When Can I Sit After a BBL?
No matter how skilled, your surgeon needs your help to make your Brazilian butt lift (BBL) look its best. He will give you post-op instructions that you need to follow during your recovery, and the most difficult to follow may be that you can’t sit much. It’s recommended that you avoid sitting altogether for the first 10 days out of surgery. After that, you can sit if you use a BBL pillow. You can sit normally 6 weeks after your BBL. Sometimes you can sit when you are 3 to 4 weeks out of surgery, but many surgeons prefer you to wait the full 6 weeks.
You will also need to avoid sleeping on your back and sides during this time. To help, try wearing a backpack with a few tennis balls in it while sleeping. If you roll over while you’re asleep, the balls will be uncomfortable enough to wake you up and remind you to roll over.
Myths Vs. Facts
It is true that you shouldn’t sit after your BBL, and here is the reason why: The newly transplanted fat cells in your buttocks are tender and somewhat fragile the first few weeks after your surgery. You need to give them time to heal before you put pressure on them or they could die. Part of keeping your fat cells happy after a BBL is allowing them to form new blood supplies. Sitting can disrupt your circulation at this critical time and impede the formation of blood supply connections.
While the notion that sitting on a fresh BBL is bad for you is true, it’s a myth that you can’t sit down or drive at all during your recovery. We understand that not sitting at all may simply prove impossible. While we do encourage you to sit as little as possible, we also allow you to sit when you must with the assistance of a special BBL pillow. When you must sit, position this pillow under your thighs and then lean back in your chair. If the pillow is positioned well, it will allow you to sit while keeping your buttocks slightly elevated above your seat.
How Long After a BBL Can I Sit Without a Pillow?
Unless your surgeon allows you to do so sooner, you can sit without a BBL pillow six weeks after your BBL surgery. You can sit sooner after surgery, however, if you buy a special BBL chair or chaise lounge. These two pieces of furniture support your back and thighs but have a hole where your butt goes. This allows you to sit without putting any pressure on your buttocks and compromising your BBL.
In short, when our patients ask us “Will I be able to sit 6 weeks after a BBL,” the answer is yes. And you can sit in the meantime too, so long as you do so carefully and creatively. We’ll share a few creative sitting ideas with you in a bit.
Can You Sit on a Toilet After a BBL?
Yes, please do! Your body’s natural functions aren’t going to stop because you’ve had surgery, and we fully expect you to address those needs. You don’t need to wait until you’re ready to burst to go to the toilet or try to hover over it like a magician. We do ask that you try to be somewhat strategic in your toileting habits if you can to minimize the time you spend sitting, but we certainly don’t expect you to stop using the bathroom. If you want to play it extra safe, we recommend purchasing a female urinal. This will allow you to use the bathroom without sitting down after your surgery.
How Long Can You Sit on Your Buttocks After a BBL?
If you must sit after your BBL and don’t have your BBL pillow with you, make sure you sit on a soft surface for no more than about 10 minutes at a time. You can sit for a longer period if you use your BBL pillow, but this can admittedly get uncomfortable after a time so you may need to take frequent breaks.
Get Creative With Your Sitting
The reason to avoid sitting after a BBL is to avoid putting pressure on your buttocks. If you can find ways to sit down without doing that, we fully support you in your sitting endeavor. Some of our patients lay on their stomachs a lot while others prefer kneeling. You can also turn your chair around and straddle the back of it with your butt hanging off the front. We’ve even seen patients prop themselves up using rolls of paper towels under their thighs and in the small of their backs as well.
The golden rule of sitting after a BBL is to make sure you don’t apply pressure to your butt. So long as you follow this rule, we encourage you to find creative ways to sit and get comfortable no matter how silly they may look or feel.
Other BBL Don’ts
Sitting isn’t the only taboo after you’ve had a BBL. It’s also important that you don’t wear tight jeans or other tight clothing as this can put pressure on your newly placed fat cells as well. You should also avoid massage therapy. Many surgeons recommend therapeutic massage after certain cosmetic procedures, but the BBL is not one of them.
The pressure applied during a massage can do more harm than good for a BBL, so avoid massages after your procedure even if you’ve had them after other cosmetic surgeries. If you do wish to have a post-surgery massage, you may do so on your donor fat areas where lipo was performed, so long as you avoid treating the buttocks.
Finally, limit your exercise to walking for the first few weeks after your surgery. You don’t want to put pressure on your new buttocks, but you also don’t want to bounce them around. Avoid running, jumping, and other high-energy activities.