Hip dip filler photos only predict your result if the dip has the same cause as yours. See why 90% at 30 days fell to 62% at a year. Here's what to check.
Published
Updated
Author
Wi Young-jin · Chief director
Seoul National University College of Medicine · Seoul National University Hospital Specialist
→
A hip dip filler before-and-after photo is only a fair preview of your result if the dip in the photo has the same cause as yours. Two dips can sit in the exact same spot, yet one comes from defined muscle and the other from loose skin, and they don't fill in the same way.
Even with the same cause, a photo taken one month after treatment won't look like one taken a year later. In this article, we'll cover the four things to match before you trust a photo: cause, body type, timing, and volume.
Quick summary
Use a before-and-after photo as your benchmark only when the person's dip cause and body type are close to yours.
Timing: In a one-year study, 90% said they'd improved at 30 days, and 62% said so at one year.
Body type: Study photos mostly show people of average build with a stable weight. People with obesity or very loose skin were left out.
If the photo doesn't list how many cc were injected, you can't compare it with your own quote.
How Do You Tell if the Hip Dip in a Photo Has the Same Cause as Yours?
Look at where the dip sits and what surrounds it. A hip dip forms just below the greater trochanter*, where several buttock and thigh muscles attach. Because so much structure meets there, the shape of bone and muscle shows through easily.
*Greater trochanter: the bony knob at the top of the thigh bone that sticks out to the side.
The dip can come from three different places:
Your natural bone structure
Muscle definition from exercise
Skin that's loosened with age, along with fat that's collected in the lower part of the buttocks
So start by comparing the person's build with yours. If the photo shows a lean, athletic body but your dip comes with sagging in the lower buttocks, the same volume isn't likely to give you the same shape. Check how the top and bottom edges of the dip connect, and whether the lower buttock droops, both in the photo and in a side view of yourself.
Who Were the People in the Study Before-and-After Photos?
They were picked from a narrower group than most people assume. A study that followed buttock filler for one year enrolled 30 women aged 23 to 53, with an average BMI* of 21.8. Anyone with a BMI under 18.5 or 30 and above was excluded from the start, as was anyone whose weight had changed a lot in the previous six months.
*BMI (body mass index): your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared, a rough measure of body size.
A separate report on 11 women who had only their hip dips filled also left out people with obesity and people with marked muscle or skin laxity. If you're losing weight or your weight has shifted a lot recently, these photos are hard to use as your yardstick. In that case, it's worth reading when to decide on buttock filler volume while you're losing weight first.
Why Should Day-One Photos and Months-Later Photos Be Judged Separately?
The same person can look quite different depending on the day the photo was taken. Among those 30 women, the share who said they'd improved was 90% at day 30, 86% at day 180, and 62% at day 360. Ultrasound scans also showed the injected filler being absorbed little by little. Individual results vary, and your build and the volume used both play a part.
Photos from the first two to three days still include bruising and swelling. That's why it helps to ask two questions about any before-and-after set: how many days after treatment was the "after" taken, and is there a one-year photo too? Also check that both shots use the same pose, the same angle, and the same lighting. A small change in posture can make a dip look shallower than it is.
Buttock Filler Side Effects and Risks: What's Normal and What Needs Care Right Away?
Bruising and soreness at the injection sites are common and typically last two to three days. Exercise was paused during that time, and strenuous exercise was put off for at least 48 hours. In the one-year study, one of the 30 women developed redness, warmth, swelling, and tenderness at the site on day 8. It cleared up with oral antibiotics.
Buttock filler is a procedure where serious complications have been reported, though they're rare. A review of 10 studies covering 168 people found two studies that reported severe complications, including bleeding in the lungs and death. The US FDA doesn't recommend using fillers to increase the size of the buttocks. If you notice any of the signs below, get care right away.
Skin at the injection site turns white, gray, or blue: contact the clinic that treated you and get seen right away
Unusual pain that feels different from normal soreness: contact the clinic that treated you and get seen right away
Redness, warmth, and swelling at the site with pain that keeps getting worse: seek medical care right away
Blurry vision or any change in your vision: go to the nearest emergency room
Sudden trouble speaking, numbness or weakness in the face, arms, or legs, difficulty walking, face drooping, severe headache, dizziness, or confusion: go to the nearest emergency room
Hold off on treatment, or tell your provider first, if any of these apply to you:
Inflamed or infected skin where the filler would go
A bleeding disorder
A history of severe allergies or anaphylaxis
An allergy to lidocaine
Planning Hip Dip Filler Around a Trip to Korea
Unless you had sedation that day, there's no need to postpone your flight because of the filler. That said, the 48 hours when strenuous exercise is off the table are a good time to keep your sightseeing light.
Filler is one of the treatments where the shape changes on the day itself. The filler is gradually absorbed, though, so the shape you see during your trip won't stay exactly the same. Once you're home, take photos again at one month and one year in the same pose and lighting.
After you're back home, you can send photos to the clinic and ask about anything that worries you. If your skin changes color or the pain keeps building, see a local doctor first.
How Much Does Hip Dip Filler Cost Compared With the Volume in Photos?
Put the cc listed under the photo next to the cc on your quote. In the 11-woman report, each side got 10 mL, with the same amount added once more after 15 days if needed. The 30 women whose whole buttocks were treated received 43.6 mL on average.
On Beautystone's body filler promotion page, the hip dip items are listed like this:
Promotion item | Price (VAT not included) |
|---|---|
Hip dip Belast, 6 units (about 30 cc) | ₩1,013,000 |
Hip dip Belast, 14 units (about 70 cc) | ₩2,253,000 |
The promotion runs from September 1 to November 30, 2026. This is Seoul clinic pricing and it's subject to change. The item names are copied as listed; the exact product and the amount that suits your body are confirmed at your consultation.
The Bottom Line: Match the Cause, Then the cc
Before any volume is set, the doctor looks at you standing up, checks the height of each hip and how deep each dip is, and then decides how to split the filler between the left and right sides. That's also the moment to bring your photo comparisons.
Before you decide, ask whether your dip is closer to the bone-structure type or the loose-skin type, and how many cc per side that would mean for you. That one answer makes before-and-after photos much easier to judge. If you're considering hip dip filler, Beautystone is a clinic in Seoul's Hapjeong area. When you reach out, include a side-view photo taken standing up, any weight change over the past six months, and any buttock treatments you've had before.
Sources
Contouring & Volume
Hip Dip Filler Before and After: 4 Checks
Body
Potenza Treatment Interval: Why 4 Weeks?
Lifting
Ultherapy Before and After: Why Wait 90 Days?
Contouring & Volume
Belotero Revive Cost: 2cc Price vs. 3 Sessions
skin
Lip Hyperpigmentation Laser: Does It Work?
Contouring & Volume
Men's Forehead Filler: Hollow or Just Lines?