A Brazilian Butt Lift transfers your own fat to reshape and enhance the buttocks. Surgeon selection matters more here than in nearly any other procedure.
Overview
BBL earned its safety reputation for a specific reason: fat injected into or near the deep gluteal muscles could enter the bloodstream and cause fatal complications. Modern Brazilian Butt Lift techniques differ substantially from earlier approaches, though outcomes depend on whether individual surgeons follow current safety recommendations. A Brazilian Butt Lift, medically known as gluteal fat grafting, uses your own fat to reshape and add volume to the buttocks through two components: liposuction to remove fat from areas like the abdomen, flanks, or thighs, followed by processed fat injection into the gluteal region. Because the fat is your own, no synthetic implant is involved.
Current professional practice advisories from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), the Aesthetic Society (ASAPS), and the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) recommend that every injection remain in the subcutaneous layer, verified in real time with ultrasound guidance. Following these recommendations has significantly reduced the historical risk of fatal fat embolism. Surgeon board certification, facility accreditation, and adherence to these safety protocols matter more here than in nearly any other elective procedure. The question isn’t whether you should get a BBL. It’s who you’re letting perform it.
TL;DR Summary
A Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) uses your own fat to reshape and add volume to the buttocks while contouring areas such as the abdomen, flanks, or thighs. Results and safety depend heavily on surgical technique, making surgeon experience and adherence to current safety standards especially important.
The cost of a BBL depends on the surgeon’s experience, whether ultrasound guidance is used, the amount of fat harvested and grafted, geographic market, and facility and anesthesia fees. Request an itemized quote covering all components.
Average cost (USD)
Cost Range (USD)
BBL is generally a one-time surgical procedure with maintenance considerations. Insurance does not cover cosmetic gluteal fat grafting. Fat retention is variable, and some patients require a second session for optimal volume. Weight stability meaningfully affects long-term results.
Before-and-after photos are among the most reliable tools for evaluating a surgeon’s work with BBL. Look for photos taken at consistent angles under matched lighting, ideally at three months, six months, and one-year post-surgery. BBL results settle over months as fat retention stabilizes, and swelling resolves.
Pay attention to results across different body types and starting anatomies. Look for patients whose frame and starting shape resemble your own; your anatomy often has a greater influence on the final result than the specific technique used.
A BBL uses your own fat. Your surgeon harvests it through liposuction, purifies it, then layers it into the subcutaneous plane above the gluteal muscle.
A BBL addresses small or flat buttocks, loss of volume, mild asymmetry, and post-weight-loss or post-pregnancy contour changes in patients seeking a fuller silhouette.
A BBL typically takes 2 to 5 hours under general anesthesia, depending on the amount of fat harvested and the extent of body contouring included.
Healthy adults with adequate donor fat, stable weight, and realistic expectations are candidates. Smoking, uncontrolled medical conditions, and unstable weight are typically disqualifying.
Most patients take two to three weeks off work. Strict no-sitting protocol for the first two to three weeks is essential to preserve fat retention.
A Brazilian Butt Lift uses your own fat, harvested through liposuction and reinjected into the buttocks, to build volume and reshape the area without a synthetic implant. Patients turn to this treatment to correct flatness, restore lost volume, and create curves the body isn’t producing on its own. Below are the primary concerns this treatment addresses, each explained in more detail on its dedicated concern page.
A flat or deflated buttock shape often comes down to naturally low fat and muscle volume in the area, or volume that's been lost over time. BBL rebuilds that volume directly with the patient's own fat, adding fullness where there was none.
Significant weight loss frequently takes volume from the buttocks along with the rest of the body, leaving the area flatter than before. BBL restores that lost fullness by relocating fat from other areas back into the buttocks.
Patients whose frame doesn't match the curve and proportion they want often can't reach that shape through diet or exercise alone. BBL reshapes the silhouette directly, adding targeted volume to bring the body into the proportion the patient is after.
BBL was historically the most dangerous cosmetic surgery. The 2022 joint safety advisory from ASPS, ASAPS, and ISAPS changed that by recommending subcutaneous-only injection and real-time ultrasound guidance. Surveyed data from surgeons following these protocols reports zero mortality across 12,800 cases. Choose your surgeon by whether they follow them.
Retained fat is permanent, but only 30 to 60% of transferred fat is retained long-term. Results can last many years with stable weight. Weight fluctuations meaningfully change results, either positively or negatively.
Sitting directly on transferred fat compresses the tissue and can reduce blood supply, killing fat cells before they integrate. Following the two-to-three-week protocol significantly improves fat retention and final volume.
Typically, 400 to 1,200cc per side, depending on donor fat availability, body type, and safety limits. Larger volumes are not always safer or better; surgeon judgment determines appropriate volume for each patient.
Patients with unstable weight, smokers, uncontrolled diabetes, or insufficient donor fat are typically not candidates. Unrealistic expectations about size or unwillingness to follow the recovery protocol are also reasons a surgeon may decline.
The following references support the safety, effectiveness, and clinical background of Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL):
Gluteal Fat Grafting Technique and Mortality Update Among Surveyed ABCS Surgeons
Improvement in Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) Safety With the Current Recommendations from ASERF, ASAPS, and ISAPS
Practice Advisory on Gluteal Fat Grafting
Fat Transfer for Gluteal Augmentation: An Expert Video Roundtable Discussion
All sources reviewed for accuracy, safety, and current clinical relevance.
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Founder
Dr. Renato Saltz is the Founder of Saltz Plastic Surgery and Spa Vitória, with locations in Salt Lake City and Park City. He specializes in facial rejuvenation, breast surgery, and body contouring, bringing more than 30 years of experience to a personalized approach focused on natural, refined results.
5445 South Highland Drive Salt Lake City, UT
1441 Ute Blvd. Suite 140 Park City, UT
MD
Dr. Heather Furnas is a board-certified plastic surgeon and co-founder of Plastic Surgery Associates of Santa Rosa, one of Northern California’s most established and respected centers for aesthetic excellence.
Santa Rosa, CA
MD
Dr. Eric Culbertson is a double board-certified plastic surgeon and partner at Plastic Surgery Associates of Santa Rosa, where he brings a refined, evidence-based approach to aesthetic and reconstructive surgery.
Santa Rosa, CA
MD
Dr. Francisco Canales is a board-certified plastic surgeon and co-founder of Plastic Surgery Associates of Santa Rosa, one of Northern California’s premier destinations for aesthetic and reconstructive excellence.
Santa Rosa, CA
PA-C
Stacy Murphy, PA-C, is a Physician Associate at Des Moines Plastic Surgery who has built a strong reputation for her expertise in medical aesthetics and hair restoration.
West Des Moines, IA
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