Thinking about reversing your BBL? Here’s what you need to know

Kim Kardashian is thought of as a poster child for the popular Brazilian butt lift (BBL) procedure, which is performed by first using liposuction to harvest fat (usually 360 degrees around the waist) and then re-injecting that fat beneath the skin of the buttocks and hips. This procedure can simply be used to create a natural, proportional lower body. Or, it can create a pronounced hourglass figure like Kim’s.

But recently, the celebrity underwent some highly publicized weight loss—and rumors are circulating that she also had surgery to reverse a BBL. But how, and to what extent, can a BBL be revised? Below, Las Vegas cosmetic surgeon Dr. Samir Pancholi explains.

Can you reverse a BBL?

A properly performed BBL can be reshaped or reversed to a degree using liposuction to remove subcutaneous fat. However, to achieve an attractive result from BBL revision, you must have good skin elasticity, which refers to the skin’s ability to contract or “bounce back” after being stretched. Skin elasticity tends to decline with age and environmental damage.

To achieve an attractive result from BBL revision, you must have good skin elasticity, which refers to the skin’s ability to contract or “bounce back” after being stretched.

The limits of BBL reversal liposuction

• You cannot expect your buttocks to look exactly the same as before surgery. Because there is a limit to how much liposuction can be performed, as well as natural changes to the skin that occur over time (i.e. stretching), your BBL reversal results are unlikely to exactly match your “before” BBL photos. Sometimes that can be a good thing where the surgeon can make a smaller version of the new shape that you like rather than an old shape you didn’t like. Discuss your specific body shaping goals in detail with your cosmetic surgeon; with realistic expectations and openness to complementary lifting procedures when needed, aesthetically pleasing results can be achieved.
• If you lack skin elasticity, you may have excess skin left behind if liposuction alone is used for treatment. A tightening procedure may be required to treat the excess skin and create a smooth, attractive result. Sometimes this can be with a tightening treatment such as Renuvion and other times it may need to be an excess skin removing procedure.
• If your BBL was performed recently, you will need to wait 6 months or longer before your results are “final.” After surgery, you will see some swelling, and it is likely that some of the transferred fat will fail to “take.” Thus, your results may still shrink subtly through the 6+ months following surgery.
• A BBL reversal procedure can only address fat transferred beneath the skin, or in the subcutaneous plane. In years past, some surgeons injected fat both into the gluteal muscle and beneath the skin to perform a BBL, believing that the fat would have a better chance of “taking” in the muscle area. This turned out to be an extremely dangerous technique, as the fat injected into the muscle had a higher chance of entering the bloodstream and causing life-threatening complications. For safety reasons, fat injections in the muscle plane cannot be reversed with liposuction surgery.

Will weight loss undo a BBL?

Weight loss may “shrink” your BBL, as the fat cells transferred to your buttocks during this procedure will shrink along with the rest of your body’s fat cells. However, keep in mind that weight loss affects fat cells across your body somewhat evenly, so your hourglass proportions may remain much the same if you lose weight after a BBL.

Why patients may want to “reverse” a BBL

We advise our patients to only undergo a BBL if they feel they will be happy with their results long-term, and after extensive discussion to ensure you have clear expectations for your results.

Still, it is possible to desire a change in your BBL. Some patients may want a revision surgery to soften or adjust the shape of their results, particularly if their surgeon did not clearly communicate what to expect from the procedure or give them the results they desired.

For example, a patient who has a large amount of fat injected in the upper portion of the buttocks for a very “round” or “bubble”-like appearance may ask to have some of that fat removed from the upper pole of the buttocks or hip-area to create a more of a heart-like, athletic buttock shape. And just as fashion trends cycle in and out, your tastes may change over time and you may prefer a more natural aesthetic.

You should not undergo a BBL if you want a temporary change or expect to have liposuction to reverse the procedure.

Remember that both liposuction and fat transfer are serious surgical procedures, and not to be undergone lightly; you should not undergo a BBL if you want a temporary change or expect to have liposuction to reverse the procedure. A BBL is intended to be a long-lasting procedure; talk to your surgeon about achieving results that will please you through various trends and only get a BBL if you expect to love your results for years to come.

If you want to learn more about the BBL procedure, please schedule a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Samir Pancholi. As a Diplomate of the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, Dr. Pancholi is a highly-trained, skilled, and experienced cosmetic surgeon who performs a range of procedures including breast augmentation, mommy makeover, and more. Our fully accredited surgical suite is located onsite at our practice for your convenience and privacy. To learn more or schedule your consultation, call (702) 363-0240 or contact us online today.