Brazilian butt lift – What happens when you lose weight after surgery?

Modified on | by Dr. Ricardo L. Rodriguez
A weighing scale.

We do a lot of Brazilian butt lifts. The Brazilian butt lift augments and enhances your buttocks using fat from unwanted areas of your body. The procedure is a total body resculpting of your abdomen, flanks, and buttocks. The question I often get asked is “Doctor will I lose the effect of the Brazilian butt lift if I lose weight after the surgery?”

The answer is: If the fat is processed and grafted correctly-you will not lose the effects.

To illustrate the point, I went back and looked at the photos of one of my patients who had the Brazilian butt lift surgery, lost approximately 10% of her body weight after the post op period, and then gained all of the weight back at the end of the one year period.

In the video below, her pre-op is on the left. Eight months following the surgery, in the photo on the right, she lost a little over 10 pounds. You can see that her buttocks are still prominent ,and her new curves show off very nicely. Watch the video to see all of the details.

Even with her weight loss, her buttocks are prominent and she maintains the buttocks ‘shelf’. If the procedure is done correctly, your new curves should stay with you. Properly processed fat will engraft and take. You will have a new body shape. Weight fluctuations after the Brazilian butt lift will take the shape of your new body shape. If you gain or lose weight you will not go back to your curveless body figure. The wonder of fat grafting is that it can truly change your body proportions. Any weight gain or loss should correspond with the new figure.

A collage of photos of a case study into Brazilian butt lift after weight change case study photo.

Photo summary of the patient’s history

Left: Pre-op
Middle: 8 months post-op, with 10% weight loss
Right: 1 year post-op, with full weight gain back to original weight

Note: The video featured above is part of my ‘Stem Cell Series’ as properly processed fat will contain a population of your own naturally occurring adult stem cells. These stem cells enable your fat graft to survive and ‘take’ as the stem cells help to build blood supply to the fat graft. Stem cells from your own autologous adipose fat is Plastic surgery’s new Frontier. Stay tuned for more!

By Dr. Ricardo L. Rodriguez MD Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Cosmeticsurg Baltimore, Maryland Ricardo L. Rodriguez on American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

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64 thoughts on “Brazilian butt lift – What happens when you lose weight after surgery?”

  • Jennifer Salinitri says:

    Does weight loss affect fat transfer to breast? How soon after procedure is it daft to diet. I’m 153 lbs 5’2 and would like to loose 20lbs. I also had full body liposulpture. Will the effects be damaged by weight loss?

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Jennifer it is hard to say how diet will affect fat transfer to the breast because it depends where the fat was harvested from. The grafted fat behaves exactly as it did before being harvested. For example, if the love handle area was the first area to pick up weight, but really hard to lose it, it will behave the same way if the fat is then grafted to the breast. There are no "best areas" to take fat from because it varies on every patient.

  • Myla says:

    Hello I am 57, use too exercise alot, but have stop for a while. Now I am about 40 lbs over weight. Should I loose the weight before having a BBL? I also am confused a local surgeon who use to do tummy tucks and lipo says, lipo leaves ripples in the skin. Research seems to indicated smart lipo or laser assisted is most beneficial because skin tens to retract unlike normal non laser lipo... What is the real story? How do you determine how large to make the booty? Thank you

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Myla: You have a lot of questions that can best be answered with a virtual consult with Skype or FaceTime. In general though, I don't like smart lips or laser assisted lip as they cause more problems - look at this blogpost for a fuller explanation.

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Gloria, I cannot remember specifically, it was probably around 600cc's. But that is not a real indicator. The amount of cc's injected depends on many things, including the quality of the patient's fat, the methods used to extract it, etc. Then there is the issue of how much survives. In short, don't go for how much a surgeon tells you he can inject on you, just look at his work and ask him if he does revisions. In over 10 years of doing this I have done less than a handful of revisions and none of these in the last 5 years.

      • LaRonda says:

        Will the effects you described in your article be the using HCG shots or oral HCG? If so, what"s the maximum percentage of total body weight can I lose to maintain the results.

        • Dr. Ricardo L. Rodriguez says:

          All of the patients that I have documented as losing weight and gaining it again have been done without hormones or drugs. They were the result of natural life changes, illness, etc. As to maintaining results while losing weight a lot depends on the technique used to do the fat grafting. If the fat grafts are viable they will maintain their fat storing ability but it is not easy to predict how much weight to lose. However, when you gain the weight Back they will recover easily.

  • R says:

    Hi, i would like to get a bbl, but wants to lose 29 pounds too, some doctors said that one can lose 15-20 pounds after a bbl with no problems with the bbl, is that true?

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      R: My personal opinion is that you should undergo BBL at the weight you are most comfortable with. Wether you lose weight after BBL depends on where the fat was harvested from. If the fat was harvested from an area where you tend to lose weight easily then that fat will also go away easily when it is in the butt. If the fat was harvested from an area where you find it hard to lose weight, then it will persist in your butt, just as it is hard to lose now. Contact Kelly@kelly@cosmeticsurg.net if you want more info.

  • d says:

    if you have a bbl one year ago but loss some weight. Would if be possible to gain back the fat in your but?

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      D If your fat cells from the BBL survived, they will grow back when you gain weight. If the fat graft did not survive, you will not gain the fat in your butt. We are very reliable in our technique and our patients lose weight in their butt last, after they have lost it in other areas. That is why it is key to choose carefully where you are harvesting fat from.

  • Tamara carter says:

    Hello, I am a 35 year old, 260 lbs African American woman. I am interested in a yummy tuck w/ fat transfer. I want to the price and what exactly are the steps into preparing for it.

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Tamara: Contact Kelly at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net so we can set up a virtual consult and I can evaluate you. She can give you a lot of information regarding pricing, what steps to take etc. Thank you for your interest! we look forward to seeing you.

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      K I would need to see pictures to determine what would be the best answer for you. If you are interested you could contact Kelly at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net and she can set up a virtual consult so I can review pictures and give you more specific advice.

  • Barbra says:

    A very interesting site, indeed. I am very interested in your surgery. I just wondered about vein problems in the legs, as you are specialised on fat cells, but do you also take care of the lower legs and their discomfort? My grandmother developed huge lower legs with age due to water retention in the legs and I have been having pain in the lower legs with water retention tendencies and partially extreme low blood pressure ever since I was a teenager. I just wonder if these surgeries would go all-in-one, or does it need a different surgery/clinic altogether for the lower legs? Many thanks I'm positively surprised about this blog.

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Barbra: Problems with veins in the lower legs are best taken care of by vascular surgeons.There are some cosmetic surgery clinics that take care of superficial veins in the legs, but these are usually not staffed by vascular surgeons. You want your mother to see a vascular surgeon. Hope this helps!

  • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

    Yolanda: For pricing information you should talk to Kelly. She is at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net and we'll be more than happy to send you as much info as you need. The anemia should be checked out by your doctor, but for now you can start taking iron tablets. Ask at your local pharmacy for a good choice. Iron pills can be constipating so remember to take stool softeners if that becomes a problem. The tubal ligation should not be a problem. The hypothyroidism is not a problem if you are taking thyroid hormone pills. The main help in getting good and healthy results is to start exercising daily. Start today just walking around the block, then pick up your speed a little bit every day. You should be a little short of breath but still able to talk. We'd love to hear from you!

  • vida says:

    Doctor Rodriguez, I had a DVT on my leg 8 years ago due to having Factor V Leiden and taking oral contraceptives with high levels of estrogen. I've been perfectly healthy ever since... Is it safe to have this surgery? I am 28, 5'4 and 125 pounds and I have no scarring on my veins and take blood thinners only when I travel but not sure if this is extremely dangerous.

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Vida: You may be able to do this safely in a way that diminishes risk of DVT on the one hand and risk of bleeding on the other. You would have to do it in stages, that is do liposuction of the flanks (love handle area) and graft on the butt, then wait a few months and liposuction another area. If you want more info, contact Kelly at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net

  • melissa Lee says:

    I need to have a hernia repair and would also like a fat grafting for butt augmentation,. I'm 5' 2" 149 Ilbs (extra fat for the transfer) and I want a Kardashian J-Lo butt. Can you give me a cost estimation since insurance would cover most of the surgical component of the hernia repair?

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Melissa: Kelly at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net handles the financial stuff. We're looking forward to hearing from you!

  • Veronica says:

    how long is the surgery? how long is recovery? u stated that it is Best to use your own body fat. how much is needed? where do u have your practice? how long have u in practice? is everyone capable of having a Brazilian Butt lift

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Veronica how long is the surgery?- It depends, but most cases are 6-8 hours. See this post for why things take time how long is recovery? Recovery is very short as far as pain, but you cannot sit on your butt for 3 weeks. Check out this post as to why u stated that it is Best to use your own body fat. how much is needed? That depends on the person. My average is 600cc per buttock where do u have your practice? Baltimore, Maryland. About 30% of my clientele is from out of town how long have u in practice? I finished Plastic Surgery training in 1988 is everyone capable of having a Brazilian Butt lift? - If they are in good health, and have above 12% body fat, yes.

  • marylynn says:

    I had liposuction in 1998 on my hips and thighs. I have a droopy, uneven butt. I have always wanted a brazilian butt lift but haven't done so yet because I wanted to have children...I am now 7 months pregnant. I am very anxious to schedule surgery sooner than later. How long would you recommend I wait after the birth (due Aug 3rd,) before I consider surgery? I am having a scheduled c-section so will want that scar fixed as well as my arm and backfat removed

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Marylynn: Happy to hear about your pregnancy! We will give your info to Kelly (kelly@cosmeticsurg.net) so we can establish contact, but first you have to enjoy your baby and make sure the Baby is at a stage in development where you can have other people taking care of it. You do need 3 weeks of no sitting so during that time it will be hard to take care of your Baby. God Bless you and may your child be healthy.

  • Fernando Garzon says:

    Hey, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your blog site in Opera, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, excellent blog!

  • Lili R says:

    Dr.Rodrigues quisiera hacerle unas preguntas, ojala me las puda contestar, Oviamente quiero aumentar mis gluteos y estube apunto de ir cn el msmo PS de una amiga a la que le tranf grasa a sus gluteos pero al paso del tiempo se consumio casi toda la grasa de los gluteos, y creo hasta le salio celulitis, bueno despues se puso a dieta y ejercicio, bajo algunas libras(No drastico) y desaparecoeron sus gluteos, quedo igual k antes *** Pork se consumiria la grasa o casi toda? pork sale celulitis? *** Se que no todos los PS hacen esta tecnica de separar las celulas, bueno ese proceso! -Que hay de diferencia entre inyectar CELULAS(steam cells) A solo inyectar grasa? En k ayuda, etc? *** Eh oido k se pueden conjelar las celulas o grasa, de verdad esto es posible? Pregunto porque despues de la cirugia me gustaria bajar de peso(stoy llenita de todo el cuerpo) y despues inyectar la grasa para k no se cosuma. *** Ultima, se puede inyectar grasa o celulas en las pantorrillas? O se consume todo? Muchas gracias

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Lili: In the interest of our readers, I will repeat some of your questions in English and answer them so the rest of our blog readers can read them. 1) Why did all the fat in a butt lift get reabsorbed? Mainly because it probably did not survive the process of harvesting and reinjection. Read this blogpost on how to process fat cells correctly. 2)Why was there cellulitis in a case of fat injection? When the fat cells are not in good condition when they injected, or too many get injected at the same time, some cells die. They release the fatty oils within the cell membranes, but this is irritating to the surrounding tissues. The body responds with inflammation to process the "cell trash". 3) What is the advantage of injecting cells versus fat? The best advantage is to inject as many stem cells as you can. The stem cells are healing cells and provide fast and effective blood supply so the new fat cells can survive. 4) Can fat cells be frozen? Yes they can, but they only do well for a few weeks. Furthermore, when you reinject them they don't do very well. 5) Can you inject fat in the calves? Yes you can. I've even injected in the feet. Hope this helps! Lili, espero verte pronto, si quieres arregla con Kelly kelly@cosmeticsurg.net para hacer una teleconsulta, o una consulta en persona.

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Zalia: Yes it is possible. I have found that if the fat injection is well done there is hardly ever need for an implant.

  • Damian Rattee says:

    Sorry, but I disagree with this piece of writing. I actually do appreciate your specific blogging site still and will continue to keep moving back for news.

  • Lala says:

    I weigh 200 pounds and I'm 5'6.. How much weight do i need to lose in order to get this procedure and have it done right and look good.I have no butt and i'm ready for one!!!...

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Lala: This procedure is all about the proportions. The waist to hip ratio should be .7 That ratio is pleasing to the eye whether the woman is heavy, normal weight or slender. So, it all depends on what you want your weight to be. The procedure itself changes your proportions, and those proportions will remain whether you gain or lose weight. We'd love to help you, contact Kelly at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net We'd love to hear from you!

  • Lisa says:

    I weight 115lbs and I'm 5'2. I have wide hips, which I'm happy with, but a pretty flat rear end. Like an extended back almost haha. I don't have a flat stomach, but I'm concerned that I may not have enough fat for this procedure. How do I know if I'm a good candidate? I wouldn't want to undergo the procedure unless it's going to make a BIG difference ;) are the results permanent? Will in the future there be a need for this procedure to be repeated e.g breast aug.? How's the liposuctioned are going to look? Does the skin suffer e.g get fine/wrinkly? Will people be able to look at me and tell that I had lip/brazil Ian butt lift done? Thanks for clearin up my doubts!

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Lisa: Your weight is not a problem. We have done Brazilian butt lifts in patients your weight and less with very good results. Of course we can go into more specific detail and send us some pictures so we can evaluate you systematically in a "virtual consult". The results will be long lasting and significant as your body proportions will change, thus it is not the type of thing where you need to come back every few years. Contact Kelly at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net, she'll be very happy to help you out!

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Yani: On her we used about 500cc per butt cheek, or 1000cc total. Quantities depend on the individual.

  • denise xiao says:

    I am in desperate need for a butt lift I live in new york how can this be arranged? I want to get it done in the first week of june if possible

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Denise: We have plenty of patients from out of town. Contact Kelly at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net and she will be more than happy to fill you in. We are looking forward to meeting you!

    • Kelly Warner says:

      Hello Denise, Our out of town patients usually start with a virtual consultation. This consultation can be done by phone, Ichat or skype. To find out more about the virtual consultation please see our page about virtual consultations. Otherwise, we would be very happy to meet you in our office. Call me with questions 410-494-8100. Thank you, Kelly Warner Patient Coordinator

  • Charmaine Murray says:

    I had the fat transfer done on 7/26/2010 and I was 186 lbs to be exact. I have been working so hard to loose the weight and have now lost most of the weigt I am now 165 lbs and also my butt. My butt is flatter than before the surgery. I AM DEVASTATED.

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Charmaine: I should point out to our readers that I did not perform the surgery on you. May I ask who performed it? As pointed out in this blogpost, when done properly, a fat graft will stay, even if you lose weight. The basics for a good fat grafting procedure can be seen in other of my posts, such as this or this one. I should also point out that if you lost a lot of weight, skin excess can also become an issue. In any case, don't lose hope, as there are many opportunities available for you, and I am convinced that your situation still has a solution. If you are interested in a more specific opinion about your situation, contact Kelly at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net We'd love to be able to help you.

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Arielle: Yes, it is possible, and I do it in almost all my cases. I think it gives a very nice curve to the hip area and makes more of a "great figure" rather than a "big butt". Give us a call!

  • kaki says:

    Thank you for your explanation. I had a BBL done 6 weeks ago. I lost a little volume, but not much. I would like to know when do I know for sure that my body is done absorbing whatever it was going to absorb? I'm afraid of losing anymore volume. At this time, it's perfect and I am so happy with my new figure. I was very complexed about not having a womanly figure. I feel born agan..

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Kaki: By 6 weeks your result should be pretty stable. You will do fine. Enjoy your new figure!

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Lelia: The fat that gets placed in your butt is the hardest to lose. Obviously, at some point you of starvation, you lose everything. If you started out at 120 is quite different than if you started out at 180. To make an individual judgement I have to see a person's pictures. Have a great weekend!

  • marco says:

    I’ve recently started a blog, the information you provide on this site has helped me tremendously. Thank you for all of your time & work.

  • susie says:

    Dr. Rdz Thank you for answering the weight loss after surgery question! I have been looking into fat grafting for a few years already. I'm a 23 year old female, and I have a rather straight up and down figure with narrow hips. I was wondering, if fat transfer aside from augmenting the buttocks, can also be helpful in augmenting the width of the hips to get more of a feminine, hourglass-ish shape?

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Susie: We do a lot of fat injection to the hips. As a matter of fact, we had a blogpost about this a while back, read it here. The whole purpose of a well done Brazilian Butt lift is more about giving you a voluptuous hourglass figure than about just the butt. If you have been thinking about this for a while, you should contact Kelly at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net

  • hypnosis says:

    Well it is possible but not very easy to do. Takes much more time. Best way are exercises together with correct diet.

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Hypnosis: Excercise and correct diet could never in a million years accomplish the changes in body contour that fat transfer accomplishes routinely. Excercise and diet are great things, and they will make you lose weight, and improve your health. But they cannot change the way your body stores fat. You need surgery for that.

  • vanidoza says:

    Hola Doc.Rodriguez, Ya navege toda si web, decidi escrivirle en espanol para darle promocion ahora con los latinos, aunque siendo sincera no creo que lo necesite. bueno tengo un auto estima por los suelos con mi cuerpo que esta hecho mmmm bueno la verdad no se, no encuentro palabras para el. pero le platico mi historia. tengo 28 de edad, bueno el 11 de abril cumplo mis 29, segundo tengo 3 hijosssss. y los tube super seguido. la mas grande tiene 7 y luego la otra 6 y el ultimo3. pero ya me amarre las trompas. como decimos. ya no mas hijos. ahora me toca a mi. y pue le comento que todo mi cuerpo es un desorden los gluteos si es que asi se les pueden decir a los mios, estan por no se donde mis pechos tambien. mi estomago es muy suelo, creo que mis tejidos no son muy fuertes y todo se me mueve.. ahh otra cosa estoy haciendo zumba. pero mi cuerpo necesita mucho mas que zumba. que opina usted sobre hacerme la brazilian butt lift. porque yo no estoy de acuerdo con ponerme silicon , me gusta tener solo cosas mis y afirmarlas con ayuda de un doc. yo vivo en front royal va. creo que estamos como a una hora y media o quizas 2horas. que consejo me daria?

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Vanidoza: Si quieres, podemos arreglar una consulta por teléfono. Ponte en contacto con Kelly, mándale un email a kelly@cosmeticsurg.net. Ella te dará las instrucciones de que tipo de fotos mandar, hora para llamar, etc. La consulta telefónica se hace cuando tengo las fotos tuyas enfrente para poder hacer recomendaciones basadas en tu cuerpo y condición actual. Nosotros tenemos muchos pacientes de las afueras de Baltimore (¡hasta Inglaterrra!), así que estamos acostumbrados a la rutina de pacientes que viajan a vernos. Esperamos atentos tu email o llamada, y espero verte pronto!

  • MARIA CORTES says:

    A WOMEN WHO HAS BUTT AUMENTATION WITH IJECTIONS AND THE RESULT WAS NO SATIFASTORIO. IS OK HAVE BRAZILIAN BUTTAUMENTATION TO GET THE RESULT THAT SHE WANT TO HAVE

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Maria: In theory, yes, we can inject fat into somebody who has had prior injections. A lot depends on precisely what was injected, what the patient expects, how much fat she has, etc. If you are interested to set up a consultation, contact Kelly at kelly@cosmeticsurg.net. Tambien podemos hacer la consulta en español si así lo desea. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Chante: Kelly, our patient coordinator will be more than happy to help you with information about pricing, preparation, etc. If we get pictures, we could even arrange a virtual consultation. Best of Luck!

  • andrea buckberrough says:

    I have the worst butt ever , however I had a tummy tuck and a year later had some waist sculpting. Am I still a canidate. I still have fat though inner thighs flanks ect.

    • Dr. Ricardo L Rodriguez says:

      Andrea: I have seen a lot of butts in my life and believe me, you cannot imagine what the worst butt ever is, because I have seen it and its not yours! To really know if you are a candidate, I would have to see your pictures, but my guess is yes. How can I be so confident? Because body contouring does not eliminate fat, it just changes how the body distributes it. You probably have some fat to work with, and I would love to help you out. As a matter of fact, patients who already have had a tummy tuck do particularly well because I can really contour the waist to create a nice curve as it goes into the buttock. Give us a call!