You can exercise your way to bigger, more chiseled glutes. But for those wanting immediate or more dramatic results, there’s the option of a Brazilian butt lift (BBL). It’s become one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures—but it’s also the deadliest. Even so, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the BBL continues to increase in popularity.
Using a combination of liposuction and fat grafting, a successful BBL results in added volume, defined curves, and a butt lift. Sound familiar? Many point to the popularity of influencers as one of the main sources of the procedure’s steady rise. But there are serious concerns about whether this surgery should continue after reports surfaced that the death rate following a BLL may be a terrifying 1 in 3,000. Ahead, we speak with plastic surgeons Samuel Lin, Lara Devgan, and David Shafer, and ask each one to walk us through the surgery itself, as well as the controversy.
WHAT IS A BBL?
A BBL starts with liposuction, where a surgeon sucks fat out of areas in the body, then processes and reinjects it into the buttocks and hips. The areas of planned liposuction (Shafer says that fat is usually taken from the abdomen or the lower back) and the outline of planned fat grafting are marked before surgery. Once the patient is positioned on the operating room table facedown and under anesthesia, the liposuction is performed in the desired areas and the fat is collected in a specialized system that separates live fat cells from liposuction fluid. That fat is then injected into the marked areas of the butt. Shafer says that surgeons will sometimes graft fat into the thighs or hips, depending on what body shape the patient wants. The procedure requires a few very small incisions that are sutured closed at the end.
The results? A rounder, perkier, fuller-looking derrière. “The body transformation provided by the BBL may be a reason for the surgery’s popularity,” Lin says, adding that many are open about their surgeries as well. “The procedure’s visibility on social media and in popular culture may also contribute to its growing popularity.”
HOW MUCH DOES A BBL COST?
Devgan says that the cost of a BBL can vary depending on the provider performing the surgery and where you live, but typically, one lift can range anywhere from $3,000 to $30,000. If that range seems wide, it’s because many people go to “chop shops” (yes, that’s actually what they’re called) that do these surgeries at a high frequency, with—more than likely—less expertise.
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