The Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) is a popular body contouring procedure that enhances the shape and volume of the buttocks through a fat transfer process, using the patient’s own adipose tissue. This technique generally involves removing fat from areas like the abdomen and flanks and injecting it into the gluteal region to create a more curvaceous figure. A traditional BBL requires a significant amount of excess fat, which excludes many leaner individuals from qualifying for the procedure. The “Skinny BBL” is a specialized adaptation designed for those with lower body fat reserves who desire a subtle, natural enhancement. This modified approach focuses on precision contouring and refinement, utilizing small volumes of harvested fat to achieve a sculpted look without adding substantial projection or size.
Defining the Skinny BBL
The Skinny BBL is fundamentally a low-volume fat transfer procedure, distinguishing itself from a traditional BBL primarily by the quantity of fat injected. A standard BBL typically transfers a large volume, often ranging from 800 to 1,500 cubic centimeters (cc) of purified fat per side, aiming for a dramatic increase in size. In contrast, the Skinny BBL involves transferring a much smaller volume, generally between 200cc and 800cc per buttock, depending on the patient’s available fat and aesthetic goals.
The objective is not to create a dramatically larger posterior but rather to refine existing contours and correct specific shape irregularities. Surgeons often use this technique to target areas like “hip dips,” which are natural indentations on the side of the buttocks, or to provide subtle enhancement to the upper pole of the buttock. By strategically placing the minimal fat volume, the procedure significantly improves the hip-to-waist ratio, achieving a more athletic, toned, and natural-looking silhouette.
Candidate Profile and Donor Areas
Candidates for a Skinny BBL are typically individuals who are considered too lean to qualify for a traditional BBL, often falling into a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) range, generally below 25. Many surgeons consider the ideal BMI for this procedure to be between 18 and 22, as patients must have a stable weight and good overall health. The challenge lies in the limited fat reserves, necessitating a meticulous approach to fat harvesting.
Since the usual donor sites like the abdomen or flanks may not yield enough fat, the surgeon must perform a more extensive “scavenger hunt” to collect the necessary volume. This requires harvesting small pockets of fat from less conventional donor areas that even slender individuals may retain adipose tissue. These hidden donor sites can include:
- Inner thighs
- Upper arms
- Bra rolls
- Ankles
- Lower back
Although the amount of fat transferred is small, the surgeon still needs to harvest a larger gross volume, often 1,000cc to 1,200cc, to account for the purification process. The goal of liposuction in a Skinny BBL is twofold: to sculpt the donor areas for a leaner appearance and to gather enough viable fat cells for the graft.
The Surgical Procedure
The Skinny BBL procedure is performed in three distinct phases: fat harvesting, purification, and grafting.
The initial stage involves liposuction, where a specialized cannula is inserted through small incisions to gently extract fat cells from the identified donor sites. Surgeons often use a gentler, low-pressure technique and smaller cannulas during this process to maximize the viability of the collected fat cells, which is particularly important when working with limited reserves.
Once harvested, the fat undergoes a purification process to isolate the intact, viable adipocytes from blood, oil, and tumescent fluid. This is typically achieved through centrifugation or filtration, which concentrates the highest quality fat cells for transfer. This purification step is crucial because the survival of the transferred cells depends heavily on the quality of the graft material.
The final stage is the grafting, or injection, of the purified fat into the gluteal region. The surgeon utilizes a micro-droplet injection technique, placing the fat in precise, small-volume layers within the subcutaneous tissue of the buttocks. This meticulous layering ensures that each fat cell is close enough to surrounding tissue to establish a new blood supply through a process called plasmatic diffusion. This technique deliberately avoids injecting fat into the deep muscle, prioritizing safety and maximizing graft survival in the superficial fat layer for superior contouring.
Post-Operative Care and Longevity
The success of a Skinny BBL relies heavily on diligent post-operative care, particularly concerning the survival of the transferred fat cells. Patients are instructed to avoid placing any direct pressure on the buttocks for a period, typically between two and six weeks, to prevent compression of the delicate fat grafts. When sitting is necessary, a specialized BBL pillow must be used to redistribute weight onto the thighs and lower back, completely offloading the buttocks.
Patients must sleep on their stomach or side for the initial weeks and wear a compression garment for approximately four to six weeks. This garment helps to control swelling in the liposuction areas and stabilizes the newly transferred fat, promoting an optimal healing environment.
While some fat absorption is a normal biological response to any fat transfer, the retention rate for a Skinny BBL can often be higher than traditional BBLs due to the smaller, more refined grafts. Although 30% to 40% of the transferred volume may be naturally absorbed by the body in the months following the procedure, maintaining a stable weight after recovery is important, as significant weight fluctuations can alter the final results of the enhancement.