Ask Dr. Pane: Can I have a BBL (Brazilian butt lift) if I’ve had foreign substance injections in my butt in the past?
At Atlantic Coast Aesthetics, our primary focus and concern is always on patient health and well-being first and foremost. Sometimes, this means we find ourselves in deep water trying to help guide patients to the best possible decisions for their cosmetic surgery journey—and sometimes, there simply is no “good” answer. An online viewer asked, “Can I have a BBL (Brazilian butt lift) if I’ve had foreign substance injections in my butt in the past?” Dr. Pane wanted to take on this question in particular because it’s a great springboard from which to dive into other aspects of cosmetic surgery care that patients may not be aware of.
The first thing to keep in mind, Dr. Pane says, is where the patient wants the procedure done and whether it’s possible to accommodate them. “For those of us who know the practice well, we work part-time out of the center in Miami and other times in Palm Beach County.” This is important because there are different laws, rules, and protocols at the surgical center, local, and county levels that must be adhered to. “The short answer is, we can’t really do that in Miami. That’s a center rule—they don’t really want that. Now, I can tell you from my personal practice experience that it does not automatically rule you out for being able to do something.”
One of the major, and most potentially problematic questions on the table in a situation like this is the type of substance that was injected. “There’s such a variety of things that could possibly have been injected,” Dr. Pane notes. “People have sometimes gone to foreign countries or maybe they’ve had it here in the US. No legitimate doctor does those kinds of foreign injections,” he adds.
People have tried all sorts of injections to try to plump their rumps and other parts of their bodies—all too often with tragic consequences. Everything from bicycle inflation foam (Fix-A-Flat) to cooking oil to silicone bathtub caulk has been used for these purposes. These injections are illegal, but are often done at what are known as “pumping parties,” often for cash. Rapper Cardi B claims to have paid $800 to have her buttocks injected at such a party in someone’s basement, leading to a medical nightmare for the superstar.
“I’m not aware of anything we can use that is legit, other than things like Sculptra and fillers of that variety. But most mainstream plastic surgeons don’t use a lot of that except when they maybe do little small areas, but [they’re] not really [intended to] increase the mass of the buttocks,” Dr. Pane says.
When it comes to how such injections may impact individual patients, Dr. Pane notes that there are no clear, simple answers. “In cases like this, as with many things in the practice, we’ve got to approach it on an individual basis because no two situations are the same. There will be times where the material is far away and not a problem, where a BBL can be done with the standard techniques in the subcutaneous space [the area beneath the skin] as all are done, in my hands, avoiding the areas where there’s any firmness. In other cases, if the material is causing skin changes and problems there, it may not be feasible to do a cosmetic BBL but sometimes you can remove some of that material. Again, in my practice, we can do anything, but my practice is more suited to the outpatient world, so anything that would require real heavy-duty hospital management I probably would pass on to maybe a colleague I can refer to.”
Dr. Pane stresses that again, this doesn’t mean there’s no chance you could be a candidate for a BBL. “Things that are approachable in the outpatient setting, where I think I can get you set with one procedure or maybe a staged variety of one or two, then we can talk about what would be involved there. I’ve seen all sorts of different things and over the years I’ve helped people with problems related to buttock infections. People have had skin grafts, wounds, other things like that and they want things fixed up and improved. It’s possible. But again, the approach has to be done on an individual case basis, rather than saying, ‘Here’s what it is. Call and we’ll get it set up.’ It doesn’t work like that for this because it’s a little more complicated…It can be rewarding and it can work out well, but we just have to see what your situation is and then go from there.”
If you’re considering any sort of enhancement of the butt, bust, lips, or any other area of your body, you should never accept treatment of any kind from anyone but a properly trained, licensed, and board-certified cosmetic surgeon. This helps increase your chances of success markedly and reduces the possibilities for post-operative or chronic complications, many of which can be life-threatening. Please do not gamble your health, safety, and beauty on untried, untested, or potentially dangerous or even lethal treatments. And, this should go with saying, please, whatever you do, don’t let someone inject you with anything at a house party!
If you have a question about anything related to any facet of cosmetic surgery, Dr. Pane and the Atlantic Coast Aesthetics staff are always happy to discuss your concerns and interests. Simply follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; call us at (561) 422-4116; or click here to contact us through our website. Dr. Pane may even choose your question as the focus of an upcoming Ask Dr. Pane segment, so we can better educate and inform patients with the same questions and needs as your own. Remember, at Atlantic Coast Aesthetics, we believe the only bad question is the one you DON’T ask!