If you're considering ditching your gym glute circuit for butt implants in hopes of achieving a fuller derrière, you're not alone. Research shows that interest in butt implants has skyrocketed in recent years thanks to popular influencers and musicians.
Read on to learn about butt implants and other types of butt enhancements.
What Are Butt Implants?
Butt implants, or butt augmentation, is a type of plastic surgery procedure to improve the shape, contour and/or size of the buttocks.
When people refer to butt implants, they're usually referring to the use of implants made of silicone.
Butt implants are made of solid silicone elastomer as opposed to breast implants, which are made of a silicone elastomer shell, filled with cohesive silicone gel.
Butt augmentation can also be achieved with injectable fat transfer, which involves using liposuction to remove fat from another area of the body and injecting it into the buttocks. This procedure is commonly known as a Brazilian butt lift — or BBL, for short.
There are also non-surgical butt augmentation procedures that use dermal filler injections, such as Sculptra® and hyaluronic acid fillers, to add volume to the buttocks.
BBL vs. Butt Implants: What's the Difference?
Like butt implants, BBL is a surgical procedure performed under general anesthesia used to change the shape and/or size of the buttocks. The key differences are in how the procedure is performed and the expected results. Here's more information about each.
Butt implants procedure and results
During butt implant surgery, silicone implants are inserted through skin incisions into pockets created beneath the gluteal muscle or fascia on each side. The results are visible immediately and are permanent.
Butt implants feel slightly more firm or similar to other toned parts of your body. You may be aware of them, especially when sitting, but will gradually get used to them. People with more fat over the area tend to feel butt implants less.
BBL procedure and results
BBL surgery is a two-part procedure. It begins with using liposuction to remove fat through tiny incisions at one or more other areas of the body, such as the tummy or thighs. The fat, tissue and blood removed during liposuction are then processed. The purified and concentrated fat is then re-injected into the fatty layers throughout your buttocks through small incisions. While you can expect to see immediate results, it can take up to one year to see the final effect.
Like with butt implants — and unlike with filler injections — BBL results are permanent. That said, some loss of volume after the procedure is to be expected, according to Dr. Feras Yamin, a licensed plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills.
“You get some swelling from the procedure, and you lose a portion of the fat that's not going to survive — but whatever survives, it stays there," says Dr. Yamin.
Following your surgeon's recovery instructions can help you achieve the best results. According to Dr. Yamin, this means avoiding any pressure or extreme movement that might compromise the survival of the fat.
Are Butt Implants Safe?
Butt augmentation, like all surgeries, carries some risks. Your surgeon will explain these in detail so you can decide if butt implants or another type of butt augmentation procedure is right for you.
You can reduce the risks by choosing a properly trained board-certified surgeon and having surgery in an accredited facility. Following your surgeon's care instructions is also important. This includes not smoking or vaping, which can increase the risk of complications and affect healing.
Risks of butt augmentation surgery include:
- Anesthesia risks
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Fluid accumulation, known as seroma
- Blood clots
- Scarring
- Pain
- Fat necrosis, which is the death of the fatty tissue under the skin
- Unfavorable results, such as asymmetry
- Numbness and other changes in sensation
- Skin discoloration
- Issues with the sutures, such as irritation or the sutures becoming visible
- The possibility of needing revision surgery
Butt injections, whether fat or dermal fillers, also carries some risks, including damage to the large blood vessels located deep in the buttocks, fat embolization to the lungs, heart or brain, and infection. Again, it's important to have butt injections or any other cosmetic procedure performed only by an experienced and board-certified plastic surgeon.
How Much Do Butt Implants Cost?
The cost of butt implants depends on the type of procedure, the surgeon's experience, and geographical location. The average cost of silicone butt implants is $5,278.1
These figures don't include the surgeon's fee, anesthesia or other related expenses, such as:
- Hospital or surgical facility costs
- Medical tests, such as blood work or imaging
- Prescriptions
- Post-surgery garments
- Special pillows to help you during recovery
The final cost of butt implant surgery can run as high as $21,000 with all of the extras included, depending on where you live.2
Are Butt Implants Covered by Insurance?
Butt implants and other butt enhancement procedures (or potential complications) are not usually covered by insurance as they are considered cosmetic procedures.
Butt implant surgery is expensive. If you don't have the savings to pay for the procedure upfront, you may have other options. Plastic surgeons may offer financing plans so you can pay for your procedure in installments.
Financing Butt Implants With the CareCredit Credit Card
Ready to revitalize your appearance and boost your confidence? The CareCredit credit card makes it easy to pay for butt implants and related expenses not covered by health insurance.* Apply today and use our Acceptance Locator to find a doctor or plastic surgeon near you that accepts CareCredit so you can stop dreaming and start living your best life. Continue your wellness journey by downloading the CareCredit Mobile App to manage your CareCredit account, find a provider on the go and easily access the Well U hub for more great articles, podcasts and videos.
Expert Reviewer
Dr. Max Polo, M.D.
Dr. Max Polo is a board-certified plastic surgeon who has been in private practice in South Florida for 22 years. He received his undergraduate education at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in Biology. He then earned his doctorate from the University Of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Polo completed eight years of post-graduate surgery specialty training, including two residencies and an elective fellowship. His residency in General Surgery was performed at the Brooklyn South Surgical Training Program at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. He completed his plastic surgery residency at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Dr. Polo joined Miami Plastic Surgery® in 2014, where he focuses on both non-surgical and surgical aesthetic procedures for the face, breasts and body. Castle Connolly has recognized him as among America's Top Plastic Surgeons for several consecutive years. Dr. Polo's areas of special academic interest include tissue regeneration and tissue engineering, stem cell therapy and breast implant and soft tissue filler product development, and he is committed to educating medical students, residents and fellows.
Author Bio
Adrienne Santos-Longhurst is a writer who has been covering health and lifestyle for almost two decades. Her work has appeared in Healthline, Insider, Medical News Today and more.