The Smelly Side of BBLs No One Talks About

Brazilian Butt Lift surgeries, or BBLs, have been one of the most talked-about plastic surgery trends in recent years. Social media feeds are full of before-and-after shots, influencers showing off their curves, and people chasing a more sculpted figure.

But while the focus is usually on the visual results, there’s a lesser-known issue that’s starting to get more attention – and it’s not exactly glamorous. You might want to brace yourself for this one: there’s a strange smell that can come with a BBL. Yes, a smell.

Dr. Eric Anderson from Impressions Face + Body in Chicago confirms what many have whispered about online. “The BBL smell is real,” he said. It’s not just in someone’s head.

According to South Shore Plastic Surgery, this odor is often described as sour or musty and tends to show up after sweating or sitting for long periods. Now, a bit of sweat-related odor isn’t that surprising.

But in the case of BBLs, the cause can go deeper, and it can be much more unpleasant. One possible culprit is fat necrosis, a condition that occurs when some of the fat injected during surgery doesn’t survive.

If too much fat is transferred into an area that doesn’t have enough blood supply to support it, that tissue can die. And when it dies, it doesn’t just quietly go away. It starts to smell.

A smelly butt after a BBL can stem from fat death or poor hygiene, adding to the procedure’s serious risks.

“When there is more fat in an area than the blood supply allows, the fat will die through a smelly process called fat necrosis,” Dr. Anderson explained. “That can lead to infections, hospital stays, antibiotics, and in the worst cases, even sepsis.”

This complication isn’t super common, but it’s serious, and it adds to the long list of risks that already come with this type of surgery. BBLs have one of the highest mortality rates among cosmetic procedures due to the risk of fat being accidentally injected into a vein, which can lead to a fatal embolism.

So adding “smelly butt” to the list might seem minor in comparison, but for many people, it’s a dealbreaker. That smell can also come from something more basic: hygiene challenges after surgery.

South Shore Plastic Surgery points out that cleaning the area can be difficult post-operation. If patients aren’t able to thoroughly clean themselves, especially after using the bathroom, any leftover residue can lead to bacterial growth and, well, stink.

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TikToker Scarlet Black got a second BBL after fat loss, spending $36K in total.

Cevre Hospital suggests using fragrance-free wet wipes or even a bidet to stay clean after going to the toilet. The skin in that area can be extra sensitive after surgery, so regular soap or harsh products might do more harm than good.

Even knowing all this, some people are still willing to go through the process more than once. TikToker Scarlet Black shared her story about needing a second BBL after her first one “died.”

In her words: “A lot of the fat that’s re-injected into your buttocks actually dies – like 50% or sometimes more.” Her solution? A second round. “For [this BBL] we focused on lifting [my butt] up and putting volume in it.”

And she’s committed. According to her, she’s spent around $36,000 on plastic surgeries so far.

BBL surgery might promise dramatic results, but those results come with real risks – from potentially life-threatening complications to simply dealing with an embarrassing and hard-to-ignore smell.

For anyone considering the procedure, it’s worth looking past the photos and thinking seriously about what happens after the surgery.

Because in the end, the smell might not be the worst part, but it’s one of the most unpleasant.