A Brazilian Butt Lift, commonly called a BBL, combines liposuction with fat transfer to improve the shape of the buttocks, hips and waist. Fat is removed from selected areas of the body, prepared for transfer and carefully placed where additional contour is needed.
For Dr. Shain Cuber, the goal is not simply to create a larger buttock. It is to create a rounder, more aesthetically pleasing shape that remains proportionate to the patient’s frame and figure.
Many women tell Dr. Cuber that they do not want an excessively large result. They want better shape, smoother hip contours and curves that help their jeans and dresses fit more comfortably. By evaluating the entire midsection rather than focusing on one isolated area, Dr. Cuber can create a more balanced relationship between the abdomen, waist, hips and buttocks.
A BBL reshapes the body in two complementary ways. First, liposuction removes stubborn fat from selected areas such as the abdomen, waist, flanks and back to create a slimmer, more defined contour. The harvested fat is then prepared and strategically transferred to the buttocks and, when appropriate, the hips.
This combination allows Dr. Cuber to reduce fullness where it disrupts the silhouette and add volume where greater projection, roundness or a smoother transition would improve overall proportion.
Dr. Cuber commonly removes fat from areas such as the abdomen, waist, hips, flanks and back. Some patients also benefit from liposuction of the thighs or other areas where stubborn fat is available for transfer.
This stage is an important part of the final result. Narrowing the waist, flattening the abdomen and refining the back can make the buttocks appear more balanced and improve the contour of the entire midsection.
Liposuction may extend around the torso when a more comprehensive approach is needed. Dr. Cuber determines the appropriate treatment areas based on the patient’s anatomy, skin elasticity and aesthetic goals.
The harvested fat is carefully processed to separate healthy, viable fat cells from excess fluid, blood and damaged tissue. This preparation creates a cleaner, more concentrated collection of fat for transfer.
Dr. Cuber then uses the purified fat for controlled grafting into specific areas of the buttocks and, when appropriate, the hips. The amount prepared and transferred depends on the patient’s available donor fat, existing anatomy and desired degree of enhancement.
Dr. Cuber places the prepared fat above the gluteal muscle, using controlled placement to build a smoother, rounder shape. Modern safety recommendations emphasize keeping gluteal fat grafting within the subcutaneous plane above the muscle and fascia.
The amount and location of the transferred fat are tailored to the patient. Some women need greater central projection. Others benefit more from improved upper-buttock fullness, smoother hip transitions or correction of hip dips.
The key is placing the fat where it improves the patient’s overall shape rather than adding volume everywhere.
Dr. Cuber approaches BBL surgery with an emphasis on proportion. Every patient’s anatomy is different, and the same fat-placement pattern will not create the right result for everyone.
Before surgery, he evaluates the patient while standing and considers:
These factors help determine where fat should be removed and where it should be added.
Some patients want a noticeable increase in volume. Others simply want a more rounded shape without looking as though they have had an obvious procedure. Dr. Cuber listens carefully to those preferences and develops a plan intended to complement the patient’s natural proportions.
Before and After
These before-and-after photos reflect the focus of the surgeons at Balikian Plastic Surgery on improving the shape of the waist, hips and buttocks while creating balanced proportions that look natural for each patient.
A Brazilian Butt Lift is also a comprehensive body-contouring procedure. The final result depends not only on the fat transferred into the buttocks but also on how the surrounding areas are shaped.
Dr. Cuber frequently performs liposuction of the abdomen, waist, flanks and back as part of BBL surgery. This circumferential approach is sometimes called Lipo 360.
Removing fat from multiple areas can:
Dr. Cuber describes liposuction and fat transfer as procedures that work together. Refining the areas around the buttocks can be just as important as adding volume to the buttocks themselves.
Hip dips are natural indentations where the upper thigh meets the pelvis. Some patients have very little fatty tissue in this area, creating a more noticeable inward curve between the hips and buttocks.
Fat transfer can be used to soften these indentations and create a smoother, more rounded transition. Dr. Cuber often evaluates the hips as part of BBL planning because treating the buttocks without considering the surrounding hip contour may produce an incomplete result.
The goal is not to erase every natural curve. It is to determine whether selective fat placement can create a more balanced shape across the waist, hips and buttocks.
Because the procedure reshapes both the donor areas and the buttocks, its benefits extend beyond added volume to improve the balance and contour of the entire midsection.
A personalized BBL with Dr. Cuber may:
Together, these improvements can create a more defined waist, smoother hip contour and fuller buttock shape that remain balanced with the rest of your figure.
Good candidates generally want to improve the shape of the buttocks and surrounding areas while maintaining natural-looking proportions. They must also have enough donor fat available for liposuction and transfer.
A consultation with Dr. Cuber may include an evaluation of:
Patients should be close to a stable, healthy weight. A BBL is intended to reshape localized fat deposits and improve proportion. It is not a substitute for weight loss.
Skin elasticity is also important. If significant loose skin is present, liposuction alone may make that laxity more noticeable. Dr. Cuber evaluates whether BBL and liposuction are appropriate or whether another body-contouring procedure would provide a better result.
BBL surgery requires careful knowledge of gluteal anatomy and disciplined fat placement. Dr. Cuber places transferred fat above the gluteal muscle rather than within the muscle.
This is consistent with current multi-society safety recommendations emphasizing fat placement in the subcutaneous plane above the gluteal fascia. Intramuscular fat injection can increase the risk of fat embolism and other serious complications.
Safety also includes selecting the right patient, determining an appropriate amount of liposuction and fat transfer, performing surgery in a properly equipped facility and providing detailed postoperative instructions.
During consultation, patients should discuss the risks, benefits and alternatives with Dr. Cuber and make sure they understand the complete surgical and recovery plan.
Fat cells need to establish a new blood supply after they are transferred. During the early healing period, the body naturally reabsorbs some of the grafted fat while the surviving cells become incorporated into the surrounding tissue.
The buttocks may initially appear fuller because of swelling and the total amount of fat placed. As swelling decreases and the grafts stabilize, the contour gradually settles.
Fat that successfully establishes a blood supply can provide lasting volume. However, future weight changes, pregnancy and aging can affect the transferred fat and the surrounding tissues. Maintaining a stable weight helps preserve the result.
Recovery involves healing in both the liposuction donor areas and the fat-transfer areas. Swelling, soreness, firmness and bruising are expected during the early stages.
Dr. Cuber provides individualized instructions based on the extent of liposuction and the amount and location of fat transferred.
Direct pressure on the buttocks must be limited while the transferred fat establishes a blood supply.
Patients may be instructed to:
These precautions are important because early pressure may interfere with graft survival.
Compression garments are used to reduce swelling and help the skin adapt to the new contours created by liposuction.
Dr. Cuber commonly has patients wear compression garments for an extended period. The exact garment, schedule and duration depend on the areas treated and the patient’s healing progress.
The garment compresses the liposuction areas while avoiding unnecessary pressure on the transferred fat.
Gentle walking begins early to support circulation. Return to work depends on the extent of surgery, the patient’s comfort and whether the job requires prolonged sitting or physical activity.
Exercise and strenuous activity return gradually after Dr. Cuber confirms that healing is progressing appropriately. Patients should not use a generic recovery timeline in place of their individualized postoperative instructions.
An improvement in waist and buttock contour is visible early, but the initial appearance includes swelling.
The body continues to change as:
The more stable result becomes apparent over the following months. Maintaining a consistent weight and following postoperative instructions help protect the outcome.
Dr. Cuber has performed aesthetic breast and body surgery for more than two decades. His approach combines technical experience with what he describes as aesthetic judgment.
He does not begin with one predetermined shape or a standard amount of fat. He evaluates each patient’s anatomy and asks what shape would be most appropriate for that person’s body.
For BBL surgery, that means considering the abdomen, waist, back, hips and buttocks together. It also means listening to whether the patient wants subtle rounding, greater projection, smoother hip dips or more comprehensive reshaping.
The objective is not simply a bigger buttock. It is a more balanced figure, improved curves and a result that looks natural in proportion to the rest of the body.
Where does Dr. Cuber obtain the fat used for a BBL?
A Brazilian Butt Lift, or BBL, combines liposuction with fat transfer. Dr. Cuber removes fat from selected donor areas, prepares it for transfer and carefully places it in the subcutaneous tissue above the gluteal muscle. This approach can improve buttock shape while refining the waist, abdomen, flanks and back.
How does Dr. Cuber create a natural-looking BBL result?
Dr. Cuber plans the procedure around the patient’s existing anatomy rather than using one standard shape or volume. He evaluates the waist, abdomen, hips, back and buttocks together, then determines where removing and adding fat can create a more balanced figure.
The goal may be subtle rounding, greater projection, fuller upper-buttock contours or smoother transitions through the hips. For many patients, improving the surrounding proportions is just as important as increasing buttock volume.
Where does Dr. Cuber obtain the fat used for a BBL?
Fat is commonly removed from the abdomen, waist, flanks, hips and back. Some patients may also have usable donor fat in the thighs or another area.
These donor areas are selected according to the patient’s anatomy and goals. Liposuction does more than provide fat for transfer—it can narrow the waist and improve the overall relationship between the torso, hips and buttocks.
Where is the fat placed during BBL surgery?
Dr. Cuber places the transferred fat above the gluteal muscle in the subcutaneous plane. Avoiding intramuscular injection is an important safety principle because fat placed within or beneath the muscle may enter large blood vessels and cause a pulmonary fat embolism.
Recent research continues to support techniques that help surgeons confirm that the cannula and injected fat remain in the intended subcutaneous plane.
Why is the fat-placement plane important?
The gluteal muscles contain large veins that can provide a pathway for fat to enter the circulation if they are injured during injection. Maintaining fat placement above the muscle is intended to reduce this risk.
A 2024 retrospective study of 1,815 ultrasound-guided procedures reported no deaths or macroscopic fat emboli when surgeons used real-time imaging to visualize subcutaneous fat placement. This study supports the importance of confirming the injection plane, although it does not eliminate every surgical risk.
How much of the transferred fat will survive?
Not every transferred fat cell will establish a permanent blood supply. Dr. Cuber advises patients that approximately two-thirds of the transferred volume may remain over the long term, although the amount varies by patient.
In one 2024 prospective study, estimated fat retention was 77.9% at three months and 64.7% at six months. These figures are averages from one patient group and should not be interpreted as a guaranteed individual result.
Can a BBL improve hip dips?
Yes. When a patient has sufficient donor fat, Dr. Cuber may place fat along the lateral hips to soften hip dips and create a smoother transition from the waist into the buttocks.
The objective is not necessarily to eliminate every natural indentation. Selective placement is used to improve balance while preserving a shape that remains proportionate to the patient’s frame.
Does a BBL include Lipo 360?
Dr. Cuber may perform circumferential liposuction of the abdomen, waist, flanks and back when broader torso contouring is appropriate. This is often referred to as Lipo 360.
Treating these surrounding areas can create a narrower waist and make the buttocks appear rounder without relying exclusively on a large fat-transfer volume. The exact donor areas are determined by the patient’s anatomy, skin elasticity and available fat.
When will I see my final BBL results?
An improvement may be visible soon after surgery, but early volume includes swelling. During the following months, swelling decreases, the liposuction areas settle and a portion of the transferred fat is naturally reabsorbed.
A more stable result generally emerges after the surviving fat has established a blood supply and the treated tissues have softened. In a prospective study using three-dimensional imaging, researchers evaluated retention through six months, illustrating why early postoperative volume should not be considered the final result.
Are BBL results permanent?
Fat that survives the healing process can remain for the long term. However, the transferred cells continue to behave like fat elsewhere in the body, meaning they can become larger or smaller with weight changes.
Maintaining a relatively stable weight can help preserve the result. Aging, skin changes and future weight fluctuations may still alter the contour over time.
What are the risks of a Brazilian Butt Lift?
Possible complications include infection, bleeding, fluid collections, contour irregularities, asymmetry, fat necrosis, loss of transferred volume and the need for revision surgery. Pulmonary fat embolism is a rare but potentially fatal complication associated particularly with fat entering the gluteal muscle or blood vessels.
Dr. Cuber’s described technique keeps fat above the muscle. Patients should still understand that no surgical technique can eliminate every risk and should discuss the surgeon’s complete safety protocol during consultation.
Dr. Shain Cuber is a breast & body plastic surgeon specializing in aesthetic surgery of the breast and body.
With more than 20 years of surgical experience, he is known for creating natural-looking results through breast enhancement, tummy tuck, liposuction, Mommy Makeover and body-contouring procedures.
Dr. Cuber combines meticulous surgical technique with attentive, patient-focused care, helping each individual feel confident and comfortable throughout their surgical journey.
Patients trust Dr. Shain Cuber for his warm, personalized approach, advanced surgical techniques and results that look natural and refined.
