Understanding Buttock Shapes

There are a variety of buttock shapes. Some of these shapes are attractive and some buttock shapes are not considered attractive. Even at this point in time, a complete understanding of buttock shape and beauty is not available. However, the buttocks area has emerged as a key point of beauty in recent years. Plastic surgeons have made leaps and bounds over the past 20 years in developing techniques which create better results in buttock aesthetics.

There are two basic options when choosing plastic surgery for the buttocks. The first involves the use of solid silicone buttock implants. The second method utilizes fat pockets from other parts of the body, which are transplanted into the buttocks. Many plastic surgeons prefer fat over implants because fat is more reliable in creating fuller buttocks and better shapes. The Brazilian butt lift is the most popular procedure using fat transfer.

Before undergoing buttock enhancement surgery, it is better for Scottsdale / Phoenix Brazilian Butt lift patients to understand the different buttock shapes a plastic surgeon may see in the office. Understanding your own buttock shape and the possibilities in reshaping is very important for setting expectations and an operative plan that is effective and safe.

The Ideal and Most Beautiful Buttock Shapes

Buttock aesthetics have been incorporated into the story mankind. Artistic endeavors throughout history have documented our preoccupation with the human buttocks as a representation of femininity. There are plenty of examples about the appreciation of the beautiful buttocks in art. Such subjective works typically represent the beautiful buttocks as round and firm, with a smooth inward sweep of the low back and waist. Ideally, there is a smooth cleavage as the buttocks separate at the top and bottom. The maximum prominence of the buttocks should be at the mid to upper buttocks and there is a minimal crease below the buttocks.

Objective analysis of the buttocks has been carried out to better understand buttock aesthetics. Mathematical interpretations have suggested a strong correlation between the hour-glass figure and the general physical and psychological health of women. This correlation is best summarized by an ideal waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7 that transcends cultures and is cross-generational.

Common Buttock Shapes

There many buttock shapes, but most plastic surgeons classify butts into four basic shapes. These general shapes may not classify every single buttock type seen in the world.

A Shape (top left), the Round (top right), the Square (bottom left), and the V Shape (bottom right)

The most attractive shapes visually appear to be the A and the Round, which more closely approximate the ideal waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7. Patients with A and Round butts are typically easy to improve with a combination of liposuction and Brazilian Butt Lift. Square butts do not approximate the ideal 0.7 waist-to-hip ratio and are the most difficult to improve because of the inelastic skin of the buttocks found in these patients. Even with very large volume injection, more than 1000 cc, the inelastic skin is a challenge to reshape. V shapes are the farthest away from the 0.7 ideal ratio. Because of large waist fat pockets, V Shapes are a challenge to correct without aggressive liposuction in the waist to approximate the ideal waist-to-hip ratio.

The Relationship between Liposuction and Fat Injections.

relationship of the lower and upper back, the hips and outer thighs, and how these relate to the buttocks. Surrounding fat pockets reduce the beauty of the buttocks by altering the waist-to-hip ratio. Any cosmetic surgery for the buttocks should consider carefully reducing the waist fat pockets while augmenting the hip volume through buttock augmentation. The best way to reduce a non-ideal waist volume is through liposuction. The fat that is removed through liposuction is then reprocessed and can be injected into the buttocks.

Brazilian Butt Lift and Your Buttock Shape

It is very important for you to understand the shape of the buttocks before performing buttock enhancement surgery. When planning a Brazilian butt lift, for instance, the fat in the back and waist is utilized for fat injections to the buttocks. We recommend you review the discussion above and our general discussion below, several times, before scheduling your plastic surgery.

Brazilian Butt Lift and the A Shape Butt

The A Shape patient has a waist-to-hip ratio that is close to ideal. It only takes a small amount of liposuction to reduce the waist to a more ideal ratio. Expanding the buttocks and hips may be more of a challenge, however, depending on the amount of fat available to enhance the buttocks. Typically, the A Shape butt is small and flat. The more fat that is available to increase the size of the buttocks and hips, the better the results. The A shape is usually the most attractive buttock shape that may be obtained with surgery.

In surgery, the goals include a reduction of the waist with an expansion of the buttocks. It is easy to be overzealous and remove too much fat from the waist area. Patients often request aggressive fat removal in the waist. Careful consideration of the pros and cons of aggressive waist liposuction should be considered.

If the waist is made too small, a condition which may be seen as a positive by the patient, it may appear to others like a sign that cosmetic surgery has been carried out, as such tiny waists do not occur naturally. Importantly, there are limitations in how much fat can be removed and it may be impossible to reduce the waist-to-hip ratio in all patients any further.

Brazilian Butt Lift and the Round Butt

shape is considered the second most attractive buttock form. Patients with round buttocks usually like their shape very much, and most often, want only to increase the size of the butt while keeping the roundness. When more fat is available to increase the butt size, the better the results achieved.

In surgery, the goals include a reduction of the waist to achieve an A Shape while universally increasing the size of the buttocks and maintain the roundness. Overzealous removal of fat from the waist area should be avoided in these patients who often have less fat volume in the waist. While consideration should be given to removal of fat in the waist to achieve a more ideal ratio, too much fat removal in the waist, makes it harder to achieve an A Shape. There is a two-step process which involves liposuction in the lower back and waist with fat injections to the buttocks.

Brazilian Butt Lift and the V Shape Butt

The V Shape patient typically has the worse waist-to-hip ratio, in terms of aesthetic ideals. There are two major problems with the V Shape Butt: there is a lot of fat in the waist and the buttock is flat and small. The challenge is to reduce the volume of the waist and increase the butt size so the patient resembles an A Shape. Fortunately, these patients have relatively elastic skin and the large fat pockets in the waist are an ideal donor to increase the buttock volume.

In surgery, the goals include a major reduction of the waist, which usually implies aggressive liposuction in the area. It is actually difficult to remove too much fat from the waist in this instance, but not impossible. Fat removal is required in the waist until a more ideal waist-to-hip is achieved. The extracted fat is injected until the desired size of the buttocks is approximated.

After surgery the elasticity which allows the buttocks in V Shapes to grow without too much difficulty can become an issue in the waist area. Patients with V Shapes should know that it takes longer for the swelling and size reduction to occur in the waist than is typical with other shapes. This is partly due to the more aggressive nature of the liposuction, but also because of the increased elasticity seen in these patients.

Brazilian Butt Lift and the Square Butt

In terms of overall results, it is the Square Butt that is the most difficult to improve. The buttocks in these patients are classically square and very flat. Square butt patients have several disadvantages: they have small amounts of fat to donate elsewhere in the body, have a waist-to-hip ratio that is very low, and have very inelastic buttock skin. In other words, the typical Square Butt has low fat volume to work with and tissue that is a challenge to manipulate.

Successful surgery can be accomplished as long as patients have realistic expectations. Square Butt patients may not be able to achieve very large and round butts, which are more easily accomplished in other buttock patients. Having realistic expectations is more important in achieving a good result than the overall volume that is injected in the buttocks.

In surgery, the goals include a reduction of the waist to achieve an A Shape. This is usually a challenge because Square Butt patients have little overall fat that can be removed at the waist. In other words, the waist is difficult to reduce. Increasing the buttocks is also a challenge. The inelastic nature of the buttock skin is the major problem. Even with large volume fat grafting, such as 1000 cc per side, this inelastic skin resists expansion. This is a great limitation that you should understand before undergoing surgery. Additionally, Square Butt patients have less fat to donate. We always prefer to have more fat available to make a greater difference.

The Bottom Line with your Buttock Shape

The closer you are to the A Shape before surgery, the most likely your results of Brazilian Butt Lift will look attractive. A Shape and Round Butts have an easier time looking better when compared to V shape and Square Butts.

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