A Brazilian butt lift is a popular cosmetic procedure that involves the transfer of fat to help create more fullness in your backside.

If you’ve heard of a Brazilian butt lift and are curious about more permanent results than exercise alone, read more about the procedure and how to find a reputable provider to make sure it’s done safely.

A Brazilian butt lift consists of fat grafting that is notable for its natural-looking results. The procedure involves the following steps:

1. The procedure is usually performed under anesthesia, but in procedures where a smaller volume of fat is transferred, it may be done with only local anesthesia (numbing medication). You may ask for an anti-nausea medication beforehand, especially if anesthesia makes you sick.
2. Your surgeon then uses liposuction to remove fat from other areas of your body, such as your hips, stomach, and thighs. Liposuction itself involves making incisions in the skin, and then using a tube to remove fat from the body.
3. The fat stores that have just been removed from your body are purified and readied for injection into your buttocks.
4. Your surgeon finishes by injecting the processed fat into specific areas of the buttocks to create a more rounded, full look. They make three to five incisions around the buttocks for fat transfers.
5. Both liposuction and fat transfer incisions are closed up with stitches. Your surgeon then applies a compression garment against the affected areas of skin to minimize your risk of bleeding.

Unlike other forms of buttock surgery, such as placement of silicone buttock implants, a Brazilian butt lift is touted for providing more natural-looking results while also creating more roundness in your backside.

It can also help address certain issues, such as the sagging and shapelessness that sometimes occur with age.

You might also consider the procedure if you’re bothered by figure imbalances that make it difficult to wear clothing comfortably.

Another benefit to Brazilian butt lifts is that there is a lower risk of infection compared to silicone buttock implants. It does have a better safety profile than other substances, such as silicone caulking and sealants, that are sometimes illegally injected into buttocks by people not qualified to perform the procedure.

Despite these advantages, there are some serious side effects to consider.

A Brazilian butt lift may carry fewer risks compared to other surgeries, such as silicone buttock implants. Still, as with any surgery, this procedure carries the risk of side effects — some very serious. These include:

• infection
• scarring
• pain
• lumps under the skin in the areas suctioned or injected
• loss of skin in the treated areas due to deep infection
• fat embolism in the heart or lungs, which can be deadly

Current reports show a fatality rate of 1 in 3000 as a result of Brazilian butt lifts. When the procedure is performed incorrectly, injected fat can enter the large veins in the buttocks, and then travel to the lungs. This causes respiratory distress and ultimately death.

Another known side effect is the failure of your buttocks to take up the grafted fat stores. A certain amount of the fat injected is broken down and absorbed by the body. Sometimes you may need an additional one or two procedures.

To help minimize this risk, your surgeon may insert extra fat the first time around.