So as a few of you know one of my main life missions ever since going through puberty has been to have HIPS!

I started padding my hips in public sometime during junior high, and only since beginning transition have I not felt comfortable doing it anymore. I think a new subconscious goal I have is to feel 100% genuine about my body, not just simply identify with its outward appearance like some sort of facade. I literally cannot bring myself to pad my hips anymore, it just feels so fake and wrong... as if I am deceiving myself.

I really want to do something about it, and I've been going back and forth between the only two procedures I have found. I finally made a decision.

The first method I have been looking at is hip implants. There were two doctors I was looking at... Dr. Chugay in Beverly Hills and Dr. Lazaro Cardenas in Guadalajara (who has loads of trans patients). Anyway I crossed Dr. Chugay off of my list months ago after a consultation gone awry... and I recently had to cross Cardenas off of my list too because he just sent me some before/after pictures that took away any confidence I had in the hip implant procedure. Not only does it leave a massive scar on the hip (a 2-3" scar on each side underneath the panty line), it just doesn't look very natural to me.

The only other safe option to augment the hips is fat grafting or fat transfer. Essentially fat is lipo'd from one or several areas of the body, purified, and re-injected into the patient wherever desired. Some of the fat dies if it cannot find a blood supply, but usually about 50% is permanent for a lifetime. There are a ton of surgeons who perform this operation, so I feel like I've had to do 10X as much research trying to find the best ones. The operation has to be performed by someone gentle enough to not damage the fat during lipo, but it also has to be injected in a truly artistic way to get the ultimate curves. From what I have read, the surgeons in Mexico are artists when it comes to sculpting and shaping a feminine figure. Also, doctors in Mexico tend to be less expensive so that is a double-plus.

I have found a surgeon (Dr. Ghavami) in LA that looks promising, but his operation starts at close to 11k! There is Dr. Salama in Miami that is supposed to be top notch. And then there is Dr. Campos in Tijuana that is right up there at the top as well.

As of right now, I am likely going to try to get a consult with Dr. Campos. He is hugely popular for the "brazilian butt lift" operation, if not the most popular in the world right now. Of course that is all subjective. I am just basing it from what I've read on various review websites.

Also, going into this, I know that I will likely be having a round 2 in the next couple of years and I'm okay with that. I just began hormones 8 months ago and I know I still have quite a bit of fat re distribution to go, and I also know that the tummy will never go away without lip. Might as well put it to good use

As far as my worries... I am worried about not having enough fat to make a correctional difference. I've gained about 17 pounds since my lowest weight in March or April, but I still wonder if I am too thin. Either way, I know that having my tummy and waist lipo'd would make a big difference.

Has anyone tried fat transfer to their hips and care to share their experience? There isn't that much info specifically about MtF's undergoing this operation. I thought I remembered reading Tessa having fat transfer to hips but I can't remember for sure?

Any input is appreciated!

Interested in this as well.
I've heard that injections don't always retain enough fat for the effect to last.
And implants well those scars are nasty. I'm honestly puzzled as to why they make such large incisions in those spots. I mean why not cut under the cheek of the buttock or on the inside of the thigh?

Is there a surgeon with a better technique for this with proven results for implants?

My guess is that they have to make the incision there because the muscles are probably pretty taught. I know Cardenas places the implant under the muscle while Chugay makes a pocket inside the TFL muscle (intramuscular). I think intramuscular would be better to hold up against implant migration but still... yeah... with the scar. Nooo thank you.

Maybe in the future there will be a more anatomically correct hip implant other than just oval or round. Until then, fat transfer will have the most natural looking/feeling results. And as a bonus you get lipo of "problem" areas like the extremely common tummy fat that almost every mtf has.

I hope Campos doesn't have a huge wait time for consultation. Well, only one way to find out

Eat some stuff, gain some weight.  The hips will come, I promise.

Quote from: Oriah on August 02, 2013, 08:30:13 PM
Eat some stuff, gain some weight.  The hips will come, I promise.

The hips will come, but so will the belly, too... that is, if you've ever gained weight in your belly.

Your body might make new fat cells in the hip area (depending on genetics), but the belly fat cells will always remain there and they will expand as well. So then you'd be fat in the hip and the belly.

The only way to truly change this type of fat distribution is to reduce/remove the number of abdominal fat cells, because fat cells don't actually move around or relocate. Your body can only make more

I guess if you've been rail thin your whole life and had VERY few abdominal fat cells you could avoid this issue. But then you probably shouldn't be gaining weight at all because your body isn't designed for it

Quote from: Jennygirl on August 02, 2013, 08:48:21 PM
The hips will come, but so will the belly, too... that is, if you've ever gained weight in your belly.

Your body might make new fat cells in the hip area (depending on genetics), but the belly fat cells will always remain there and they will expand as well. So then you'd be fat in the hip and the belly.

The only way to truly change this type of fat distribution is to reduce/remove the number of abdominal fat cells, because fat cells don't actually move around or relocate. Your body can only make more

I guess if you've been rail thin your whole life and had VERY few abdominal fat cells you could avoid this issue. But then you probably shouldn't be gaining weight at all because your body isn't designed for it

working your abs will pull in the tummy.  besides, what's wrong with a little bit of tummy?  Once I gained enough fat, it all fell where it needed to.  A few times my tummy got a little larger than I wanted it to, so I watch my diet, and it pulls back in.  The body is almost infinitely customizable even without surgeries

Quote from: Oriah on August 02, 2013, 09:04:14 PM
working your abs will pull in the tummy.  besides, what's wrong with a little bit of tummy?  Once I gained enough fat, it all fell where it needed to.  A few times my tummy got a little larger than I wanted it to, so I watch my diet, and it pulls back in.  The body is almost infinitely customizable even without surgeries

It is true, you can do a lot w/o surgeries. But it does in the end come down to genetics and bone structure. Yes, I could do years worth of squats and hip building stretches. But do I want to do that? Not really I don't want to have to pay so much attention to my body... I feel like I already have enough to pay attention to if you know what I mean!

Ultimately I was not blessed with the hip bone gene that some MtF's are lucky enough to have. Not even my mom has that wide of hips, but her shoulders are much closer together so it doesn't look like she's disproportioned at all.

When standing without thinking about it, my shoulders are much wider than my hips. It's been a constant source of dysphoria since I was about 12 and actually the first body related trans signal I ever had.

I am glad I got over the implant idea. It seems so much more natural using your own fat. I feel like the mental ramifications of having implants (other than breast implants because they are so widely accepted) would make life a little different.

Quote from: Jennygirl on August 02, 2013, 10:20:32 PM
It is true, you can do a lot w/o surgeries. But it does in the end come down to genetics and bone structure. Yes, I could do years worth of squats and hip building stretches. But do I want to do that? Not really I don't want to have to pay so much attention to my body... I feel like I already have enough to pay attention to if you know what I mean!

Ultimately I was not blessed with the hip bone gene that some MtF's are lucky enough to have. Not even my mom has that wide of hips, but her shoulders are much closer together so it doesn't look like she's disproportioned at all.

When standing without thinking about it, my shoulders are much wider than my hips. It's been a constant source of dysphoria since I was about 12 and actually the first body related trans signal I ever had.

I am glad I got over the implant idea. It seems so much more natural using your own fat. I feel like the mental ramifications of having implants (other than breast implants because they are so widely accepted) would make life a little different.

I had a similar problem, disliking the width of my shoulders, but I figured out with the proper posturing they appear much smaller.  I don't know how you carry yourself, but once I trained my body to walk with a more erect spine and shoulders held up and back, it ceased to be a problem.

Hope that helps

I'm also in the boat of having little body fat. It was one of things that got dropped like a hot potato when I started down this path. My gut is all but gone now and I never had much of a butt.... Hym...
I wonder how much fat is still in my waist now that my muscles has essentially "pulled" it in from working out?

I mean while I don't mind the thought of bad food to build what I need I do mind the thought of ever being at an u healthy weight again.

Quote from: Christine167 on August 02, 2013, 10:33:55 PM
I'm also in the boat of having little body fat. It was one of things that got dropped like a hot potato when I started down this path. My gut is all but gone now and I never had much of a butt.... Hym...
I wonder how much fat is still in my waist now that my muscles has essentially "pulled" it in from working out?

I mean while I don't mind the thought of bad food to build what I need I do mind the thought of ever being at an u healthy weight again.

just remember, 10% body fat is optimum for a male, but 20% body fat is optimum for a female.  If you get closer to 20% body fat you may appear more feminine

Quote from: Oriah on August 02, 2013, 10:45:48 PM
just remember, 10% body fat is optimum for a male, but 20% body fat is optimum for a female.  If you get closer to 20% body fat you may appear more feminine

I'm definitely not that little or overly built. I'm 6'2" and rather lanky. I do like my legs and I'm hoping to add just a little butt and thigh on to complete their look. It's one of those things I was looking to have done after a couple of years of HRT. My mother has a nice figure in that way so I'm hoping that it translates well to me. But if it does not then if it is affordable and safe I will give it a go.

Besides I just bought some short shorts and hopefully they will eventually look great on me

This is really interesting. I've really been looking into fat transfer but I haven't seen much before/after of transgender patients. I'm really interested though and I've talked to surgeons on Realself who claim it's one of the best surgeries to feminize my body, proportionally anyway.

I've never really been skinny. Since I turned 14 I've always been fat. I've worked some of it off but I'm still 170 at 5'8 wanting to get down to 135.. But I'm not sure anymore, I'm hoping to get this surgery and I'm like you, I started HRT 7 months ago when I was 18. My proportions haven't changed much and I'm doing corset training on occasion but I find must of my mass going up..

I'm really interested in your search for the right surgeon. I hope it goes well.

E.V. 

Quote from: BurningBrilliance on August 03, 2013, 12:47:58 AM

My proportions haven't changed much and I'm doing corset training on occasion but I find must of my mass going up..

E.V.

How do you feel about the corset training and where did you shop for your corset? I. Thinking of getting an underbrush or waist cincher but I'm worried that the sizing might not reflect what a transgender person might need?

Can you not just naturally gains bit if weight then have the excess from your tummy removed? Seems so much easier than transfer plus all the fat will have blood supply so u will get to keep all of it,  not 50 percent.

Quote from: BurningBrilliance on August 03, 2013, 12:47:58 AM
This is really interesting. I've really been looking into fat transfer but I haven't seen much before/after of transgender patients. I'm really interested though and I've talked to surgeons on Realself who claim it's one of the best surgeries to feminize my body, proportionally anyway.

I've never really been skinny. Since I turned 14 I've always been fat. I've worked some of it off but I'm still 170 at 5'8 wanting to get down to 135.. But I'm not sure anymore, I'm hoping to get this surgery and I'm like you, I started HRT 7 months ago when I was 18. My proportions haven't changed much and I'm doing corset training on occasion but I find must of my mass going up..

I'm really interested in your search for the right surgeon. I hope it goes well.

E.V.

I bet you are an ideal candidate for it, honestly. I am pretty sure the doctor is going to tell me that I need to gain weight in order to have enough fat to balance out the shoulders.

Quote from: Akira21 ♡♡♡ on August 03, 2013, 06:15:09 AM
Can you not just naturally gains bit if weight then have the excess from your tummy removed? Seems so much easier than transfer plus all the fat will have blood supply so u will get to keep all of it,  not 50 percent.

After watching a few videos of it done, it seems like lipo is the rough part and re injection the easy part. I wouldn't want to waste my fat either, because I've been working SO hard to get it

Jenny your already a beautiful woman I really don't see why you would put yourself through this. Chasing perfection by going under the knife is not the answer. But that's just my opinion it's your life! 

Quote from: iiii on August 03, 2013, 08:32:41 AM
Definitely better to be unhappy instead of going under the knife -_- ...
What's so bad with surgery? It costs money sure, but what else?

What makes you think that a surgery can bring you happiness? Odds are you'll just start focusing the next part you don't like. And so on and so on till your left with nothing original just look at Michael Jackson need I say more. Maybe I'll never be 100% passible or beautiful???  But you know what I'll be Human! 

Heather,  being human is nothing to aspire to!  :-P not that I am arguing with ur point which is possibly right.  If I had jenny's looks I would be very very grateful.  But then again if I had jenny's money I might also spend it on tweaks,  so I don't know!

Quote from: Akira21 ♡♡♡ on August 03, 2013, 08:54:47 AM
Heather,  being human is nothing to aspire to!

I know my opinion is going to be in the minority here. The way I feel is I'm a combination of all those who that came before me. And to alter that is like spiting in their face and telling they were not good enough. First its surgery's but what if in the future they give you the ability to alter your DNA do you do that too? To me there is some lines I won't cross this is a moral issue with me and I know my way of thinking is going to be considered antiquated but I plan on staying the imperfect trans woman I am. But I know the march towards human perfection is inevitable and there is nothing that will change that. 

Quote from: Heather on August 03, 2013, 08:00:05 AM
Jenny your already a beautiful woman I really don't see why you would put yourself through this. Chasing perfection by going under the knife is not the answer. But that's just my opinion it's your life! 

I concur.  If you want the surgery and have the money, it's okay to go through it; however, please don't feel like this NEEDS to be done.  Surgery isn't always the answer, and I've seen cases where it has been more harmful.  Having said that, I don't mean to come across as judgemental.   It's your right to do what you want.  Just think about your options and find what is best fir you.  Good luck either way.