Surgical · Body
Consultant-led contouring — fat transfer (BBL), buttock lift and, where appropriate, implants. Performed safely under ultrasound guidance by Dr Hassan Soueid.
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Hello!
Medically reviewed by Dr Hassan SoueidConsultant Cosmetic & Plastic Surgeon
Overview
Buttock contouring is a family of operations that reshape the gluteal (buttock) area. The most common is fat transfer — the so-called Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) — using fat liposuctioned from the abdomen, flanks or back to add volume and shape. Other options include buttock lift surgery (for skin redundancy after weight loss) and silicone implants.
At Kensington Cosmetic Clinic this is consultant-led, ultrasound-guided fat transfer — performed by Dr Hassan Soueid using only the safe subcutaneous (under-skin) plane. We do not perform the deep intramuscular fat injection technique that has been associated with fatal pulmonary fat embolism in BBL surgery.
We are deliberately conservative. The aim is balance with your existing frame, not extreme proportion change. Patients seeking the very-large-volume aesthetic seen on social media are often better served elsewhere; we will tell you honestly if that is what you want.
Safety is the first requirement of buttock contouring. Aesthetic restraint is the second.
How it works
A diagram of the procedure. Hover any pulsing marker to see how each anatomical layer is treated by Dr Hassan.
Hover or tap any highlighted region
Illustration is anatomical only — the procedure is tailored individually at consultation.
Treated Areas
Most patients have multiple goals — adding volume, lifting shape, narrowing the waistline. Each is assessed independently and addressed only where indicated.
Fat transfer (BBL)
Liposuction from the abdomen, flanks or thighs is processed and re-injected into the buttocks at the safe subcutaneous level. Adds soft, natural volume and projection in proportion to your frame.
Buttock implants
Silicone implants placed in a deep subfascial plane. Provide more dramatic projection than fat transfer alone but carry a higher revision rate. Reserved for patients without sufficient donor fat for BBL.
Composite contouring
Implants combined with fat transfer over the implant — the implant adds projection, the overlying fat softens visibility and refines shape.
Buttock lift (gluteoplasty)
Removal of excess skin from the upper buttocks for patients with significant skin redundancy after major weight loss. Often combined with body lift surgery.
Hip dip correction
Selective fat transfer to the lateral hip dips ('violin deformity') for a smoother hip-to-thigh transition. A small-volume but high-impact treatment.
Saddlebag reduction
Liposuction of the lateral thigh ('saddlebag') area combined with selective fat transfer — improves the silhouette by reducing where there is excess and adding where there is not.
Flank liposuction
Almost always part of BBL surgery. The harvested fat is the same fat re-injected into the buttocks — narrowing the waist and projecting the buttock simultaneously creates the illusion of greater contour change than either alone.
Lower back contouring
Selective liposuction of the lower back creates a defined sacral hollow above the buttocks — a key feature of well-balanced contouring.
Outer thigh contouring
Lateral thigh liposuction balances proportions when the legs and buttocks are being addressed in the same operation.
Candidate
Benefits at KCC
Investment
Every patient is different — the area, technique and number of stages shape the plan. We share full pricing during your private consultation, after Dr Hassan or your treating clinician has reviewed your goals in person.
Before
BBL preparation is similar to liposuction with one critical addition — you must arrange for not sitting on the buttocks for 2 weeks. This requires planning before surgery.
Choice
The two routes to volume change in the buttock. Each has a distinct profile.
Option 1
Volume from your own fat — natural feel, no foreign material, with the additional benefit of liposuction contouring of the donor area. Survival of transferred fat is around 60–70% at 12 months. Limited by available donor fat — too-thin patients may not be candidates.
Option 2
Silicone implants placed in a deep subfascial plane. More dramatic projection, useful when donor fat is insufficient. Higher revision rates, longer recovery, and a small but real risk of implant migration or capsule formation.
Composite (implant plus fat transfer) is sometimes the right answer for patients wanting projection without obvious implant edges — discussed at consultation.
The Treatment
Two consultations are standard. The first reviews candidacy, donor fat availability and goals; the second confirms operative plan and consent. Photographs from five views in standardised lighting.
Performed under general anaesthetic in our CQC-registered theatre. Total operative time 2.5–4 hours.
Most patients are discharged the same day. First review at 24 hours; lymphatic drainage massage begins at week 1.
Step by Step
Buttock contouring at KCC is performed under ultrasound guidance with the BAAPS subcutaneous-only protocol. Safety first, restraint always.
01 · The Consultation
Two consultations. Donor-fat availability, frame proportions, skin quality and goals reviewed. We are explicit about safe transfer volumes — and decline cases seeking extreme volumes that require unsafe deep injection.
02 · Preparation
Six weeks smoking-free. Buy a BBL pillow and arrange a working environment that allows reclining or standing for two weeks. Two compression garments. Two to three weeks of social downtime.
03 · The Procedure
General anaesthetic in our CQC-registered theatre. Liposuction harvest from abdomen, flanks or thighs. Fat processed gently. Re-injection at the safe subcutaneous layer only — never deep — under real-time ultrasound visualisation.
04 · Recovery & Aftercare
Strict no-sitting on the buttocks for fourteen days — use the BBL pillow. Compression for six weeks. Lymphatic drainage from week one. Around 60–70% of transferred fat survives long-term; final result at six months.
After
BBL aftercare has one critical rule: no sitting directly on the buttocks for 2 weeks. Pressure on transferred fat in the first weeks reduces graft survival and the final result.
Results
BBL results settle over 6 months as transferred fat integrates and non-surviving cells are reabsorbed.
Questions
BBL has historically had the highest mortality rate of any cosmetic operation, due to fat embolism from intramuscular injection. We perform subcutaneous-only fat transfer under real-time ultrasound guidance — visualising the plane and avoiding the deep gluteal vessels. The BAAPS subcutaneous-only protocol has substantially reduced complications. We do not perform deep intramuscular injection at KCC.
Typical safe transfer is 200–500 ml per side, with around 60–70% fat survival at 12 months. Patients seeking 1,000 ml+ per side cannot be served safely with subcutaneous-only technique — and we will not perform the deep technique. If extreme volume is your goal, we will tell you honestly that we are not the right surgeon.
BBL needs sufficient donor fat from the abdomen, flanks, back or thighs. Very lean patients may not have enough — in which case implants may be discussed, or no surgery may be recommended at all. This is assessed at consultation.
Two weeks of no direct sitting is the most demanding part. Most patients return to non-physical work at 2 weeks (using a BBL pillow), full exercise at 6 weeks, and full sitting comfortably from week 4 onwards. The compression garment is worn for 6 weeks total.
Around 60–70% of the transferred fat survives long-term. The fat that does survive behaves like normal body fat — it stays unless you significantly lose weight. Major weight loss after BBL will reduce buttock volume; major weight gain can affect proportion.
Top-up BBL is possible after 6–9 months once the original transfer has stabilised. We are conservative about repeated procedures — usually one well-planned operation gives a better long-term result than multiple smaller ones.
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