Dr. Kenneth Hughes in Los Angeles is one of the world’s foremost experts for Brazilian buttlift (BBL), butt implants, and butt augmentation in general.  Dr. Hughes is frequently asked to perform what is referred to as a Sculptra buttlift.  The Sculptra buttlift has been popularized by some practitioners as a less invasive method that can benefit even thin patients.  Sculptra is a filler that has been approved for facial augmentation and has been used off label for butt augmentation.  The question of utility of Sculptra in butt augmentation really just comes down to volume of improvement and the safety of the substance injected.  Sculptra in small volumes probably is safe as it has been used in small volumes for facial augmentation.   Two problems exist with regard to its use in butt augmentation: 1) Is Sculptra safe to inject in quantities larger than a few cc? and 2) How much improvement can a few cc of Sculptra realistically achieve in butt augmentation?  The answer to the first question is that no one knows, but Dr. Kenneth Hughes spends a great deal of time removing all sorts of filler from the face, the butt, and the breasts.  These fillers can all have problems if injected at greater volumes.  The second question has an answer that is really common sense.  If butt implants of 300 cc to 712 cc per buttock are used for butt augmentation, how much difference does 5 cc or 10 cc or even 50 cc make in the size of the buttock?  Furthermore, 50 cc of sculptra per buttock would be very cost prohibitive for most patients.

In conclusion, Sculptra can be effective for filling small surface irregularities or volume deficits, but it should not be expected to produce significant buttock augmentations.  Butt implants and Brazilian buttlift(BBL) continue to be the most effective routes for gluteal augmentation.    It should also be pointed out that Sculptra injection has no inherent safety benefit over the injection of fat, and both should be injected superficially and with larger, blunt cannulae to avoid intravascular injection.