Brazilian butt lift, commonly referred to as BBL, is gaining popularity in Kenya.
The Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) is one of the world's most popular cosmetic procedures. However, some women are not satisfied after undergoing BBL surgery and consider getting a second procedure to improve the results.
Nation Lifestyle spoke to Dr Muriu Kinuthia, a plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon at Primecare Health Centre, about whether it is possible to undergo multiple BBL procedures and how safe it is.
“A Brazilian Butt Lift is usually planned as a single procedure,” he explains. “However, some patients do undergo a second surgery.”
Some patients may want more volume, or some of the transferred fat may not have survived, which could slightly reduce the final size, or the surgeon may intentionally advise staging the procedure to achieve the desired results safely.
In some cases, surgeons prefer gradual fat grafting to transferring a very large amount of fat at once, as this improves both safety and the quality of the final result.
"The body can only safely accommodate a certain amount of fat transfer at one time," explains Dr Kinuthia.
Brazilian butt lift, popularly known as BBL is gaining popularity in Kenya.
He adds that, while repeat surgeries are not the norm, they are also not rare.
The most common reasons for a second surgery include wanting more volume or projection, refining the shape after the first procedure, and compensating for fat that did not survive after the initial transfer.
So, is there a limit to how many BBLs a person can have?
‘There is no fixed number that applies to everyone. The main considerations are the patient’s overall health, how much fat is available for transfer and how the tissues have responded to previous surgery,” he says.
A second BBL procedure may not be advisable if the patient’s health, ability to undergo anaesthesia, available fat for harvesting, skin elasticity, and buttock tissue capacity cannot safely accommodate the transferred fat. The patient's healing after the first procedure and the amount of fat previously transferred should also be considered.
“Patients who are good candidates for a second procedure usually have sufficient fat deposits in areas such as the abdomen, back or thighs; have maintained a stable weight since the initial surgery; have healed well; and have good skin quality that can accommodate the additional volume from the second procedure,” he adds.
During a second procedure, the surgeon often focuses more on refinement. They focus more on improving symmetry, contour or projection rather than simply adding volume.
The donor fat is usually taken from areas such as the abdomen, lower back, flanks, thighs and upper back, and sometimes the arms, depending on where fat is available.
“For fat to survive after transfer, it must establish a new blood supply in the buttocks. If too much fat is injected at once, some of it may not receive this supply and may not survive, which affects the final result.”
Dr Kinuthia advises patients to wait between six and 12 months before considering another procedure. "This allows the transferred fat to stabilise, the swelling to subside, and the final shape resulting from the first surgery to become apparent."
The pain levels experienced during both the first and second procedures are usually similar. Patients usually report that recovery is easier the second time around because they are familiar with the process and know what to expect.
"Most of the discomfort from a BBL procedure comes from the liposuction areas where fat is harvested, rather than the buttocks themselves."
He cautions that if a patient no longer has sufficient fat deposits, the surgeon may advise against repeating the procedure, as a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) relies entirely on the patient’s own fat. "Attempting to harvest fat where it is not available can lead to poor results or unnecessary surgical risk," he adds.
Dr Kinuthia points out that the potential benefits of a second BBL procedure include increasing the projection or volume of the buttocks, improving body proportions further, and providing additional contouring of the areas treated with liposuction.
Can slim or petite individuals safely undergo a BBL procedure?
“Yes, slim individuals can sometimes undergo a BBL if they have enough fat in the donor areas to harvest. However, in very lean patients, the available fat may be limited so the procedure may not be advisable."
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