The Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) has emerged as the cosmetic surgery most regretted by patients in 2025, as noted by a leading plastic surgeon.

Buttock augmentation procedures saw a dramatic increase of nearly 63% globally between 2020 and 2024. This year alone, plastic surgeons conducted more than 644,770 BBLs, based on international statistics.

The BBL procedure, inspired by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Cardi B, begins with liposuction to remove fat from areas such as the stomach and thighs. This fat is then purified and carefully injected into the buttocks to enhance volume and achieve a rounded appearance.

With the rising popularity of BBLs, there has also been an increase in reports of patient dissatisfaction. Dr. Fuat Yüksel, a plastic surgeon with the UK-based firm Longevita, states that the main concern from patients is that “the result did not meet my expectations.”

“Even if the outcome is technically safe and anatomically correct, it may not align with the patient’s envisioned result, leading to psychological discontent,” Dr. Yüksel explains.

Many surgeons advise against BBLs due to the risk of a potentially fatal fat embolism. This condition occurs if fat is mistakenly injected into a deep muscle vessel, potentially traveling to the heart or lungs and causing 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.

Cardi B revealed she had her BBL reduced, warning that further downsizing would require major surgery and a grueling three-month recovery

Grammy-winner Sza has publicly expressed regret over her BBL, calling the procedure ‘so stupid.’ She revealed the reduction surgery required a grueling, three-month recovery that left her largely bedridden

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.’