The trendy Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) has become the one procedure patients regret most in 2025, according to an expert plastic surgeon.
Buttock augmentations surged by nearly 63 percent worldwide between 2020 and 2024, with plastic surgeons performing over 644,770 BBL procedures this year alone, according to international data.
During a BBL, designed to emulate the plump posteriors of celebs such as Kim Kardashian and Cardi B, surgeons first perform liposuction on areas like the stomach and thighs to collect the necessary fat. That fat is then purified and meticulously injected into the buttocks to build volume and create a more rounded, projected shape.
As the procedure's popularity has risen, so too have reports of patient regret. According to Dr Fuat Yüksel, a plastic surgeon at the UK-based firm Longevita, the primary complaint from patients is: 'The result did not meet my expectations.'
'While the outcome may be perfectly safe and anatomically sound, it can differ from what the patient might have imagined, which can lead to psychological dissatisfaction.'
BBLs have been discouraged by many plastic surgeons over the possibility of a fatal fat embolism, which can occur if fat is inadvertently injected into a deep muscle vessel, travels to the heart or lungs and causes a sudden cardiac arrest.
Despite their risks, BBLs are still popular, with 30,000 procedures performed every year in the US.
According to Dr Yüksel, many patients enter the operating room with unrealistic expectations. In reality, there is a limit to safe fat transfer and a significant portion of it will be naturally reabsorbed by the body as it heals.
BBLs, designed to emulate the plump posteriors of celebs such as Kim Kardashian, remain popular thanks to their celebrity devotees with nearly 30,000 performed annually
Yüksel told Bored Panda: 'Because of this, the final result may not match the exaggerated looks people frequently see online. There are many misleading photos and unrealistic examples on social media, so patients' expectations can easily become distorted.'
'Often, they are influenced by something they liked on social media, but everyone's physiology is unique. So, it's not possible for everyone to get the same results.'
The medical limitations of the procedure make it physically impossible to achieve the exaggerated results many patients see online.
'This is largely due to a gap between expectations and reality,' Dr Yüksel said.
The BBL is a two-part procedure that begins with liposuction. Surgeons first use a cannula to strategically suction excess fat from donor sites on the patient's body, typically the abdomen, flanks, lower back and thighs.
The harvested fat is then purified and prepared for transfer, turning these areas into a source for the augmentation material.
The second and most critical phase is the reinjection. Using specialized cannulas, the surgeon meticulously injects the purified fat cells into specific layers and regions of the buttocks to create enhanced volume, improve shape and achieve a more outwardly-projected appearance.
Safety and patient satisfaction depend on placing the fat precisely into the fat layer above the muscle to avoid the lethal risk of fat emboli, which can occur if it is injected into deeper muscle tissue.
The body can only safely accept a limited amount of transferred fat, and a significant portion is naturally absorbed during the healing process.
The final outcome, while achieved safely in exchange for about $9,000, often falls short of the exaggerated, picture-perfect backsides patients have seen online, leaving them slightly disappointed.
Several women, including celebrities, have expressed regret over undergoing BBLs.
Grammy-winner Sza told British Vogue last year: 'I'm so mad I did that sh. I gained all this weight from being immobile while recovering and trying to preserve the fat. It was just so stupid.'
The singer Cardi B revealed on the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast that she had recently undergone surgery to downsize her BBL. To do so even further, she said, would require significant incisions and a grueling three-month recovery.
Cardi B said: 'So, it's like, I'm not going to put myself in that position again because you don't like my body. I'm comfortable. I learned to live with it. I don’t get no complaints [from] nobody and it is what it is.'
The BBL boom is showing signs of losing air, with plastic surgeons across the US reporting patients going under the knife for reversal procedures that involve strategically suctioning out the previously transferred fat from the buttocks and hips.
In some cases, reversal procedures are the result of botched results the first time around. Dr Yüksel stressed that patients must consult qualified and ethical surgeons, who are more likely to provide a realistic picture of potential outcomes and risks during a consultation.
Patients must also understand that anatomical limitations make it impossible to perfectly replicate the exaggerated results often seen online.
Dr Yüksel said: 'For this very reason, the surgeon's role is extremely important in providing proper guidance, managing expectations, and transparently explaining what the realistic outcome will look like.'
'Clearly communicating the expected outcome is critical in preventing postoperative regret.'