Most of the various curves of the human body have been extensively studied, described and/or depicted by our Renaissance artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci, and more recently by the Latin and Brazilian artists and surgeons. In both men and women, the buttock definition is provided by a certain amount of fat and by the musculature. It is also important to understand that excessive fat above and around the buttock can make the buttock appear smaller. Therefore, many buttock augmentation procedures, including the Brazilian butt lift—a popular choice among my plastic surgery patients in Toronoto— require some liposculpting to the flanks, saddlebags, lower back, and sometimes to the upper thighs.
What are the most common buttock shapes?
Four (4) different types of buttock shapes have been described in recent literature (Drs. Medieta, De la Pena, Gauzalez).
- “A” type: the sexiest type for ladies and the one depicted in beauty magazine; the Latin and Brazilian buttocks.
- Round type: most common, also tends to come with aging
- Square type: most common for males and for ladies with a square-frame.
- The ‘V’ (inverted A) type: most difficult type, the one that requires the most liposuction to convert back to a round or A shape
Each type is genetically determined with the amount of soft tissue and muscular mass, the bony frame of the hips, and the amount of pelvic tilt. A prominent lordosis, or forward pelvic tilt, is a very attractive feature of a lady. Buttock shape is also age-dependent. Each type will require a different approach, a different implant, and a variable amount of liposculpture.
How can plastic surgery create a more attractive buttock shape?
Some patients have a prominent depression between the outer buttock area and the outermost bony frame, which is often more of a masculine feature. The implants may not reach that area in ladies and fat grafting might be required in conjunction with augmentation. Finally, whenever liposuction is required, the fat harvested can be used as an adjunct procedure, such as fat and stem cell transfer to the buttock region itself. This will provide more augmentation in addition to the implant, or to other areas, such as the face. Fat transfer to buttocks is commonly referred to as the Brazilian butt lift. Learn more about it in our previous blog post.
The length of the inter-buttock crease, or cleft, is also important in the aesthetics of the buttock. You may have seen some buttocks with a very short cleft, making the buttocks look small, too low, and somewhat undefined. This cleft can also be modified to render the buttocks more defined and attractive.
Which buttock augmentation procedure is right for me?
When I meet patients in my Toronto Visage Clinics, each patient/buttock is evaluated individually, as no one body is created the same. Important parameters to consider include: patient’s height, weight, body mass index, muscular habitus, thigh length and circumference, lower back and flank areas. Ethnic background is important as well, since cultural background will often dictate the expectations with regards to shape and size. One also has to provide his/her preference, as many shapes, sizes and thicknesses of buttock implants exist.
As you may now know, body implant surgery (buttock, pectoral, hip, breast, calf) is a special interest of mine. I am considered a leader in Toronto body implants and I see patients from all over Canada for this expertise. To see examples of the results I have created with buttock implants, please visit my before-and-after photo gallery.
If you would like to learn more about buttock augmentation here in Toronto, please contact us online or call (416) 929-9800.
by Toronto plastic surgeon Dr. Marc DuPéré