Surgeons today issued fresh warnings over the dangers of Brazilian butt lifts after a model claimed she enlarged her buttock by 50 inches.
The procedure, also known as a BBL, involves taking fat from the hips, abdomen and other areas via liposuction, before injecting it into the bottom.
The result is a bigger, more pert behind—theoretically at least.
But experts have long warned of the dangers of BBLs, which can prove fatal, including ruptured blood vessels and serious skin infections.
Now, one US model and influencer has claimed she underwent a 50-inch double BBL and can only fly first class as she can’t squeeze into economy seats.
Annie Grant, from Los Angeles in California, said the procedure—which cost $50,000—has left her ‘super confident’, but also unable to sit on rollercoasters, cinema seats or even squeeze into a pair of jeans.
Surgeons, however, today cautioned a BBL of this size ‘crosses the line between aesthetics and excess’ and ‘puts lives at risk’.
Dr Leonard Josipovic, a consultant plastic surgeon at Seline Clinic in London told the Daily Mail: ‘As a plastic surgeon, I always ask “what is truly beautiful?”
One US model and influencer has claimed she underwent a 50-inch double BBL and can only fly first class as she can’t squeeze into economy seats
Annie Grant, from Los Angeles in California , said the procedure—which cost $50,000—has left her ‘super confident’, but also unable to sit on rollercoasters, cinema seats or even squeeze into a pair of jeans
Fat is first harvested from the hips, lower back, abdomen, thighs and other areas via liposuction . Special equipment is used to prepare it for transfer before it is injected directly into the glutes at specific points, giving the buttocks a bigger, curvier appearance
‘A 50-inch butt may get attention, but it often crosses the line between aesthetics and excess—and can be life-threatening.
‘BBLs carry the highest death rate of any cosmetic procedure, mainly due to fat embolism when done improperly.
‘True beauty is about balance and proportion, not extremes.
‘When performed safely and conservatively, a BBL can enhance natural curves—but pushing the limits puts lives at risk.’
According to Ms Grant, the surgery was all worth it to achieve the ‘hot’ look of her dreams.
The 26-year-old spent the five-figure sum undergoing surgery in April 2023 and November 2024, and claimed she now lives in lycra leggings and shorts.
She said: ‘I never fly economy. I have to fly first class now because I can’t fit in economy.
‘If there’s no space in first class I have to get a flight the next day so I have more room.
The 26-year-old spent the five-figure sum undergoing surgery in April 2023 and November 2024, and claimed she now lives in lycra leggings and shorts
She said: ‘I’ve made more money thanks to my BBLs—they’ve made life a lot easier when it comes to content creation’
‘I tend to travel in leggings and people stare at me everywhere I go.
‘I’ve had flight attendants and other passengers look at me snootily. They don’t say anything but I get a lot of stares.’
‘I wanted a peachy, more curvaceous bum, I like big butts. I just wanted to be hotter and now it’s 50 inches, it’s really big.
‘I used to love amusement parks but I can’t sit on the rides anymore so when someone asks me to go to one I can’t.
‘One time I couldn’t sit in a chair. My butt was too big for me to lie down, I needed a little hole for it, so I lay across two chairs.’
But she added: ‘I’ve made more money thanks to my BBLs—they’ve made life a lot easier when it comes to content creation.
‘I feel super confident now. I’m really into fashion and now I can dress the way I want to.
‘I’m not focused on dating, I just want to spend time with my family at the moment.’
Liposuction that offers to remove up to 15 litres of fat, BBL’s, eye colour changing laser treatments and hymenoplasties are all offered in clinics across Turkey
According to Ms Grant, the surgery was all worth it to achieve the ‘hot’ look of her dreams
On average, the procedure costs around £6,000 in the UK. But according to the NHS, it could be priced as high as £8,000.
There may also be additional costs for consultations, aftercare and further treatment sessions, if required.
Yet, adverts for the procedure abroad, meanwhile, claim people can pay as little as $2,750 (£2,190).
BBLs, however, are one of the most dangerous types of cosmetic surgery available.
The risk of death is higher than most operations, currently estimated at one in 15,000.
This is because fat injected into dense buttock muscle does not stay there. Instead, the liquid squeezes through the muscle fibres, stretching delicate blood vessels and causing them to rupture.
Such a complication is what killed Leah Cambridge, 29, a British mother who died in August 2018 after paying £6,500 to get a BBL in Turkey.
Generic side effects include bruising, swelling, temporary numbness and scars.
One BBL complication killed Leah Cambridge, 29, a British mother who died in August 2018 after paying £6,500 to get a BBL in Turkey
And, like any op, it carries the risk of excessive bleeding and an infection.
In her response to Ms Kerr’s prevention of future death report, Maria Caulfield, minister for mental health and women’s health strategy, wrote: ‘The risk of death for BBL surgery is at least 10 times higher than many other cosmetic procedures, and it has the highest death rate of all cosmetic procedures.’
Last year, London-based aesthetic surgeon Dr Veerle Rotsaert also told the Daily Mail she discourages patients from getting any BBL and instead recommends they go to the gym and do squats.
She said: ‘In my practice if people want more volume in the buttocks area, I first of all educate them on normal anatomy.
‘I recommend going to the gym to do squats.’
Dr Rotsaert also urged Brits to shy away from BBLs, stating that the ‘Kardashian body type is a trend’.
‘And we all know trends go out of fashion at some stage.’
