Growing Demand for Brazilian Butt Lifts

The curvy backsides of Kim Kardashian, Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez continue to inspire thousands of American women in their quest for rounder, fuller buttocks. Recent data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons shows that more than 10,000 U.S. women had buttock augmentation last year – a 15 percent jump since 2012. Among the various ways to boost your derriere, the Brazilian butt lift is perhaps the most sought after, and since it uses a patient’s own unwanted fat for “filler,” it’s not hard to see why.

One New York plastic surgeon told NBC News that Brazilian butt lifts are his second-most requested surgery – and now he’s performing up to five each week.  However, buyer beware… butt lifts, like any surgical procedure, are not without risks.

Above all, prospective patients should find a board-certified surgeon with ample experience doing the procedure to minimize chances of post-operative complications or, worse – ending up with a medical quack who injects industrial substances.

Horror stories of Brazilian butt lifts gone wrong

Marissa, a 39-year-old mother, had her Brazilian butt lift in New York with a qualified plastic surgeon and is thrilled with the results. “And it’s your own fat; it’s not like you’re getting some foreign subject in your body. You hear all these horror stories about people getting these butt injections that are like, things from Home Depot,” she told NBC News of her procedure.

With an average price tag hovering around $6,500, a Brazilian butt lift takes fat from another area of the body (removed via liposuction) and transfers it to the middle and upper buttocks to create an envy-worthy posterior. It’s a no-brainer for ladies who want shapelier curves without resorting to synthetic butt implants.  Massive weight loss, aging and good old genetics can leave women with pancake-thin buttocks, and though gluteal exercises can boost the bum a bit, it can never give the effects of butt contouring with your own body fat.

In light of the ever increasing demand for Brazilian butt lifts, a lot of uncertified, inexperienced or otherwise negligent doctors are advertising their services – with disastrous results.

A couple of years ago, charges were brought against Oneal Ron Morris, who posed as a surgeon and injected a patient’s buttocks with a toxic mixture of superglue, mineral oil, cement and Fix-a-Flat. Illegal buttock injections with unregulated fillers led to the death of a British tourist in 2011, and more recently a 28-year-old mother of two. In the latter case, the woman was treated at a Miami clinic by a man who claimed to be a Venezuelan surgeon.  The victim paid $2,300 in cash for the injections – a budget rate for a butt-enhancement procedure that ultimately cost her life.

Fat transfer in a Brazilian butt lift surgery

Ideal candidates for Brazilian butt lift surgery have excess fat on the stomach, love handles, thighs or back. This fat is suctioned out, purified and then re-injected into key areas of the buttocks at varying depths to achieve an ideal appearance.  Petite ladies who are size 2-4 may not have enough extra fat to warrant the procedure, and may be better suited for butt implants. One of the biggest questions among Brazilian butt lift patients is “do the results last – and for how long?”

While some fat will naturally be reabsorbed into your body, whatever is left by four months is likely permanent. So the results are long-lasting and you get to slim down in the process! Most patients have a short recovery time and can be back to work and normal activities after two weeks.

Private consultation in New York

For more information on Brazilian butt lift surgery or other body contouring procedures with one of New York’s best plastic surgeons, please call the Fifth Avenue office of Dr. Thomas Loeb to schedule a private consultation: 212-327-3700.