Brazilian butt lift (BBL) is one of the most popular and sought-after cosmetic procedures in the world. Getting nice and round buttocks depends on several factors. One of these factors is the choice of a plastic surgeon and whether they have skills and expertise.
Another factor is the patient’s adherence to the instructions for successful recovery. Since the treated area involves the buttocks; it’s impossible not to wonder when can I sleep on my back after BBL, right? Get the answer below.
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Sleeping After BBL Procedure
Sleeping after the BBL procedure is tricky, especially if you tend to sleep on your back. After the procedure, your surgeon will explain how to handle the recovery period. You’ll learn what to do, avoid, and expect in the following weeks or months.
Getting enough sleep is crucial for our health and wellbeing, but your BBL isn’t an obstacle here. How soon can I sleep on my back after BBL, though? Below, you’re going to get answers to all questions you have about sleeping after the BBL procedure.
Why Do I Need to Avoid Sleeping on My Back After BBL?
Probably one of the first instructions you get after BBL is to avoid forming any kind of pressure on your butt. That also means sleeping on your back is to be avoided. But why, though? Sleeping on the back during the first few weeks of BBL post-op exerts pressure, decreases blood supply to the treated area, and may potentially induce problems with the fat grafting process. More precisely, doing so could impair recovery and compromise your results.
When Can I Sleep on My Back After BBL Surgery?
How long after BBL can I sleep on my back? If you’re a back sleeper, you probably don’t like the idea of sleeping in any other position. But patience is a virtue. You will need to avoid sleeping on the back for three to four weeks after the surgery, or even longer for some patients. Since you have to avoid putting direct pressure on your butt for at least three weeks post-op, you should avoid lying or sleeping on your back.
So after the third or fourth week, you may be able to sleep on your back. But, this is something to discuss with your cosmetic surgeon. Avoid sleeping on your back before their seal of approval. Simply put, it all depends on how your recovery’s going.
This is why the actual answer may vary from one person to another, but generally speaking for three to four weeks you should avoid sleeping on your back.
How Should I Sleep After BBL Surgery?
Ideally, you should sleep on your stomach after the BBL procedure. While side sleeping is a decent option too, it’s not a good choice for some people. You should sleep on the side only when you’re sure you will not end up on the back.
If you aren’t certain, or you tend to turn onto the back during the night, the best way to avoid this problem is to sleep on your stomach. Also, side sleeping is not an option if you had fat inserted in the hips or sides during the surgery.
Let’s say you can’t sleep on the side either. The question that comes to your mind is “when can I sleep on my side after BBL surgery”? In most cases it’s okay to sleep on your side three weeks after the procedure.
How to sleep after fat transfer to hips? You should sleep on your stomach.
Different procedures may require different sleeping position. While BBL requires sleeping on the stomach, tummy tuck calls for the opposite. You will be advised not to sleep on your stomach after that procedure. When can I sleep on my stomach after tummy tuck, then? The answer depends on the nature of the procedure and recovery process, but most patients will need to avoid sleeping on the stomach for four weeks post-op.
How Can I Sleep Comfortably After BBL?
The Brazilian butt lift recovery process doesn’t have to involve sleepless nights. There are several ways to make yourself more comfortable and get enough good night’s rest. Besides avoiding sleeping on your back, you can use some “tools” to increase comfort. For example, a body pillow (or pregnancy pillow) can be quite useful here. This pillow supports your hips and back and prevents you from falling over to your back when sleeping. If you’re a side sleeper, you will love this pillow because you get to sleep in the preferred position without risking recovery and the results of your BBL.
A great way to make sleeping on the stomach easier for you is to find an ergonomically designed face pillow. Basically, the main purpose of this pillow is to provide support while helping avoid putting excessive pressure on your head, which could otherwise cause pain in the neck and back.
BodyCushion system is also a practical solution to improve comfort in BBL patients. Originally created for vitrectomy patients, it also helps women who undergo BBL thanks to different densities of foam that provide the highest comfort level as you’re lying on the stomach. The BodyCushion system comes with a face pad that allows you to lie down for a while without experiencing discomfort. That being said, the system is a bit pricey.
How to sleep on your back after BBL? One way to relieve the pressure from the butt is to use a supportive BBL pillow to sleep on back. This kind of pillow goes right below your thighs. That way, it keeps the pressure away from the butt area. Some patients may want to use normal pillows for this purpose. While technically they could work, many of them don’t have the shape or thickness to take the pressure off the butt and keep it that way.
Sleeping in Faja
A faja is a type of garment created for post-op wear by patients who are in recovery from liposuction or BBL. The main purpose of this garment is to maintain swelling at the minimum and make sure the skin tightens adequately.
During the recovery, you wear stage 1 and 2 fajas. You wear stage 1 faja right after the procedure. This garment offers low compression, meaning it’s not tight and fits loosely on your body. Basically, stage 1 faja is not meant to act like shapewear. It is loose in order to ensure the body has proper circulation for the healing process. You will need to wear stage 1 faja for three weeks post-op, and you’ll need to sleep in it.
Three weeks after the BBL procedure, you say goodbye to stage 1 faja and move on to stage 2 garment. Unlike the previous faja, this one offers high compression and a tighter fit. Most patients need to wear stage 2 faja for six months and sleep in it as well.
When can I sleep without my faja after BBL, you’re probably wondering. Most patients will be able to stop wearing faja about six months post-op. Then, it will be safe to sleep without your faja. Avoid make your own estimates here and presume it’s safe to sleep without faja before your surgeon approves.
Sitting After BBL
The recovery process is equally important as the surgeon’s expertise for desired results. For that reason, when we’re discussing sleeping after BBL it’s also useful to say a thing or two about sitting.
First, a common sitting after BBL myth is that you should avoid sitting at all for quite some time. Things are not black or white only. While it’s necessary to keep the pressure off the butt, you can sit. Of course, you shouldn’t spend a lot of time in the sitting position. Most surgeons advise their patients to get up every 30 minutes and stand to take the pressure off the treated area. Doing so can reduce the likelihood of fat necrosis.
When Can I Sit After BBL?
Like lying on the back, sitting should be avoided for three to four weeks after surgery. This is to prevent exposing the treated area to constant and direct pressure. To keep the pressure off, your plastic surgeon will advise you to use a BBL pillow, designed specifically to support the lower back and your butt, without causing pressure.
How long after BBL can I sit without a pillow? The average timeframe during which you will need to use a BBL pillow is two to four weeks. But remember, individual differences apply here. Some patients will need to use a booty pillow a little bit longer if their healing process is going slowly.
How Much Fat Survives After BBL?
Keeping in mind the whole point of sitting and sleeping properly after BBL is to ensure proper healing, it’s useful to discuss the fat transfer. Just how much fat survives after BBL, actually? Not all fat transferred to the buttocks will survive, but most of it does. In fact, up to 70-80% of the fat grafts survive whereas 20-30% do not. For that reason, many surgeons inject a higher amount of fat to compensate for this natural process.
Fortunately, you can maximize the effects of BBL and the survival rates of fat grafts. It all comes down to adhering to the instructions provided by your cosmetic surgeon. As you follow all recommendations, you’re allowing the treated area to heal properly. These tips can also help you out:
- Wear specialized garments as instructed.
- Maintain a healthy weight and avoid fluctuations in weight gain/loss.
- Avoid or decrease alcohol consumption.
- Quit smoking.
- Attend all follow-up appointments regularly.
- Instead of vigorous, engage in low-impact exercises and activities.
- Eat proper diet.
Diet after BBL
Nutrition plays an important role in our overall health and wellbeing. So, it comes as no surprise your diet is equally significant for BBL recovery.
What to eat after BBL? After the Brazilian butt lift, you should make sure to eat a nutrient-dense diet to encourage health supply and support the survival of fat. During the recovery process, you need to eat healthily and consume enough nutrients to maintain the fullness and volume of the buttocks. That means you don’t need to reduce calorie intake severely or adhere to some restrictive fad diet.
Your daily menu needs calories from healthy sources. This also includes healthy fat options such as olive oil, coconut oil, fatty fish, full-fat yogurt, tofu, nuts and seeds, dark chocolate, cheese, and red meat. Also, strive to enrich your diet with fruits and vegetables.
Ideally, you should avoid consuming junk food and other foods that are high in calories, but low in nutrients. These particular foods may also contribute to inflammation, and that’s not what you want on your BBL recovery.
Foods to avoid include refined grains, processed meats, candies, sugary cereals, fast food, soda beverages, baked and fried goods.
Conclusion
The main focus of this post was on proper recovery after BBL. Sleeping should not be compromised by your surgery. Although it may take some time to get used to sleeping on the stomach, patients are still able to pull it off. All you need is a comfortable pillow and a little bit of motivation.
FAQs
When can I lay on my back after a BBL?
After your BBL, you will be advised not to sleep on your back after BBL and avoid sitting or putting direct pressure on your backside for two to four weeks following the procedure. The standard recovery period for the BBL procedure is four weeks. Avoid lying on the back until your surgeon says it’s okay.
How long does it take for fat to survive after BBL?
Most of the transferred fat merges with the surrounding tissues. That being said, the body naturally absorbs some of the transferred fat for four to six weeks post-op. The fat that remains and survives is permanent.
What happens at 8 weeks post-op BBL?
Eight weeks after the BBL procedure the transferred fat cells are fully established. That means, most patients are allowed to take long walks. But, you will still need to avoid high-intensity activities such as CrossFit or running.
What is fluffing after BBL?
The BBL “fluffing” is a term that refers to the stage when the skin on the buttocks has finally stretched to accommodate the capacity needs of the new fat. At this point, the butt becomes nice as soft as opposed to being stiff and blocky. This makes the results of BBL a lot more natural. Essentially, the skin relaxes outward and it’s easy to notice more projection. The butt becomes rounder.
The fluffing stage typically occurs about three months post-op, but in some patients, it can take longer than that. Will my BBL get bigger is a common question among women who want to undergo this procedure. That’s exactly the effect the BBL fluffing produces; your butt will not magically become a lot bigger, but it will have rounder, more naturally and visually bigger appearance.
