A Brazilian Butt Lift, or BBL, is a body-contouring procedure that removes fat from selected donor areas with liposuction and transfers prepared fat into the buttocks or surrounding contour zones to change shape, proportion, projection, or symmetry.

Brazilian Butt Lift surgery at Adonis is performed by board-certified plastic surgeon Joshua Y. Jacobson, MD. His Adonis practice includes BBL, liposuction, Lipo 360, tummy tuck, and other body-contouring procedures. Dr. Jacobson medically reviewed this page.

No. A traditional BBL uses your own fat rather than a buttock implant. The procedure combines liposuction with autologous fat grafting.

Common donor areas include the abdomen, waist, flanks, lower back, and thighs. The surgeon chooses donor zones based on where usable fat exists and whether removing it will improve rather than disrupt your overall proportions.

Yes, when appropriate. Lipo 360 can contour the abdomen, waist, flanks, and back while providing donor fat for transfer. The combined plan changes both the torso and buttock contour and must be designed around the patient's anatomy and safe operative scope.

Skinny BBL is an informal term for BBL surgery in a leaner patient with less donor fat. The procedure still uses liposuction and fat transfer, but the achievable volume may be smaller and donor areas need to be selected more conservatively.

That can only be determined after examining your body composition and donor areas. A patient may have enough fat for targeted shape refinement without having enough available for a dramatic volume increase.

Many BBL procedures take approximately two to four hours, but operative time varies with the number of donor areas, amount of liposuction, contouring complexity, and overall surgical plan.

BBL carries the risks of surgery and liposuction plus specific fat-grafting risks, including fat embolism, which can be life-threatening. Current safety guidance emphasizes keeping fat in the subcutaneous plane above the gluteal fascia and supports real-time ultrasound visualization during injection. Your surgeon should discuss the safety technique used for your procedure.

Real-time ultrasound allows the surgeon to visualize the cannula during the fat-injection portion of the procedure. Major plastic-surgery societies support this approach as a way to help confirm that fat is being delivered in the intended subcutaneous plane above the muscle fascia.

Many patients become substantially more functional over two to six weeks, but unrestricted sitting, driving, exercise, and normal activity return in stages. The final contour continues developing for months as swelling resolves and the transferred fat stabilizes.

Sitting restrictions vary by surgeon, recipient area, and postoperative protocol. Direct pressure on newly grafted areas is typically limited during the early healing period. Follow the exact positioning and sitting instructions provided by your operating surgeon rather than a generic timeline.

Sleeping position depends on where fat was transferred and what other areas were treated. Patients are commonly instructed to avoid prolonged direct pressure on grafted buttock areas during early healing. Your surgeon's positioning instructions should guide the exact setup.

Compression is commonly used over the liposuction donor areas to control swelling and support healing. Compression should not be applied in a way that creates inappropriate pressure on newly grafted areas. Garment type and duration are individualized.

Fat retention varies substantially among patients and cannot be guaranteed as a fixed percentage. Published studies report variable retention depending on technique, patient factors, measurement method, and follow-up.[6] Some transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed, while the portion that establishes a durable blood supply contributes to the longer-term result.

The early result is affected by both swelling and temporary postoperative volume. The contour becomes easier to evaluate over the following months as swelling resolves and the retained fat stabilizes. A more mature result is commonly assessed around several months after surgery.

Transferred fat that successfully establishes itself can be long-lasting, but it remains living fat tissue and can change size with weight gain or weight loss. Aging and future body changes can also affect the overall contour.

Fat transfer may be used to improve selected hip or lateral-buttock contour deficiencies when anatomy and available donor fat allow. The amount and location of transfer must be planned individually rather than assuming every hip dip should be filled completely.

Yes. Fat transfer can be used for male patients as well, but the contour goal may be different. Some men seek subtle gluteal projection or improved waist-to-hip proportion rather than the rounder silhouette commonly associated with female BBL requests.

Not necessarily. BBL adds volume but does not directly remove a large amount of loose skin. Patients with substantial skin laxity after major weight loss may need a buttock or lower-body lift rather than fat transfer alone.

Potential risks include bleeding, infection, fluid collections, contour irregularity, asymmetry, fat necrosis, oil cysts, changes in sensation, scarring, blood clots, anesthesia complications, fat embolism, loss of transferred fat, and the possibility of revision surgery. Individual risk depends on health, anatomy, technique, and the overall operative plan.[5]

Adonis currently publishes a $10,500 to $18,000 range for Brazilian Butt Lift surgery. Final pricing depends on donor areas, the extent of liposuction, operative complexity, anesthesia, facility requirements, and the individualized fat-transfer plan.

Yes. Adonis Plastic Surgery is in Torrance and serves patients from Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Long Beach, San Pedro, Carson, Gardena, Lomita, and throughout the South Bay and Greater Los Angeles.