**2. Universal proportions and characteristics of a beautiful buttocks**

When it comes to body contouring surgery, the surgeon should know the universal characteristics and proportions that make up a universally attractive buttock.

## **Figure 4.**

*The most common four buttock shapes are considered to be the round, square, 'V' shape, and the upside-down heart With the upside down heart in general being most attractive and the V shape, also known as a frog's buttock' as being least attractive as well as the hardest to correct.* 

## **Figure 5.**

*Throughout history, a small waist has generally been considered attractive. A specific waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7 appears most attractive.* 

#### **Figure 6.**

*Several studies recently validated that the ideal female figure has a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7, yet they also found ethnic differences in what size buttock various cultures found attractive.* 

#### **Figure 7.**

*Massive weight loss patients often require formal skin excision buttock lifts plus augmentation. Even with maximum effort, it is difficult to achieve a small waist, short infra gluteal crease and upside-down heart shape.* 

 Many have classified buttock into shape categories. The most common four are the round, square, "V" shape, and the upside-down heart (**Figure 4**). With the upsidedown heart in general being most attractive and the V shape being least attractive. In 1993, Singh published his study on the role that the waist-to-hip ratio plays in regards to female physical attractiveness in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology [1]. After the analysis of three different studies, Singh proposed that there is a correlation between female attractiveness and the proportions of the waist and buttocks which he described as the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Moreover, he found that males in those studies considered female figures with a low WHR more attractive,

*Creating the Ideal Buttock (Lifting, Implanting or Fat Grafting) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84660* 

 healthier, and of greater reproductive potential than females with higher WHR. More specifically, the studies indicated that the ideal female figure has a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.7 (**Figure 5**). This ratio is measured by obtaining the circumference of the waist at its narrowest area and dividing it by the circumference of the thighs ("hips") at the level of the buttocks with maximum projection (**Figure 6**). Another characteristic of a beautiful, youthful, and attractive buttocks includes a short gluteal crease that does not extend past the medial third with no ptosis over this line. Such idea buttock shapes may be a goal for many but can be exceptional hard to achieve in some patients such as massive weight loss clientele (**Figure 7**).
