Dr. Bae:
Things are good, things are good. Baby’s sleeping well, and we’ve got a lot of surgery scheduled for all of our patients, and everybody loves to get their education on by watching us on Snapchat and Instagram. So of course, with the patients permission, but things are going well.

Greg:
What is the Snapchat and Instagram?

Dr. Bae:
Oh, it’s realdrbae, R-E-A-L-D-R-B-A-E, not B-A-Y, that’s realdrbae on Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok, and the website’s realdrbae.com. But hopefully, if you’re watching this video right now, you probably already know that.

Greg:
Yeah. I have a friend who’s fascinated with watching you do surgery. I sort of do it like this, I can back and forth, but she loves it. So I know some people are really into watching surgery, some people can’t stomach it as much, but it’s cool to be able to see the procedure, such transparency at your office, so we love that.

You can also check out videos of a Brazilian butt lift, I get asked a lot of questions about this people. This is the rage. It’s all over TV, all over reality TV, so what exactly is it and who is the right candidate for a Brazilian butt lift?

Dr. Bae:
Yeah, the Brazilian butt lift, along with all the other operations that we do, people love watching it. They love watching the surgery. Again, we get the patient’s permission to broadcast these things on our social media. And even though I know that you get a little squeamish by it, and obviously I respect people’s choice to turn it off and not watch-

Greg:
People are fascinated, yeah.

&Nbsp;

Dr. Bae:
But it’s the most educational way to show anybody a procedure that they’re considering. Think about before, how you would do a consultation. You would read about it, you would then go and talk to the doctor for 45 minutes for a consultation, who you’d never met the doctor before because you hadn’t seen them on social media. There’s so much more to be gained by watching the operation, by that doctor that you’re thinking about going to for months, and then you see the procedure, then you go in and you actually meet the doctor during the consultation. It’s much more educational now than it ever could have been.

But specifically with the Brazilian butt lift, what we’re doing there is it’s kind of a two for one operation. We’re doing liposuction first, to get fat, and then we inject the fat in the butt. Now, as far as the liposuction, we’re taking fat from the abdomen, the flanks, the love handles, the bra chub, 360 degrees around the torso. So by getting all that fat, you’re already just kind of slimming down, trimming down your torso, trimming down your body. But this being California, everybody wants to reuse, recycle, repurpose their supplies, including fat.

&Nbsp;

Greg:
And you can do that with fat as well, right?

Dr. Bae:
Might as well do it with fat. So we take that fat and we put it into the butt, and it used to be, years ago, just like get a big old butt. Like booty shaking, a hip hop video, or something like that. But people are coming in for all types of shapes and sizes and walks of life now to get it, and they’re not just getting a big butt. They just want to have a little bit more shape to that butt, they want more of that hourglass figure. They want a thin waist, which we can get with liposuction and a tummy tuck, and then they want to fill out the hips, the hip dips, and get a little wider hips. So we can get them that hourglass figure with liposuction and then with fat injections to the buttocks.

So it could be younger girls that feel like they don’t have a butt at all, and we can give them more projection, again, fill in the hip dips, but then also we’re seeing 50 and 60 year old women coming in. And before you think, “Wow, that’s crazy, they think they’re still trying to hang on to their youth.” It’s really not that. Think about older women, after breastfeeding or whatever, weight loss maybe, they get deflated breast. And then they come in and they get breast implants or a breast lift, we don’t think anything strange about that.

The same thing can happen to the butt. It can get deflated, and so you want to lift it up. And one of the ways we lift it up is to do liposuction to their whole body. As far as the abdomen, flanks, back, bra chub, take that fat and then put it in their butt, give them more volume, and that lifts their butt, doesn’t look as deflated, and they are really, really happy patients.

Greg:
Well, listen to this. I have one cheek that’s a little bit full fuller than the other cheek. But that could be fixed, right? You could make me more symmetrical?

Dr. Bae:
Well, that’s true, like a butt cheek. These cheeks or your butt cheek?

Greg:
Yeah. No, no, no, down here, I’m talking about down below.

Dr. Bae:
Absolutely, yeah. People will have, like for a good example, talking about what you’re referring to, is people will get a steroid injection into their butt at some point in their life. And we know steroids can cause fat atrophy, which is where the fat dies, and they get a little depression in their butt, or their whole butt is just a little bit smaller than the other. And so yes, you can take fat, fill in that little defect maybe that was caused by steroid injection, or fill in or just volumize the whole butt cheek to make it more symmetrical. The patient does have to understand, though, that 50% of the fat goes away after about six months, so we do tend to overfill. So I always warn my patients, “Your butt will be bigger than you want it to be, initially, but I promise it will go down.

Greg:
That’s okay, you can go to Brazil or you can go to Miami during those months where you got the really big booty, because they’ll love you down there.

Dr. Bae:
Right, exactly, right. And I have found that the patients who are going to Miami, they do want a certain kind of booty that I might not necessarily be giving them here.

Greg:
Of course, it’s a Miami booty.

Dr. Bae:
It’s a Miami booty, and so we’re giving them more of a San Francisco booty. A little more understated, really helps them fill out their clothes, and they’re very pleased with it. A Pacific Heights booty.

Greg:
All right, I love it. Dr. Bae, shout out your Instagram, and also where you can get pricing on this.

Dr. Bae:
Yeah, yeah. You can check pricing for all of our procedures at realdrbae.com/pricing. That’s R-E-A-L-D-R-B-A-E, not B-A-Y, and you can schedule a consult, virtual or in-person, at realdrbae.com/contact, and watch us on Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok at realdrbae, R-E-A-L-D-R-B-A-E.

Greg:
All right, thanks. We’ll see you again soon.

Dr. Bae:
Thank you.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post Bae Break: What is a Brazilian Butt Lift [video] first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

J Lo get plastic surgery? Nope!

As you can see in this Instagram post, I stated unequivocally that J Lo looks as amazing as she does through hard work, diet and exercise. And as you’ll see in the comments on that post, many people vehemently disagreed with me. Some went so far as to suggest that I wasn’t a good enough surgeon if I couldn’t make someone look like that! Or that I didn’t have enough confidence in myself to provide someone with a result as natural as J Lo’s body! They’re missing the point.

For those naysayers out there, tell me what plastic surgery you think J Lo had? Her arms are tone and buff. Did she get bicep implants? No, she worked out!

You think she had breast implants? Oh really?! J Lo got breast implants so she could have B cup, small, shapely, appropriate-for-her-body breasts? And she got them 35 years ago before anyone took a photo of her? I mean, her breasts have looked the same at least as far back as her Grammy dress from 2000!

A tummy tuck? Yes, her abdomen looks amazing after kids. So she had a tummy tuck to tighten her rectus diastasis without any evidence of a tummy scar or incision around her belly button? With her exposing her abdomen on the reg, it’s not possible to hide scars like that, that well.

This is my point. Whatever plastic surgery people think she had, there’s no physical evidence of that, other than she looks great. Honestly, I believe people want her to have had plastic surgery more than they think she actually had plastic surgery. Because if she had plastic surgery, then they could say she has money and was able to afford plastic surgery. Whereas if she has that body through hard work, diet and exercise, then we all collectively have no excuse!

Video: J Lo did NOT get plastic surgery

Finally, to reiterate, I’m not saying plastic surgery can’t make someone look amazing. Of course it can. I have patients to prove it. But in J Lo’s case, there’s no evidence of a tummy tuck scar to suggest she got that body from anything other than hard work, diet and exercise.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post Did J Lo get plastic surgery? I say no! [video] first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

The BBL: It’s more than just a bigger butt

If you listen to what most women are looking for in a butt, it’s not about the size. You hear words like contour, shape and hip dips. Very few are coming in asking for huge buttocks.

1. Silhouette

Many women want a BBL to accentuate their silhouette. Specifically, they’re looking for that hourglass figure. This requires aggressive liposuction to the abdomen and flanks to make the waist as narrow as possible. The combination of a narrow waist and fuller buttocks will achieve that hourglass shape.

2. Filling in the hip dips

The hips dips are perfectly normal anatomic features. this is the depression between the hip bones and the thighs bones.

Even though these are normal contours in the body and no one should feel as though something is wrong with them, popular culture is driving women to fill these in (as seen below). Rounding out the thigh does contribute to that idyllic hourglass figure so many women strive for.

3. Rounded buttock shape

Ultimately patients want fat injections to the buttocks but this does not require liters upon liters to achieve their stated goals. Fat to provide projection as well as rounding out the upper portion of the buttocks to blend into the hip dips provides a very aesthetically pleasing shape. Gone are the days of the upper buttock shelf. That’s not currently in vogue.

With just the right amount of fat, an older woman can lift and volumize her buttocks just as one would for deflated breasts. With different aged women, their goals vary and we must adjust our techniques to help them attain those goals.

To check pricing for a BBL or any procedure from a doctor near you, click here.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post The secret to the BBL isn’t a bigger butt first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

Source: AAresTT/Shutterstock.com

Book A Consultation With Dr. Kaplan

What Is a BBL?

A BBL is a procedure during which your plastic surgeon takes fat from the torso via liposuction and injects the fat back into the buttocks. And the answer is “no,” you don’t have to gain weight. You can get great results with a skinny BBL. Along with a BBL, many patients are interested in buttock augmentation procedures. If you desire a rounder, firmer derriére, opting for a BBL and implants can be a smart choice that leaves you with better-fitting clothes and greater confidence. While prices for this procedure vary, you can secure a more elevated bottom, narrow waist, or fuller hips within your budget. Visit Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery’s website for a detailed breakdown of a BBL price. 

The Skinny BBL and You!

Even skinny patients have enough fat for a BBL without gaining weight. The first point to address is what result patients are looking for. They don’t all want a bigger butt. Most are looking for a better shape which can be achieved in three ways: 

• A narrower waist
• Rounder buttocks
• Fuller hips

No matter what a patient desires, none of these require significant amounts of fat. For most patients, the fat the doctor can get from the abdomen, back, and, if necessary, the inner thighs or arms is enough to address those areas. The narrower waist is possible through aggressive liposuction, while the rounder buttocks and fuller hips are created with fat injections appropriate to the patient’s size. For example, 400cc per buttock might not sound like a lot, but, in smaller patients, that is plenty to achieve the shape the patient desires. The result depends on fat placement, not the sheer quantity of fat.

Book a Consultation with Dr. Kaplan

Skinny BBL example #1

105 pounds, 5’3″, BMI 19

Skinny BBL example #2

120 pounds, 5’2″, BMI 22

Skinny BBL example #3

131 pound, 5’6″, BMI 21.6

So, as you can see, it’s possible to achieve the results you want without gaining weight. To check pricing from Dr. Kaplan, click here.

Schedule Your Consultation Today

If you’re not happy with the shape of your butt and aren’t getting the results you want from exercising, a Brazilian butt lift could be the answer for you. To learn more about the BBL procedure and schedule a consultation, call Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery at (415) 923-3005 today. 

The post What Is a BBL & Should I Get One? first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

Types of Mommy Makeover

In our practice, a Mommy Makeover can include a breast procedure (a lift, an augmentation or both), a tummy tuck, but also some other procedures. With pregnancy, the labia minora can stretch and cause discomfort during sex. Or possibly the labia can appear too bulky in underwear or bikini bottoms. For this reason, there are Mommy Makeover procedures that also include a labiaplasty.

With weight gain and loss during pregnancy and afterwards, the buttocks can become deflated like the breasts. That’s why we offer a Brazilian Butt Lift with some Mommy Makeover procedures. The benefit of performing these procedures in combination is that it leads to one recovery instead of multiple recoveries.

Mommy Makeover

As stated above, this procedure includes a breast lift, aug or both along with a tummy tuck. To help the patient understand all of their options when it comes to the breast procedure, we’ve divided every Mommy Makeover into type 1, 2 and 3.

Type 1 refers to a breast lift only. This is necessary when the patient has pendulous, droopy breasts after breast feeding. But they have enough breast tissue so that an implant isn’t necessary. Type 2 refers to a breast augmentation alone. This is necessary when a patient has deflated breasts and needs more volume, as with an implant. And type 3 is a combination of the two – when a patient has droopy and deflated breasts. A lift will improve the shape of the breast and an implant will restore volume.

As you’ll see below, type 1, 2 and 3 can be applied to all three kinds of Mommy Makeover that we offer in our practice.

Mommy Makeover Plus

This is a breast procedure (type 1, 2 or 3), a tummy tuck and a labiaplasty.

Mommy Makeover Deluxe

This includes type 1, 2 or 3 breast procedure as above, a tummy tuck and then a Brazilian Butt Lift to restore volume and lift to the buttocks. A Brazilian Butt Lift is the liposuction of all available fat from the torso with subsequent injection into the buttocks. Check out the video below for more details!

Video describing the 3 types of a Mommy Makeover

Check pricing for a Mommy Makeover from Dr. Kaplan by clicking here.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post 3 types of a Mommy Makeover [video] first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

We’ve all seen the questions online or on social media when it comes to who is or is not a BBL candidate. Do I have enough fat for a BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift)? Do I need to gain weight? We finally have the answer! As long as you’re healthy and your doctor agrees, even a thin patient can be a BBL candidate. Just check out our 5’4″, 105 pound patient!

Who’s a BBL candidate?

Aside from being healthy, patients considering a BBL should have reasonable expectations. If they are morbidly obese, a patient should consider medical or surgical weight loss first. At the other end of the spectrum, a very thin patient can still be a candidate.

The abdomen and flanks (love handles) are the typical go-to location for fat harvesting during liposuction. But this presents a unique challenge in a thin patient. And not because they don’t have enough fat. If a patient is thin, they’re at an increase risk of contour deformities from the liposuction cannula. That’s why it’s important to use a smaller liposuction cannula during fat harvest (3 or 4mm). But where else can fat be found?

Surprisingly, there is more fat that most realize in the inner thighs and back. The inner thighs offer up some of the best, most golden brown fat there is! Due to the large dimensions of the back, even a thin layer of fat can add up. Significant liposuction to the  back and waist is critical to achieving great results. While some fat will reabsorb over time, the buttocks can still appear larger because of aggressive liposuction around the waist.

To check pricing on a BBL from a doctor near you, click here.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post Even a 5’4″ woman that weighs 105 pounds is a BBL candidate! first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

She started a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) revolution. And in a seemingly effortless way, she continues to stay relevant and up the game she created. In this years’ Met Gala in New York, Kim K arrived in a dress that set the bar again. But how did she create that butt to waist ratio?!

How to create a butt to waist ratio like Kim K?

First, I think it helps that Kim K naturally has a big butt. I don’t believe she had a BBL and maybe not even liposuction. Her butt is genetic. Her mom and sisters all have a healthy derriere. However, if you don’t naturally have the full buttocks you’ve always wanted, there are options.

You could get a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL). That’s when your plastic surgeon takes fat via liposuction from your abdomen, flanks, back, thighs or anywhere fat is available. The fat is then injected into the buttocks to provide more fullness, projection and fill in the “hip dips.” The waist is narrowed at the same time as the BBL due to liposuction of the waist.

If you don’t have enough fat, options include butt implants or fillers like Sculptra. Butt implants have a high risk of infection so beware. And Sculptra filler? You can hear my opinion on its limitations in this video here.

So you’ve got a big butt now, how do you get the waist so narrow for that Kim K butt to waist ratio?! I believe in her case, she’s continuing to use a waist trainer. I say “continuing” because we know she has used one in the past. A waist trainer works. But only in the short term. The corset like waist trainer can narrow the waist if worn for a several weeks prior to your big event. And it’s possible or even probable that in addition to the waist trainer, she’s wearing a body corset under her Met Gala dress.

Last theory. Aside from waist training, maybe she’s not wearing a corset at all. But instead, she’s wearing a lower body suit that has padding in the hip area (like padding in football pants) to make her butt and hips appear wider and therefore make her waist look narrower by comparison!

At the end of the day, a butt to waist ratio like hers requires either genetics, surgery, tight garments, commitment and discipline. It’s not as easy as it looks!

Trying to decide what you want to do now? You can start by checking pricing on procedures, including a BBL, from a doctor near you, here.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post How did Kim K get that butt-to-waist ratio just in time for the Met Gala?! first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

The other day I was in a Lyft going somewhere awesome I’m sure! The driver asked what I did and I explained that I’m a plastic surgeon. Their first comment was, “do people get plastic surgery in San Francisco?” This was her thought process: she simply thinks of San Francisco as a city of residents less concerned about appearances. Maybe even a little hippy-ish. Not an unreasonable conclusion. But here’s the reality.

Do people get plastic surgery in San Francisco?

People most certainly get plastic surgery in San Francisco. In fact, you can divide up the Bay Area based on the procedures of interest. When someone checks pricing on our website, they have to provide their contact info first to get automated instant pricing information. Their contact info includes their city, state and ZIP code.

So we know exactly what procedure they’re considering and where they’re from. See a screenshot of an email “wishlist” below.

Because we get hundreds of wishlists every month, we know which procedures are most requested based on the region of the Bay Area. Read that last sentence again. We get hundreds of pricing requests every month, most from the Bay Area. That already shows there’s an intense interest in plastic surgery in and around San Francisco.

When we look at the various regions and procedures, here’s what we learn. Most requests for Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBL) come from the East Bay (Oakland) and the surrounding areas. The example above demonstrates this predilection for BBL’s in the East Bay.

Most requests for Breast Augmentation come from the city itself and the Peninsula (San Jose, Cupertino, South San Francisco, Pacifica, etc).

Most patients considering a facelift are also here in the city of San Francisco.

The difference between San Francisco and Los Angeles

Most people believe Los Angeles is the epicenter of plastic surgery. And that may be true to an extent. But one big difference between the two cities is not the per capita popularity of plastic surgery. The big difference is that you hear about it more in Los Angeles.

While residents of the Bay Area are very much interested in plastic surgery and are getting plastic surgery, they don’t talk about it as much. Los Angelenos on the other hand, are more than happy to let you know about their breast augmentation or lip injections.

It’s simply each city’s respective openness. San Franciscans get plastic surgery but don’t talk about it or at least try to remain inconspicuous about their enhancements. Folks from Los Angeles wear their procedure proudly like a badge of courage. There’s nothing wrong with either approach. Ultimately, it’s about society’s acceptance of plastic surgery that makes it seem as though people from San Francisco don’t get plastic surgery…but they do!

To check pricing from Dr. Kaplan, click here.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post Do people get plastic surgery in San Francisco? first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

So what’s the third option? A Brazilian butt lift, without fat injections, that results in a back lift and auto augmentation at the same time. Here’s how.

Brazilian Butt Lift with skin excision

As seen in the video below, this technique is perfect for massive weight loss patients. These patients have lost most of their fat so it’s not available for liposuction and injection back into the buttocks. But they do have excess skin with subcutaneous fat which leaves them with a deflated buttock appearance.

The skin in the lower back can be removed while maintaining the underlying fat. That lower back fat is shifted into the buttocks below while removing the excess back skin. This results in an auto augmentation of the buttocks and a back lift. Confused? Watch the video and it’ll all make sense.

Video of a Brazilian Butt Lift with simultaneous back lift

To check pricing from Dr. Kaplan, click here.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post Brazilian Butt Lift with Back Lift [Video] first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

Getting started

There are many ways to harvest fat via liposuction and ways to reinject into the buttocks. But the technique demonstrated below is my favorite. First, it’s a closed system. The fat is never exposed to air. While I don’t have any research to back up my assertion, it makes sense that any floating dust or bacteria in the air can’t reach the fat if the fat is never exposed to the air. Thus leading to lower infection rates.

I also like how the system measures everything. From the graduated canister that measures fat output to the machine that regulates and measures fat input. This is important because you want to avoid removing more than 5 liters of fat at a time. That could potentially lead to a severe form of dehydration called hypovolemic shock when too much fat is removed.

And you of course want to measure how much fat is going into the buttocks to ensure symmetry. The machine that infuses the fat also has a regulator. What this means is that if there’s too much pressure propagating through the tubing back towards the machine, that suggests there’s enough fat in the area. This can also potentially reduce the risk of accidentally injecting fat into blood vessels in the pelvis. This can lead to another complication called fat embolism.

To see this technique for yourself, check out the video below.

Video of what you need for a BBL

If you’d like to check pricing on this procedure from a doctor near you, click here. Dr. Kaplan has no financial interest in any of the products shown in the video.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post A primer on the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) for surgeons [video] first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.

Gain weight before my BBL? Good idea or bad?

Unless you’re underweight, there’s probably never a good time for a doctor to recommend that you gain weight. Obviously if the patient is malnourished or recovering from an illness, eating more for sustenance to fight infection and improve wound healing, is a good idea.

But eating more typically means you’re eating foods high in cholesterol and fat. That alone, for someone who is at their ideal body weight or exceeding it, is not very responsible. To do so simply to increase your fat stores for an impending Brazilian Butt Lift is questionable to say the least. I’m not saying you can’t do it but how much fat are you really going to generate?

First, gaining weight might work against you. Many doctors who perform surgery won’t electively operate on someone with a body mass index (BMI) above 30kg/m2 since that’s considered moderately obese. So you may be under their “cutoff” but then go over the line by gaining weight to get a bigger booty…which you’re not a candidate for now!

Secondly, you would have to gain a lot of weight for it to translate into another 200-300cc of fat to improve your BBL results. And of course, third, it’s just not a healthy thing to do.

Don’t fret. If you’re really determined to have a BBL, you probably have enough fat to begin with. Keep in mind that your doctor can take fat from the arms, upper back, bra chub, lower back, abdomen, flanks, inner and outer thighs. Among all of those areas, chances are even a thin person has enough fat.

The moral of the story: don’t gain weight for the express purpose of having more fat for your BBL. To check pricing on a BBL from Dr. Kaplan, click here.

Click here for the original blog post written by Dr. Jonathan Kaplan for BuildMyBod.

The post Should I gain weight before my BBL? first appeared on Plastic Surgeon San Francisco | Pacific Heights Plastic Surgery.