There have been many news stories in the past decade that have discussed the rise in popularity of the Brazilian butt lift (BBL) across the globe. This butt augmentation technique has gone from a being a “taboo” topic to being accepted by a mainstream audience of all ages. Thanks to the influence of social media, the demand for the procedure has grown in popularity throughout this decade. However, the past few months have shown what appears to be a shift away from the desire to have the surgery. Is it true that the popularity of the BBL is heading in a downwards direction? Let’s find out!
By typing phrases such as “BBL effect” and “BBL era is over” into the search bar of TikTok, the result will be dozens of videos posted by users who want to discuss their Brazilian butt lift reversal surgery and whey they think the BBL trend is on the way out.
Many social media users speculate that the trend is not as popular due to gossip about the Kardashians having BBL reversal surgery. There have also been news stories focusing on the danger of undergoing a procedure designed to enhance the look of the butt.
Data released by The Aesthetic Society, covering the years 2020-2021, showed that doctors are continuing to see an increase in popularity of the BBL and buttock augmentation. The data reported that a total of thirty-seven percent more buttock augmentation surgeries were performed in 2021 when compared to 2020. The number of buttock augmentation procedures during this time period increased from 44,725 procedures in 2020 to 61,387 procedures in 2021.
In order to reduce the results of a Brazilian butt lift, the surgeon will remove the fat that was placed in the buttocks during the original BBL surgery. The fat that was placed in the buttocks was removed from another area of the body of the patient so it could be purified before being injected into the backside.
The reduction procedure often involves combining a skin tightening technique with the removal of the fat because the addition of the fat during the original treatment usually causes the skin to stretch. If the fat that was placed in the butt is removed, the skin that was stretched out will become loose in appearance which means it needs to be tightened by the surgeon.
The general impression of a BBL in the eyes of the public is that the size of the butt will grow to the point that the shape of the butt might look like the backside of Jennifer Lopez. (This is not saying that Jennifer Lopez had a BBL as much as her large butt is often one of the first “larger backsides” thought of when the public thinks of larger butts.)
There are some patients who want a more subtle look to the changes to their butt. They might want to get an enhanced shape to the butt but not a larger amount of volume. They might also want to fill-in areas of the butt that have a depressed look or simply address irregularities to the
contour of the butt. The desired final result might be nothing more than a natural look to the volume and shape of the booty as opposed to the exaggerated look that is associated with a BBL.
There are also some patients who had a BBL in the past, but they no longer want a butt with that much volume. The decision to have a Brazilian butt lift might have been made when they were younger but now their lifestyle has changed, or they are at a different place in their career where an overly large butt is not the ideal choice for their personal or professional lives.
There are also cases where the person simply does not like the results they gained from the surgery. They might not like the shape or amount of volume that resulted from the BBL surgery, so they want to gain a different shape and size to the butt.
Patients often bring “inspiration photos” to their consultation appointment. In the past, the photos were often of celebrities such as Kim Kardashian or Jennifer Lopez. These days, the desired look to the butt is shifting away from the exaggerated look of those female celebrities to a more natural and subdued look. Some of the “inspiration photos” being shared with doctors are pictures of friends or family members who have a backside desired by the patient. They also bring in photos of people they know who had the surgery in the past and they are looking to gain results that are similar in size, shape, and appearance.