‘Does my butt look big in this?’ It was once the question asked by millions of women with body image issues. Now, a bigger butt is in fashion.
A record 28,600 women in the US underwent a cosmetic procedure to enhance their buttocks in 2022, figures show, a 54 per cent increase in five years.
Its popularity is believed to have been fueled by Instagram, along with the rise of hip-hop culture and the “Kardashian effect.”
Plastic surgeons told DailyMail.com that while some transformations are more obvious, such as those of rappers Nicki Minaj and Cardi B and Kim Kardashian, a more subtle form of BBL has emerged in recent years.
KIM KARDASHIAN: Pictured above in 2008 (left) and in recent years. It has now requested reductions in its supposed BBL.
Larsa Pippen photographed before and after her alleged BBL. She has denied reports that she had previously undergone surgery and said her glutes were reduced to “working out seven days a week.”
IGGY AZALEA, shown left in 2013, was one of surgeons’ favorite examples of BBL. She previously admitted to having the surgery.
They speculated that celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Latin singer Becky G have had “touch-ups,” in which only a small amount of fat was implanted in the buttocks to slightly accentuate natural curves.
The Brazilian butt lift (BBL), also known as butt augmentation with fat grafting, gained popularity in the mid-2010s.
Costing between $8,000 and $10,000 per procedure, it is performed by removing fat from one area of the body, such as the waist or inner thigh, and implanting it into the buttocks.
The most common technique involves making four incisions in the buttocks and using a cannula (a small tube-shaped medical instrument) to “plant” fat cells in the buttock area that patients want to become plumper.
Women who receive BBL will also undergo liposuction to reduce the amount of fat in their waist and accentuate their curves.
Some surgeons also use other techniques, including silicone buttock implants, to accentuate the buttocks, although this technique is notoriously dangerous.
Dr. Christopher Costa, a Las Vegas plastic surgeon, said the best BBLs are those that “get the curves while maintaining their most natural appearance.”
He noted that Iggy Azalea, 33, had had one of the best BBLs in the business.
MADONNA pictured in 2016 (left) and 2022 also opted for a BBL, according to surgeons. The star, 65, has not previously confirmed that she has undergone the procedure.
JAMES CHARLES pictured above in 2017 (left) and 2023. Confirmed he underwent a BBL
CARDI B, shown in two Instagram photos, also admitted to having a BBL. He later had her butt shaved after complaining about a smell.
“One of my all-time favorites is probably Iggy Azalea,” he said.
‘He just had the right base for it as he carried most of his weight in his lower body and had a wider hip.
“I use their photos to help my patients visualize what they will look like when they come in and say they want a great butt.”
Others the surgeon pointed out included Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, who he said had likely undergone multiple BBLs to achieve their big butts.
Iggy Azalea and Cardi B admitted to receiving a BBL, while Nicki Minaj previously said she had received illegal butt injections.
Both Nicki Minaj and Cardi B have previously expressed regret about their big butts, with Cardi B saying that the operation caused her butt to not smell good.
But the surgeon said there has recently been a move away from larger buttocks, with more women now seeking only slight improvements to their butts.
Dr. Costa said, “I still have patients come in saying they want their butts as big as possible and bringing pictures of stars like Nicki Minaj and Iggy Azalea.”
‘But there is also a group that seeks BBL but stays away from much larger glutes.
‘They saw women with big BBLs walking on the beach and thought, “Oh my God, I would never want a BBL, you know?”
“But they still come for operations to improve body contours or curves, to achieve that perfect hip-to-waist ratio.”
Among celebrities, surgeons suggested that Jennifer Lopez could be among those who have opted for more subtle enhancements.
The 54-year-old star is famous for her pert butt, but doctors say as she got older they expected it to shrink, which hasn’t been the case.
NICKI MINAJ pictured above in 2001 (left) and 2015. Plastic surgeons said she probably had two or three operations to get her bigger butt.
BECKY G (pictured above in 2015, left, and 2016) may be an example of someone who got a more natural BBL, surgeons said, which only slightly accentuated her figure. Becky G has not said that she previously had a BBL
La La Anthony photographed in 2004 (left) and 2021, reportedly received a BBL
Dr. Daniel Barrett, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, said, “She even commented on the loss of her nice butt that she is known for.”
“I think that’s why some kind of maintenance procedure may have been performed, to help her get back to looking the same.”
He added: “I often tell patients over 50 who come in for a tummy tuck or liposuction that we might as well do a fat transfer procedure on their butt because later in life they will regret not having it done.” “.
But those who receive BBL from age 60 run the risk of making their butt look unnatural, according to Dr. Barrett.
As an example of this, the surgeons pointed to Madonna, 65 years old.
Dr Costa said: “If you look at his results, he received a lot of criticism because they didn’t look very good, they looked a bit strange and disproportionate.
‘[That has] a lot to do with his age. Anyone who is 60 years old will not have the thickest skin or the best ligaments to support the tissue that has been transplanted.
“And therefore, if a lot of fat is injected, it is difficult to achieve a truly attractive and natural result.”
Some men in the gay and trans community also request BBL, both surgeons said.
YouTube star James Charles is an example of this, and he has now admitted to a BBL to get a bigger butt.
Dr Costa said: ‘I’ve definitely done a lot of male BBL. However, this trend has always been there.
‘It’s quite common that most of the men who do it are from South America and Colombia, and it leans more towards the LGBT community.
‘They want the butt to look more sculpted and more muscular. However, there is a group that also seeks to make the butt appear more feminized.
KYLIE JENNER, pictured in 2013 (left) and 2019, is also alleged to have had a BBL. Kylie Jenner has not confirmed if she received a BBL
Jennifer Lopez, 54, may have also had a BBL according to surgeons. They said this would probably keep her buttocks in shape, because they shrink as a person ages. Jennifer Lopez has not confirmed if she had a BBL
Another celebrity in the smaller, more subtle BBL club may be Latin singer Becky G, according to Dr. Costa.
He said: “Now I have people coming in saying I don’t want these crazy big butts, I just want to try to get these curves… more like Becky G.
“It’s a very natural looking boot and I think it could well be a good example of someone who had a subtle BBL.”
Becky G has also never confirmed the rumors that she had a BBL.
One of the most concerning complications of BBLs is fat embolism, which occurs when fat cells enter the bloodstream and travel to a vital organ such as the heart or lungs, where they can trigger internal bleeding and prove fatal.
Other complications of surgery include fat necrosis, or tissue death, and fluid retention, where fluid builds up in certain areas and needs more surgery to remove.
Earlier this year, the CDC warned about butt lifts in the Dominican Republic, saying a total of 93 Americans had died since 2008 after heading to the country in search of a cut-price BBL.