FEATURED EXPERTS Dr. Ryan Stanton, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Los Angeles Dr. Stanley Okoro, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Atlanta
The realm of butt augmentations is diverse, allowing surgeons to craft various shapes through both surgical and minimally invasive techniques. From the round, often referred to as the bubble butt, to the V-shaped, one of the most coveted forms is the heart-shaped butt. This shape, resembling an upside-down heart with a narrow top and rounded bottom, has gained significant attention.
Dr. Ryan Stanton, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Los Angeles, notes that while patients may not always explicitly request a heart-shaped butt, it is often what they subconsciously desire and find appealing. However, Dr. Stanley Okoro, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Atlanta, has observed a decline in its popularity over recent years, attributing this shift to a growing preference for a more natural appearance. In fact, an increasing number of patients are seeking to reduce or reverse their Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs), reflecting a broader trend towards embracing a more natural aesthetic and moving away from the previously sought-after heart shape.
Despite this trend, the heart-shaped butt remains one of the more favored silhouettes that surgeons frequently see in patients' "wish" photos. With this in mind, here’s a guide on how to achieve a heart-shaped butt, according to plastic surgeons.
Achieving the Heart-Shaped Butt
Almost anyone can attain a heart-shaped butt, regardless of their starting point. However, Dr. Stanton emphasizes that "like any body implant enhancement procedure, a better-shaped starting point—that is, the anatomy—always yields a better result."
There are multiple avenues to achieve this goal. Butt implants and fat grafting can be employed either individually or in combination to create the desired heart shape. Dr. Okoro explains that this approach allows for strategic increases in volume and projection, resulting in a more pronounced curvature—a hallmark of the heart-shaped buttock aesthetic. Fat grafting, which involves a BBL, includes liposuction from areas such as the abdomen and thighs, purification of the fat, and its injection into the butt cheeks and hips. This method alone can be effective for contouring to achieve the inverted heart shape.
However, buttock implants are often necessary, especially for this particular look, as they tend to produce superior results compared to BBLs. Dr. Stanton notes, "I have found that buttock implants are far superior to BBLs in consistently adding permanent projection to not only the upper but also the center and lower buttock, thereby creating a more pronounced inverted heart shape."
Brazilian butt lifts, on their own, are less effective, primarily because the projection is not permanent and the outcomes are less consistent, according to Dr. Stanton.
Ideal Candidates for a Heart-Shaped Butt
According to Dr. Okoro, the ideal candidate for a heart-shaped butt is someone who already possesses a "natural buttock form." This means they do not have a "top shelf," or a wider hip width at the top of the buttock that is disproportionate to their body shape. A more natural initial shape provides an ideal foundation for sculpting a heart-shaped contour, allowing for a more straightforward surgical approach.
Despite this, the inverted heart shape does not always present a natural appearance, which is why its popularity has waned in recent years. Additionally, Dr. Okoro points out that "as individuals age, weight gain can alter the distribution of fat in the buttock area, often leading to a less desirable and potentially unnatural modification of the heart-shaped contour."
Ultimately, the heart-shaped butt may not suit every body type, and therefore "might not align with the desired outcome for every patient," Dr. Okoro states. This is an important consideration before undergoing surgery to achieve a heart-shaped butt.
