Global beauty standards, influenced by celebrities and social media, have changed over the decades, and plump buttocks are no longer considered a problem.
However, unlike augmentation, which is widely implemented, patients still request a reduction of their buttocks.
A request for buttock reduction will need to be carefully assessed as excessive fat may not be the only factor in buttock volume. Excessive volume can also be linked to bone structure, muscles and the effect of oestrogen.
However, the only element that a surgeon can modify remains the fat, through liposuction.
For this, Dr Trévidic performs an ultrasound of the buttocks to assess the thickness of the adipose panniculus. He then decides on the best options for volume reduction. This avoids any unrealistic expectations by his patients.
In addition, the quantity of fat that can be aspirated always depends on the elasticity of the skin (see, on the site, liposuction). The more elastic the skin, the more fat Dr Trévidic is able to remove. If he does not take this elasticity factor into account, the result will go from an overly full buttock to a drooping buttock.
Liposuction of the gluteal fold is strictly contraindicated, even in the case of a double fold, called a banana fold. This technique would not result in a cutaneous fatty fold, but in a pure skin fold, which is impossible to correct. So, the treatment for this banana fold is not liposuction, but well-placed fat grafting.
Some operations combine not only the reduction, but also the lifting of the buttocks, or even the creation of an under-buttocks fold. However, these interventions are usually carried out in the context of the after-effects of massive weight loss and post-bariatric surgery.