The Brazilian butt lift (BBL) silhouette is undeniable and extremely popular, now most associated with the Kardashians and Instagram influencers.
But in the quest for a perfectly plump bottom and shapely thighs, women may overlook its effect on personal hygiene.
A recent TikTok video inspired a site-wide dialogue among men about the “BBL smell” that comes over them during intimate moments. His post, where he says the smell was “like an assault on my nose”, has garnered more than 3.5 million views, 152,000 likes and thousands of comments with men and women confirming the smell and explaining the reasons behind it.
There was a general consensus as to where to blame. Women, including those who have undergone BBL, have said that a larger rear end is simply harder to keep clean after using the toilet.
The male TikToker who goes by the username @donpsoundsoff set the app on fire his first-person account about going on a date with a woman with BBL who later in the evening when she undressed gave off an odor that suggested she hadn’t properly wiped or washed that area well enough.
A recent TikTok video inspired a site-wide dialogue among men about the “BBL smell” that comes over them during intimate moments
It prompted several reaction videos from women on the site.
@PrettyRealist said: “When God created us, He gave us weapons. All our arms [are] made especially for our body. You’re probably having a hard time wiping your a** properly because your body is a little wider than your hands allow you to reach in that area.’
Dr. Roger Tsai, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, confirmed the theory in a video revealing “two secrets Instagram models don’t want you to know about their BBL.”
He said: “Sweeping there is going to be a lot harder because there is a lot to get to. So if you are around someone with BBL and they smell…”
Plastic surgeons usually give their patients fair warning about bathing difficulties. Sitting is not allowed for about two months after submitting to BBL, although sitting on the toilet for a relatively quick bathroom break is fine.
Many doctors recommend a bidet to wash the area thoroughly. Otherwise, some “painful yoga maneuvers” may be required, according to a Reddit user who recently BBLed.
They said: “When it comes to sweeping, the buttock cheeks themselves are extremely hard and plump right after surgery as your body recovers,” which makes each buttock more difficult to separate.
“Alternating lifting and bending legs in various ways – and a big piece of toilet paper to really get up there. I always switch between toilet paper and baby wipes several times to make sure I’m clean before I painfully squeeze back into the surgical compression garment that has to be worn 23/7 for 6 months.”
It’s not clear if the bathroom problem is a big enough drawback to convince people not to have surgery, although it doesn’t seem to be.
According to a overview by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of BBLs performed worldwide has increased by nearly 78 percent from 2015 to 2021.
But while it has seen a meteoric rise in popularity, the procedure is considered one of the most dangerous out there, with one in 3,000 patients dying from complications.
And because many women go abroad to have a confinement procedure, follow-up with the doctor who performed it is minimal or, in most cases, non-existent.
In fact, the British Association of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery advised British surgeons in 2018 to avoid doing it altogether.
But it didn’t matter – women are so determined to get a fuller back that they’re willing to cross the line and put their lives on the line.
Thousands fly annually to foreign destinations such as Brazil, Turkey, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and India to have the procedure.
BBL involves a surgeon harvesting fat from the hips, waist, abdomen, thighs and other areas through liposuction.
This fat is then re-injected into certain spots on the buttocks with a cannula or long metal tube.
But it’s difficult for doctors to see exactly where they’re injecting the fat, and it could accidentally be injected into the gluteal muscle, which can inadvertently introduce fat particles into blood vessels.
These fat particles can travel through the bloodstream and block blood flow to vital organs, including the heart, leading to a condition called fat embolism syndrome.
Fat embolism syndrome can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, confusion, and even respiratory failure or cardiac arrest.
This can also cause nerve damage in the area where the fat was injected, leading to paralysis of the lower limbs, chronic pain and reduced mobility. In addition, deep tissue fat injection increases the risk of infection.
The risk of complications and potentially fatal consequences have convinced some plastic surgeons to stop offering the service altogether.
Dr Lara Devgan, a board-certified plastic surgeon based in New York, said: “This is my touchstone, my personal golden rule of plastic surgery: If you wouldn’t let your mother or sister or brother have surgery, you must not leave your patients either.
“The Brazilian butt lift is a procedure I no longer do, because the mortality data speaks for itself. The risk-benefit calculus just doesn’t add up.”
