Want to know the truth about Brazilian lift surgery?

Brazilian butt lift surgery or BBL, is a procedure that we commonly receive questions about in our DallasTexas office. This cosmetic surgery has definitely grown in popularity over the past decade. There is a lot of misinformation out there surrounding the BBL, so I wanted to take a moment to break down the facts. First, let’s start with the basics…

1. The term Brazilian Butt Lift is a funny name because there is no “lifting” involved in this type of plastic surgery.

2. The BBL was first performed by a New York plastic surgeon on a woman from Brazil, which is how the procedure got its name. Clever right?

3. There is also a laser treatment called “BBL” which stands for BroadBand Light. This is a common treatment performed in med spas and has nothing to do with your buttocks, unless of course you felt it needed a fresh new glow.

So, exactly what is involved in a Brazilian butt lift procedure?

Brazilian butt lift surgery involves removing the fat from unwanted areas of the body (also known as body contouring) and then re-injecting the fat into areas where more volume is desired. It is the same concept as fat transfer breast augmentation. In the case of the BBL, the liposuction makes the butt look bigger by making the body smaller (aesthetic surgeries are all about proportions/ratios).

Depending on the patient’s desired final results, the body fat injection can make the butt look bigger, more projected, rounder, or all of the above. Brazilian butt lifts can be super high volume or very small volume to fill in an area of cellulite or “hip dip”. The “lift” portion of the surgery is all about where the buttocks is the widest or most projecting. If a large amount of fat is added to the upper portion of the buttocks, it appears to be higher.

Ultimately, there are two types of Brazilian butt lift options: make your booty as big as possible or smooth out your silhouette.

image of women in all different shapes and sizes

Is the Brazilian butt lift a risky surgical technique?

The BBL has received a lot of bad press over the past 5 years. This is due to multiple patient deaths being reported following this surgery. All of the patient deaths have been attributed to injection of fat into the gluteus muscle, which leads to fat in the blood stream, which leads to fat clogging the arteries of the lungs and heart, which leads to death. From this evidence, plastic surgeons ONLY inject under the skin, NEVER into the muscle.

It is important to point out that part of the risk associated with this cosmetic procedure is having the surgery performed by an unqualified surgeon. The Brazilian butt lift and lipo are the two surgeries most commonly performed by fake plastic surgeons. Patients should be extra cautious about who performs this surgery, especially since this surgery has more fatal complications than any other plastic surgery procedure. Seeking a board certified plastic surgeon, who is skilled in this type of procedure is critical to the success of the surgery and safety of the patient.

Who is an ideal candidate for this procedure?

Ideal candidates for this procedure are those who have excess fat in other areas of your body that can be safely removed via liposuction and transferred to your buttocks. If you do not have enough fat to transfer from other areas, this surgery is not a good choice for you. This surgery is performed under general anesthesia, so the patient must be in good overall health. A Brazilian butt lift can be done alone or as part of a mommy makeover surgery, where we are often body contouring along with a tummy tuck.

Brazilian butt lift costs

The costs of your surgery will vary depending on the surgeon that you see and the city where you seek the surgery. Like all surgical procedures, shopping for a discounted price is basically never a good idea. Look for a plastic surgeon with the experience and qualifications to safely provide the results you are looking for.

If you are in the Dallas – Fort Worth area and considering a Brazilian butt lift, it would be my team’s pleasure to meet you. I offer patient consultations both in my Dallas office, as well as our PlanoTexas location. During patient consultations, I always discuss the individual results that you are looking, review your health history, and answer all of your questions  about the procedure. Together, we can decide if you are good candidate for this type of procedure.

Ready to schedule a consultation? Reach out to my caring team today.