The desire for a curvaceous shape, commonly known as Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) has become a big deal for many ladies, especially within the entertainment industry.
Some decide to fix their bodies because they might have been body-shamed at some point in their lives, while others do it out of low self-confidence in their looks.
But would one go to the extent of starving just to acquire the perfect curves and looks?
Well, according to Loretta Aba Bannerman-Martin, popularly known as Aba Dhope, a TikTok influencer and businesswoman, getting a curvy shape has been a major headache, regardless of the amount that may be required.
According to Aba Dhope, her main insecurity for years was not having larger buttocks, despite being a successful restaurant owner. This insecurity led her to wear a butt pad in an attempt to address her perceived flaw. However, she recalled an experience where someone discovered the butt pad and felt ashamed, which prompted her to consider cosmetic surgery.
In her search for the best hospital and surgeon to give her that perfect look, she found one in Turkey and really wanted to go, even though it was expensive.
Fortunately, she was later introduced to a surgeon in Nigeria, where the cost was less expensive. She mentioned that she paid around GH¢23,000 to GH¢25,000 (Ghanaian cedis) for the surgery. She also had to borrow money to cover the cost.
Sharing her experience, she said the painful thing about cosmetic surgeries isn’t the initial moulding of the body, where knives and needles are used, but rather the healing process.
There are side effects and dangers attached to having a BBL, which is considered one of the deadliest cosmetic procedures, something that not enough people talk about. If you are considering getting one, you should make sure you understand everything the surgery entails.
What is a BBL?
A Brazilian butt lift is a cosmetic surgical procedure that changes the size and shape of a person’s butt using their own fat from other areas of the body.
A certified plastic surgeon removes extra fat from the abdomen or another body area and carefully injects it into the buttocks.
As long as the procedure is performed by a skilled and qualified surgeon, the Brazilian butt lift offers impressive results.
It can help address certain issues, such as the sagging and shapelessness that sometimes occur with age.
How is BBL done?
While techniques may differ from surgeon to surgeon, the essentials are the same. Before surgery, the doctor draws on the body to define where they will extract fat and where they will inject it.
Then the patient is put under general anaesthesia, and the surgeon injects intravenous fluids such as adrenaline and lidocaine into the areas marked for liposuction to ensure easier fat detachment, less bleeding and less pain during recovery.
Once the fat is extracted, it goes through a filtering process that extracts the live fat cells from the liposuction fluid. The fat is then injected into the butt with a long cannula (a thin, straw-like tube) that is inserted under the skin.
What is recovery like?
The procedure itself is straightforward but, as many patients have said, the recovery is the hardest part.
While some may feel it more than others and medication is provided, you should expect to experience pain, soreness and swelling for about two to six weeks after the procedure.
During the first two weeks, you are not allowed to sit down, lie on your back or in any way rest your glutes on hard surfaces. That means you will have to sleep either on your stomach or your side and remain standing for all daily activities, except for going to the bathroom.
Once your surgeon gives you the go-ahead, you can start to sit using a special doughnut-shaped seat, or to place pillows strategically around your thighs, to lessen the pressure on your BBL. Only after eight to 10 weeks will you be allowed to sit down normally.
What to expect
The results of a BBL are semi-permanent, so there is a chance you would need to undergo surgery to go back to your original shape. Only 70 to 80 per cent of grafted fat remains in the intended area, the rest is absorbed back into the body, which can lead to a decrease in size or a change of shape.
The fat cells injected into your buttocks will perform just like the rest of your body’s fat cells, they become a part of your glutes. This means that, if you gain weight, the cells will collect more fat and get bigger. If you lose weight, the cells will dwindle and become smaller.
What Can Go Wrong With The BBL?
No cosmetic procedure is risk-free. But there seems to be a never-ending stream of news stories and reports detailing BBL-related complications and even deaths.
Reports by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, show a fatality rate of 1 in 3000 as a result of Brazilian butt lift.
During a BBL procedure, fat is supposed to be injected into your muscles and your skin. When not done correctly, fat can be accidentally injected into the muscles.
When this happens, the fat may travel to your lungs or heart, causing severe complications such as respiratory distress and ultimately death.
What are some other side effects of a BBL?
- Bruising.
- Infection.
- Skin discolouration or changes in skin sensation.
- Swelling or poor wound healing.