To BBL or Not

A shapely and symmetrical rear helps you to look attractive and well-proportioned. A Brazilian butt lift (BBL) can use fat transferred from other parts of your body to give you a fuller, rounder rear.

A skilled plastic surgeon can enhance the proportions of your lower body with a BBL and reduce fat in standard problem zones, such as the abdomen. If you’ve been considering a BBL, there are many factors to consider before having the procedure.

Why Have A BBL?

The shape and size of your buttocks are determined mainly by your genes. However, also important is the structure of your skeleton and how the body stores excess fat.

While many people can use diet and exercise to give them good body contours, many fit patients still have flat or untoned buttocks. A BBL can reshape the rear and give you the rounded, full shape that you want. 

You may want to consider this procedure to do the following:

• Give your lower body better curves and appearance
• Eliminate stubborn fatty areas on the belly, thighs, and hips
• Help your clothing fit you better
• Provide a more attractive shape to the buttocks
• Improve your proportions by providing more balance between the lower and upper body

BBL Is Better Than Implants

Implants used to be the only way to improve the appearance of the buttocks, but the BBL is often considered the superior procedure. Here’s why:

• Natural procedure: A BBL uses your fat to enhance your curves, while butt implants involve placing silicone implants in the body. Many people say that a BBL looks and feels more natural than implants.
• Safer: BBL, when performed by a skilled plastic surgeon, is safer than butt implants. Butt implant surgery is a significant procedure with a higher rate of complications.
• Practical: BBL lets you have a butt lift combined with liposuction of a problem area. You can have fat removed from your hips or belly and injected into your buttocks - a win-win! On average, patients have about 700cc of fat for a BBL.
• Smooth appearance: Fat carefully injected into the buttocks gives a firm, natural, smooth appearance. The fat is injected into the muscle layers so that the new fat will feel more like muscle. There also aren’t lumps or dimples like fat on the surface.

Minimal Downtime

Another reason that people have BBL is they can have enhanced contours with minimal downtime. In addition, post-procedure discomfort and swelling are minimal, and you can usually manage it with over-the-counter pain medication.

However, you will need to limit sitting on your rear for about two weeks. But there is a lower rate of complications and infections compared with butt implants.

Minimal Scarring

One of the most significant drawbacks of butt implants is major incisions and scarring, which require many weeks to heal.

But with the BBL, you will only have small incisions where the fat is injected. After a few months, the scars will be almost invisible, and there is little risk of infection.

Ideal Candidate For BBL Surgery

You should talk to your board-certified plastic surgeon to determine if a BBL is a good fit for you. You could be a good candidate if you:

• Don’t like the shape of your rear, but have realistic expectations if you have BBL surgery
• Have lost shape and volume in the rear from weight loss or age
• Want to enhance the shape of your rear but don’t want implants
• Have sufficient fat in other body areas for fat injection
• Eat a healthy diet and exercise
• Don’t have serious medical problems that can affect the healing process
• Have enough time to take it easy for two or three weeks after surgery

However, not everyone is a good candidate for this procedure. For example, if you are thin and don’t have extra fat to spare, you may need to consider butt implants instead.

Also, if you sit on your rear a lot and cannot tolerate not doing so for several weeks, this may not be the right option.

BBL Risks

The BBL is safe when performed by a skilled plastic surgeon, but there are risks and complications to consider:

• If the surgeon inserts the cannula too deep, fat may be injected into a blood vessel, leading to embolism. This is a life-threatening condition that must be treated immediately.
• The BBL incisions are small, but infection is still possible. That’s why it’s essential to listen to your surgeon’s instructions to care for your incisions.
• Some patients may have lumps under the skin that need to be corrected with a BBL revision.

Outlook

A Brazilian butt lift is a safe and effective cosmetic procedure that can enhance the shape and appearance of the rear. If the procedure is done by a board-certified plastic surgeon, you should have excellent results.

Please talk to your board-certified plastic surgeon about the risks and benefits of a Brazilian butt lift so, together, you can decide if it’s a good option.

References:

Dr. Aric Aghayan BBL Procedure. (n.d.). Accessed at https://www.apresplasticsurgery.com/procedures/body/brazilian-butt-lift-portland-or/

Brazilian Butt Lift Overview. (n.d.). Accessed at https://www.americanboardcosmeticsurgery.org/procedure-learning-center/body-procedures/brazilian-butt-lift/

BBL Overview. (2020). Accessed at https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22598377/bbl-brazilian-butt-lift-miami-cost-tiktok