Dr. John Millard is a world-renowned expert in liposculpture and autologous fat grafting.
Lately, he’s been getting a lot of questions about the Brazillian Butt Lift. It comes as no surprise to him. The BBL is one of the most Googled procedures on the Internet. Celebrities and influencers have stirred up excitement for backend enhancement. Even the good doctor has wondered just how Kim Kardashian got her big butt.
Today we tackle another frequent query:
Am I too skinny for a Brazillian Butt Lift?
It’s a thought-provoking question and a popular one at Dr. Millard’s Lone Tree, Colorado, practice where he serves the Denver area with premium aesthetic services. Before we can answer it fully, we need to set some context.
Let’s back up a little bit.
What is a Brazillian Butt Lift (BBL)?
BBL is a body contouring and autologous fat transfer technique that was first developed in Rio de Janeiro. The procedure’s aim: butt enhancement. The Brazillian Butt Lift will boost your backside by making it rounder and fuller without the use of implants. Instead, BBL employs fat grafting for its flattering effects. The fat is harvested from your own body.
Dr. Millard begins the procedure by performing liposuction on your unwanted pockets of fat, usually located at the belly, flanks and thighs of most patients. Then the doc does his best Robin Hood routine, redistributing the wealth (or fat, in this case) to your derriere.
Yes, it’s true—BBL takes fat from your belly and love handles to add volume to your buttocks. Dr. Millard will transform your silhouette with a potent union of aesthetics and medicine.
How Does Brazillian Butt Lift Surgery Work?
BBL is an elegant combination of liposculpture and autologous fat grafting. You can double the impact of your results with this dual-action body contouring and enhancement surgery.
For clarity, we’ve defined both procedures for you below. You can further build your vocabulary by checking out Dr. Millard’s Plastic Surgery Glossary page.
Liposculpture
Liposculpture is the artistic implementation of liposuction techniques. More than simply removing excess fat, the doctor shapes the fat that remains for aesthetic effect. The procedure makes use of advanced VASER technology for precision sculpting of the harvest zone while minimizing the impact on surrounding tissue.
Autologous Fat Grafting
Fat transfer represents the latest alternative to the implants and injectables that have long dominated the plastic surgery industry. It’s an all-natural enhancement solution with results that couldn’t feel more real—because they are real! When your own fat tissue provides the boost, there’s no opportunity for unexpected reactions to manufactured prosthetics.[1]
VASER Liposuction for BBL
Dr. Millard is a leader and an innovator in the body contouring space. Among his many media appearances, his spot on NBC’s Today Show about Hi-Def Liposculpture is clearly a classic. As co-author of “VASER-Assisted High-Definition Liposculpture” for the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, he chooses his words carefully when describing his approach.[2]
Dr. Millard’s “Grapes on a Vine” Metaphor
Living fat tissue grows like grapes on a vine. Liposuction is like picking grapes. In traditional liposuction, you’re ripping the vine and the roots out of the ground to get the grapes. With VASER, you gently shake the grapes off the vine, leaving the vine and root intact.
The VASER technique is unquestionably more efficient and more precise. VASER stands for “vibration amplification of sound energy at resonance.” It is an energy-based procedure that uses soft pulses of vibration to unmoor fat globules from blood vessels and connective tissue before they are removed by aspiration. There are many benefits to VASER-assisted liposculpture, including smoother results and quicker recovery time. Several of these benefits apply directly to BBL.
VASER Hi-Def Liposculpture expands the range of qualified candidates for the Brazillian Butt Lift. Fat cells removed by VASER are intact and alive, so they remain viable for fat grafting procedures like BBL. And, since the impact of the procedure is lessened, its effectiveness is elevated. Dr. Millard is able to remove up to twice as much fat per unit area using VASER Hi-Def Lipo than with traditional liposuction techniques. That’s because VASER allows him to target deep compartments of fat as well as the superficial adipose layer located close to the skin. This superficial fat layer has long been off-limits to antiquated versions of liposuction which can severely strain the skin and other tender tissues.
Your body contouring outcomes are improved with VASER. Its sound energy vibration shakes the fat cells into a viscous slurry that reverse pressure will ferry away. The process is more likely to leave the skin with butter-smooth results while avoiding many of the risks for pits, mounds or that “cottage cheese finish” seen in traditional liposuction.
The Brazillian Butt Lift Benefits from VASER Hi-Def Liposculpture
- More fat can be removed
- The fat removed is living and viable for grafting
- Body contouring results are smoother and more attractive
Autologous Fat Grafting
Prosthetics have been perfected over the years, but even the best of them carry some small risk for complications. At best, these manufactured substances remain inert, not affecting the body’s processes positively or negatively. But autologous fat grafting leverages your own tissue for long-lasting augmentation.
The aim of fat grafting is to join the transferred tissue with existing fat. In the weeks following your procedure, the graft takes to its new home inside your buttocks. Though some of the fat may be reabsorbed into your body, making your surgery-day results seem muted, this is natural. However, your remaining graft will be held in place by a living, growing network of blood vessels. Your autologous fat graft becomes indistinguishable from the original tissue because your body recognizes and nurtures its own living cells.
Advantages of Autologous Fat Grafting
- Results look and feel natural
- No risk of reactions associated with prosthetics
- Living cells provide long-lasting results
Wells Johnson High HVP Auto-Graft Infusion System
Dr. Millard is uniquely equipped for any autologous fat grafting procedure, including BBL, with the Wells Johnson High Volume Precision (HVP) Auto-Graft Infusion System. The device provides patients the luxury of a shorter surgery that produces more viable fat for transfer, all while putting less strain on the body.
At many other practices, the harvested fat tissue must be purified in a centrifuge prior to grafting. But the HVP System employs a vibrating tissue separator that works much faster. The process results in more viable fat because the donor material does not leave the HVP System after it is harvested. Extraction and purification take place within the same self-contained system. A shorter, more efficient surgery puts less strain on the body, overall.
What Makes Wells HVP System Better?
- Shorter procedure
- More viable fat
- Less strain on the body
You Are Probably Not Too Skinny for BBL!
Dr. Millard’s Denver-area practice sees a lot of svelte BBL candidates. Colorado is a beautiful backdrop for an active lifestyle. Many lean, mean thrillseekers have been turned away by other doctors who say these Coloradans are not ample enough to supply sufficient fat for a Brazillian Butt Lift.
Dr. Millard knows better.
Millard Plastic Surgery’s advanced tools and techniques broadens the candidate pool for a bigger behind. The breadth of Dr. Millard’s experience contributes significantly to your chances of qualifying, too. He is an innovator in VASER Liposculpture and autologous fat transfer.
VASER permits him to probe for fat where others might miss it, close to the skin’s surface. Only VASER’s precision instruments can safely extract superficial adipose tissue. The Wells HVP Infusion System eases the procedure by streamlining the whole harvest, purification and injection process—a process common to all autologous fat transfer procedures, not just BBL. The long-lasting benefits of Dr. Millard’s superior expertise and equipment are yours to enjoy. Once the fat graft finds purchase in your buttocks, it merges indistinguishably with the original living tissue.
Contact Millard Plastic Surgery for a Consultation
Learn more about Millard Plastic Surgery’s full suite of services. We serve the Denver area with the latest in liposuction and autologous fat grafting techniques. Inquire about our other methods for sculpting your silhouette through the medium of your own living tissue.
Call (303) 792-5665 and contact us to schedule your personal consultation.
FAQ
Where will Dr. Millard harvest my donor tissue for BBL?
Dr. Millard is an expert in liposculpture. His deep well of experience has shown him the best places to find viable donor fat for BBL, even in so-called “skinny” patients who may have been turned away by other doctors. The doctor names the flanks, or “love handles,” as one of the best places to look for fat. Patients who may appear quite skinny, says Dr. Millard, still hide plenty of fat in their flanks.
References
- Cansancao, A. L., Condé-Green, A., Rosique, R. G., Rosique, M. J., & Cervantes, A. (2019). “Brazilian Butt Lift” Performed by Board-Certified Brazilian Plastic Surgeons. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 144(3), 601–609. doi: 10.1097/prs.0000000000006020
- Hoyos, A., & Millard, J. (2007). VASER-assisted high-definition liposculpture. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 27(6), 594–604. doi: 10.1016/j.asj.2007.08.007
- Simonacci, F., Bertozzi, N., Grieco, M. P., Grignaffini, E., & Raposio, E. (2017). Procedure, applications, and outcomes of autologous fat grafting. Annals of Medicine and Surgery, 20, 49–60. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2017.06.059