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Brazilian Butt Lift Statistics

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Brazilian Butt Lift, commonly called BBL, is the fastest-growing cosmetic surgery. Through fat transfer, a BBL adds volume and reshapes the buttock for a curvier figure. In this article, we’ve broken down some key BBL statistics that you may find useful if you plan on getting the surgery.

How Many People Get BBL Surgery?

In 2020, an estimated 396,105 people had buttock augmentation surgery, according to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. This figure represents a 19.3% increase from 2016 as having a fuller butt and curvier figure is becoming an increasingly popular aesthetic.

What is the Most Common Age to Get a BBL?

From our experience, most people who get a BBL are between 20-40 years old. Patients in this age range are less likely to have underlying medical conditions. In addition, they may notice better results from the surgery as they’re more likely to recover faster and have better skin quality than older patients.

How Much Does BBL Cost?

The cost of a BBL varies depending on a range of factors, including location, the surgeon’s expertise, and the technology used. The average price of a BBL in the UK is £7,000. The exact cost of a BBL varies from patient to patient, largely due to the number and size of areas that require liposuction. However, in other countries with fewer regulations, such as Turkey and Mexico, the procedure is offered for as little as £2,700.

How Long is a BBL Procedure?

A BBL usually takes 2-4 hours to perform. The length of your procedure will depend on the number of areas requiring liposuction, the amount of fat harvested and injected, and the complexity of the body and buttocks contouring. Furthermore, surgeons use different techniques and technologies, which may take up more or less time.

How Long Does a Brazilian Butt Lift Last?

The results from a Brazilian butt lift are permanent. Once the fat cells stabilise and integrate into the tissue in the new location, they will become a natural part of your buttocks. They will act as any other natural fat-storage cells in your body. However, to maintain results, you will need to have a healthy diet and exercise routine, as any fluctuations in weight will cause your fat cells to expand or shrink. You may also develop skin laxity as you age, which will alter the shape of your buttocks.

How Long is BBL Recovery?

Most patients make a full recovery after six weeks of having a BBL. By this time, the swelling and other post-surgical side effects will have largely subsided, and patients can begin to enjoy the final results of their surgery. From our experience and the postoperative recommendations by Ghavami & Villanueva (2018), patients should return to work and perform other light daily activities after 2-3 weeks and resume strenuous activities and exercises after four weeks of having a BBL.

When Can You Sit After a Brazilian Butt Lift?

You should avoid sitting down and putting pressure on your butt as much as possible for at least three weeks after your Brazilian Butt lift in order to preserve your fat grafts, according to Ghavami & Villanueva (2018) and Toledo (2015). For a further two weeks, you should sit on a soft pillow or cushion to minimise the pressure on your butt. You can sit after a BBL using alternative sitting positions to prevent damaging your fat grafts.

How Much Fat Survives After a BBL?

50-70% of the injected fat cells survive after a BBL procedure, while your body absorbs the rest of the fat cells (sources: Murillo, 2004 ; Wolf et al, 2006 ; Swanson, 2016). It takes around 3-6 months for the fat cells to stabilise and survive, thus becoming a natural part of your butt. However, most surgeons inject double the amount of fat required to produce your desired enhancement to account for the loss of some fat grafts.

Is BBL Safe?

The safety of a BBL procedure largely depends on the expertise and training of the surgeon and the surgical techniques they use.

The procedure has become notorious for having a high fatality rate  of 1 in 3000 (source: RealSelf, 2021) . However, according to the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, the fatalities and injuries from a BBL are largely the consequence of unlicensed surgeons performing the surgery in unregulated settings, as the fatality rate drops to 1 in 14,952 when performed by a board-certified surgeon. Most fatalities occur when surgeons inject fat into the gluteal muscle, which increases the risk of fat embolisms. 

In contrast, a technique such as BEST-F (Buttock Enhancement and Superficial Transfer of Fat) considerably minimises the risk of fat embolisms as it injects fat over the gluteal muscle with the aid of an ultrasound device. A BBL surgery with the BEST-F technique is a generally safe procedure with 0 reports of fatality and entails the same risks as any other cosmetic surgery.