Buttock Augmentation

The female buttock shape plays a vital role in the curvature of the figure; its plumpness is a vital representation of age. In other words, like the breasts, the buttocks gradually change with time and age, so sculpting or maintaining buttock plumpness has become a major subject of body rejuvenation. However, as the structure of the buttock is quite complex, from the surface to the deep structure including the skin, fats, gluteus maximus muscle, gluteus minimus muscle, sciatic nerve/blood vessels, and pelvic bone framework. Such an overlaid architecture not only functions to support the upper half of the body and coordinate the lower limbs but also sustains limb activities over ten thousand times a day. Therefore, it is more likely to cause the sliding and loosening of soft tissues due to gravity load or natural aging to ultimately result in ptosis or deformity of the buttocks. Moreover, other factors, such as the lack of tightening, toning of gluteal muscles of modern people in need of exercise, stretching and extension of pelvic structure during female pregnancy, or even fat loss from overt weight reduction, accelerate buttock droopiness and atrophy, and this also indirectly explains why patients undergoing buttock augmentation are predominantly females and presents a trend of patients being increasingly younger. Buttock augmentations have no absolute indications and condition limitations, so as long as patients show buttock depression or sagging, gluteoplasty is considered for appropriate adjustment. Currently, two common methods are available:

Autologous Fat Grafting (Brazilian Buttock Lift)

Buttock Implant Emplacement

Comparison of buttock augmentations

Autologous fat injection Silicone implant
Ideal candidates Patients with mild to moderate buttock sagging but with relatively good skin elasticity or those with only regional depression and fat loss or asymmetrical buttocks Patients with severe buttock skin laxity and soft tissue droopiness, aging-related buttock laxity, congenitally too small buttocks, or a poor buttock shape
Objective Fill and plump up the buttock tissues Accommodate the effects of filling, lifting, and tightening of the buttocks
Anesthesia method General anesthesia General anesthesia
Surgical incision 1–2 injection needles holes at the periphery of the buttocks A 4–5-cm incision at the central gluteal groove
Material None Silicone gel implant (textured)
Buttock plumpness Acceptable Optimal (size customizable)
Buttock lift Relatively poor Extremely good
Skin tightness No Optimal
Self-absorption Approximately 50% No
Infection risk Low Slightly high
Pain Low Obvious
Complications Few Probable (such as implant displacement, protrusion, or rupture)
Postoperative massage No No
Hospitalization No 1 day