified surgeon in a regulated setting with the appropriate surgical techniques. 

At the CREO Clinic, Dr Omar Tillo has developed a surgical method known as the BEST-F procedure, which minimises the risk of fat embolisms that commonly occur in BBL procedures performed using outdated methods. Performed using this technique, BBL carries the same risks as any other cosmetic surgery which will be openly discussed with you during your consultation.

How to Choose a BBL Surgeon

Choosing the right BBL surgeon is essential to ensuring your safety and achieving the best results. Some factors to consider when selecting a BBL surgeon include: 

• Their credentials and training: a board-certified surgeon with relevant training in performing BBLs is more likely to prioritise your safety and possess the required surgical skills to deliver the best possible result.
• Their specialisation: a surgeon specialising in BBLs is likely to have performed the cosmetic procedure on hundreds of patients and understand its intricacies. 
• Safety: your surgeon should openly discuss the risks associated with the surgery and the surgical techniques and measures used to minimise such risks.

CREO Clinic in London Specialises In BBL Surgery

Dr Omar Tillo is a double-board certified plastic surgeon and a key opinion leader on BBL surgery. Having developed the BEST-F technique, he takes great care to prioritise patient safety while delivering results that look natural. Dr Tillo has performed the cosmetic procedure on hundreds of patients and has developed the skills and expertise to customise the surgery according to your unique needs. 

If you’re considering a BBL procedure for results that exercise alone can’t provide, book a consultation with Dr Tillo at the CREO Clinic to discuss a bespoke surgical solution.