Brazilian butt lift before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Jeff Angobaldo, board-certified plastic surgeon in Plano, TX. Results may vary.
Brazilian butt lift before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Jeff Angobaldo, board-certified plastic surgeon in Plano, TX. Results may vary.
Brazilian butt lift before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Jeff Angobaldo, board-certified plastic surgeon in Plano, TX. Results may vary.
Brazilian butt lift before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Jeff Angobaldo, board-certified plastic surgeon in Plano, TX. Results may vary.
Brazilian butt lift before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Jeff Angobaldo, board-certified plastic surgeon in Plano, TX. Results may vary.
Brazilian butt lift before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Jeff Angobaldo, board-certified plastic surgeon in Plano, TX. Results may vary.
Brazilian butt lift before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Jeff Angobaldo, board-certified plastic surgeon in Plano, TX. Results may vary.
Brazilian butt lift before and after photo courtesy of Dr. Jeff Angobaldo, board-certified plastic surgeon in Plano, TX. Results may vary.
A Brazilian butt lift (BBL), is a popular cosmetic procedure that uses a patientâs own fat to create a higher, rounder, and fuller butt.Â
During BBL surgery, a plastic surgeon:
Dr. Matthew Schulman, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City, says that the Brazilian buttock lift offers two big body contouring benefits: âYouâre able to get rid of unwanted fat and reshape your buttocks and hipsâall without artificial injections or implants.â This combination creates an hourglass shape, with results that can be relatively subtle or dramatic.
Pros
Cons
Your Brazilian butt lift price will depend on your surgeonâs credentials, their location, the number of areas where your surgeon performs liposuction, the type of anesthesia you get, and a few other key factors.
Most surgeons offer payment plans or accept third-party financing options, such as CareCredit.
See our complete guide to Brazilian butt lift costs
As you're choosing your surgeon, look for Brazilian butt lift pictures that show patients who had similar body types to your own, with the kind of fullness youâre looking for.
Pay attention to the butt and the 360 lipo results, with an eye for proportional, natural-looking contours across the abdomen and back, with no visible lumps, incisions, or scars.
The swooping curve from the back to the lower butt should look especially smooth, with maximum projection at the center of the buttocks.
The BBL pictures in our photo gallery have been shared by the surgeon who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.
During your consultation, your surgeon should do a physical exam, discuss your medical history, and ensure you have realistic expectations about the outcome.
Generally speaking, good candidates for this procedure:
For patients with a BMI below 21, a growing number of providers offer a "skinny BBL." This technique involves a smaller amount of fat transfer, to ensure a proportional result and optimal fat viability. Some use the BeautiFill system for fat harvesting and processing, which has an average fat cell viability rate of over 95%.
Before you schedule a consultation with a potential surgeon, look carefully at their before and after photo gallery. Zero in on patients that look similar to your body type. Here's what to look for in BBL photos.
BBL surgery takes 2 to 4 hours. (If your surgeon says yours will take less than 2 hours, this is a major red flag that they may be prioritizing patient volume over safety.) Every surgeon has their own technique, but hereâs a run-down of what typically happens.
1. Markings and photos
2. Anesthesia
3. Liposuction and fat purification
4. Fat transfer
Youâll need to have at least 250â300 cc of fat transfer per side, to see a significant difference.
Itâs possible to add up to 1000cc (1.0L) of fat on each side, but the allowable volume will depend on the capacity of your buttâs soft tissues and what the skin envelope can contain. Overfilling creates constriction, and the transferred fat cells will struggle to establish a blood supply, which increases the rate of fat cell death or abscess.
If your aesthetic goal requires more fat than can be placed during one procedure, you could have a second procedure, or even third, to augment your results.
âProbably one-third of my patients come back for a second round,â says Dr. Alexander Aslani, a plastic surgeon in Marbella, Spain. âThey donât necessarily need more, but they want more.â
If you donât have enough excess fat to create that look, your surgeon may recommend a combination of fat transfer and buttock implants to get the projection you want.
BBL recovery can take 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the extent of your lipo. Plan on taking at least 2 weeks off workâand even 4, if you can get it.
Everyone heals differently, but hereâs a general recovery timeline.
Keep these recovery tips in mind:
Related: 8 Products Plastic Surgeons Recommend For a Successful Brazilian Butt Lift Recovery
RealSelf Tip: Some patients use the term "fluffing" to describe the tissue settling during recovery, but according to numerous plastic surgeons on RealSelf, thereâs no such thing as âfluffingâ after a BBL. The word âis usually used for breast augmentation and describes the phenomenon that occurs over several months as the tissues relax, allowing the implant to fall into softer, more natural position,â says Dr. Christian Subbio, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Philadelphia.
Avoid sitting or lying directly on your butt for at least 2 weeks post-op, to allow the new fat grafts to establish blood supply. Transferred fat only lives if new blood vessels grow into it, and the pressure from sitting can compromise your results by causing fat cell death.
After 2 weeks, your surgeon may allow you to sit on a special donut-shaped pillow that redistributes pressure to your thighs.
Related: The 5 Best Post-Operative Pillows for the Most Uncomfortable Surgeries
It can take between 6 months to a year to see your final results.
You'll pass these milestones along the way:
The fat cells that remain 4 to 6 months post-op will stay, so those results are considered permanent.Â
That said, weight fluctuations can impact your results: too much weight loss will slim down your butt, while gaining a lot of weight can alter your proportions as the remaining fat cells grow.
Related: Plastic Surgeons Say Doing These Two Things Can Ruin Your BBL Results
A tummy tuck and a Brazilian butt lift can be combined, saving you facility and anesthesia fees, says Dr. Scott Chapin, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Â
Dr. Schulman routinely performs these procedures in one operation but says the pairing isnât for everyone. Stacking the two procedures increases OR time and risks, and it makes for a very difficult recovery, leaving you unable to sit or lay on your belly for several weeks.Â
A Brazilian butt lift is not especially riskyâwhen itâs done right. But it has a very dangerous reputation for a couple of reasons:
Since then, plastic surgeons have identified BBL risk factors, refined techniques, and made the procedure safer. Newer data casts the surgery in a more favorable light.
During your consultation, your surgeon or a member of their staff should discuss potential BBL risks and complications.
To further reduce the risk of complications, Dr. Rodriguez advises having surgery in a facility thatâs accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities (AAAASF), an accredited ambulatory facility, or a hospital.
When choosing your plastic surgeon, ensure that they:
For a complete list of essential questions to ask, see our BBL surgery consultation checklist.
If youâre on the fence, these butt augmentation options are also worth considering.
Nonsurgical treatments
Surgical procedures
Doctors actively warn against liquid silicone, acrylic, and hydrogel injections.
RealSelf Tip: Some workout franchises use the term âBrazilian butt liftâ in marketing their exercise regimens. While workouts that target the muscles in your rear can shape and lift it, that toned appearance is very different from the curvy look achieved by adding more fat.
Updated April 16, 2024