The development of saggy buttocks is often related to the ageing process or linked to significant weight loss, which results in loose skin. Many people find the change in the appearance of their buttocks to result in a loss of self-confidence and a reduction in emotional well-being. Saggy buttocks can affect men and women but occur more commonly in women due to the higher percentage of body fat naturally found in a woman’s buttocks.
Saggy buttocks can be prevented or minimised by following a healthy lifestyle and avoiding significant weight loss. Once people develop saggy buttocks, there are effective treatments to treat this common, increasingly common condition. There are both non-surgical and surgical approaches to treatment, with saggy buttock surgery being a particularly effective form of treatment. If you are bothered by the appearance of saggy buttocks, we would recommend reading this article to gain a clear understanding of the condition and the best treatments to get rid of sagging buttocks.
What are the causes of sagging buttocks?
Sagging buttocks can develop due to a number of underlying causes. The bulk of the biotic area is made up of the large gluteal muscles, which are the strongest muscle in the human body. The firmness of the buttocks is often linked to having well-developed gluteal muscles. Recognised causes of sucking buttocks include:
- Unhealthy eating habits with minimal physical exercise – many people may have a poor diet made up of highly calorific foods including large amounts of refined sugar. This is often combined with a sedentary lifestyle with little or no exercise. Exercising the gluteal muscles is one of the most effective ways of achieving tighter-looking buttocks. Weaker buttock muscles often result in excessive buttock fat, which causes stretching of the skin overlying the buttocks. The buttocks may look saggy when there is excess skin.
- Sedentary lifestyle with physically inactive jobs – certain types of occupation may involve sitting down for long periods of time. This may help to worsen the appearance of a sagging buttock. The buttocks often sag as a result of excess fat accumulating in and around the buttock region.
- Significant weight loss – being obese often leads to significant stretching of the skin over the buttocks due to excess fat. Once significant weight loss occurs, the skin does not return to its original level of tightness. This is worsened by the ageing process, which causes a loss of collagen and elastin in the skin. The end result is the development of excess skin, contributing to the appearance of saggy buttocks.
- The natural ageing process – the size of the gluteal muscles begins to diminish with age, and this contributes to a loss of buttock firmness. Excess fat cells often cause the skin to sag, giving rise to the appearance of loose, saggy, and flabby-looking buttocks.
What are the benefits of buttock lift surgery for the treatment of saggy buttocks?
Surgery is accepted as the most effective treatment to get rid of saggy buttocks. Saggy buttocks surgery can be carried out in one of two ways. The first is with a buttock lift which involves the removal of loose skin between the upper part of the buttock and the lower back. Buttock lift surgery is carried out under a TIVA general anaesthetic and takes no more than one to 2 hours to perform when performed alone. Fat transfer to the buttocks, also known as a Brazilian butt lift or BBL, is another technique to improve the firmness of the buttocks as well as enhance buttock volume and projection. BBL surgery can be combined with a surgical buttock lift. Brazilian butt lift surgery alone is not an ideal treatment for patients who have lost large amounts of weight as this procedure does not involve skin removal. The best form of saggy buttocks surgery for people who have lost large amounts of weight is a surgical buttock lift to remove loose skin. People choose to have buttock surgery to improve their self-confidence and give them the ability to wear certain types of clothing without feeling self-conscious.
Buttock lift or saggy buttock surgery can achieve:
- Shapelier and firmer-looking buttocks
- Elimination of loose skin
- Enhancement of buttock volume with a BBL
- Toned and more lifted buttocks
- Better-looking body contours
Suitability for buttock lift surgery or a Brazilian butt lift can be assessed with a face-to-face consultation with one of our expert plastic surgeons at our state-of-the-art London clinic in Marylebone. Optimum treatment recommendations will be given once you have had a full clinical assessment.
Can buttock lift surgery be combined with other procedures?
The effective treatment of saggy buttocks often depends on having a combination of treatments with other types of body contouring procedures to achieve an overall rejuvenated look. Patients can look forward to an improvement in confidence with unrestricted choices of types of clothing to wear, including swimwear.
- Thigh lift surgery is the most commonly combined procedure with a buttock lift and involves removing saggy and loose skin on the inner or outer part of the thighs. The ideal result is a firmer-looking thigh with smooth skin.
- Liposuction or lipo is an excellent treatment for getting rid of excess fat cells and can be combined with a thigh lift or buttock lift. Areas of excessive fat prominence are common after significant weight loss, and liposuction can produce a more contoured and sculpted appearance.
- Abdominoplasty or tummy tuck surgery can get rid of loose stomach skin resulting in a tighter and firmer-looking appearance of the abdomen. Abdominoplasty is commonly combined with liposuction as part of a Brazilian tummy tuck procedure.
Can an unhealthy lifestyle cause saggy buttocks?
People who have weak gluteal muscles as a result of a lack of exercise often develop saggy-looking buttocks. Hereditary factors and the ageing process can also contribute to buttocks sagging. The risk of developing saggy buttocks can be reduced by carrying out a number of regular exercises focused on strengthening the gluteal muscles and improving buttock tone. It is important that buttock exercises are combined with a healthy diet containing plenty of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and avocados. Highly refined sugary foods and fried foods should be avoided where possible. NHS guidelines specifically recommend the following exercises, including lunges, side leg raises, squats and single-leg kickbacks. By focusing on these exercises as part of a regular routine, you can help to improve the strength of the gluteal muscles. The thighs and lower back can also be targeted with these highly effective exercises, which must be carried out consistently to produce results.
Can saggy buttocks be treated without surgery?
Many patients may be unable or unwilling to have surgery for saggy buttocks. In these cases, there are two recognised non-surgical treatment options for patients with mild degrees of buttocks sagging. Both treatments involve the injection of the product into the buttocks as a quick outpatient procedure without the need for the incisions and scars of surgery.
Sculptra – this is a specialist type of injectable product that acts to stimulate the formation of new collagen. Radiesse is also known as a ‘collagen stimulator’. Although Sculptra is most commonly used to treat loss of volume in the face, it can also be used to enhance the buttocks. Once injected, the treatment takes a number of months to develop new collagen resulting in a more sculpted and contoured look with an improvement in buttock volume. Multiple treatments must be carried out to achieve results, and maintenance treatment must be carried out each year as this is a temporary treatment for saggy buttocks.
Buttock filler – dermal fillers containing hyaluronic acid can also be used to improve the appearance of hip dips and other localised skin depressions on the buttocks. Hyaluronic acid is an entirely natural material which occurs naturally in the body. Like Sculptra injections, dermal fillers for buttock enhancement are a temporary treatment that requires regular injections to maintain the results.
