In most cases, Brazilian butt lift (BBL) is the preferable option because the surgery produces a more natural appearance. It is easier to sculpt a pleasant shape with the patient’s own body fat. Patients of Scottsdale and Mesa plastic surgeon Dr. Genaro Valladolid report that their new Brazilian butt lift derrière not only looks great, but also feels more natural.
The problem with butt implants is that they maintain a fixed shape and only alter the specific area in which they are inserted. On top of that, implants are at a higher risk of complications such as infection, scarring and implant displacement where the implant shifts out of its intended position.
That said, Dr. Valladolid would recommend implants for certain patients, particularly thin women who do not have sufficient fat on their body for fat transfer to produce meaningful Brazilian butt lift results. Other patients simply do not carry enough fat in the parts of the body that are preferable to harvest fat from for transfer. For example, women who carry their weight primarily on their abdomen are not great candidates for BBL because this visceral fat is not safely treated with liposuction.
Butt implants are also generally the best choice for patients who want the most drastic changes in size since implants can offer more volume than BBL.