More and more women are getting plastic surgery to lift and increase the size of their buttocks. By far, the most popular method is with the Brazilian Butt Lift, which involves performing extensive liposuction of the trunk and transferring the removed fat to the buttocks. Buttock augmentation with fat, although a safe and effective procedure, is not cheap. Costs of surgery include those of a surgery center, anesthesiologist and a surgeon and, as a result, costs thousands of dollars. As the popularity of surgical procedures increase, an illegal and dangerous black market for buttock augmentation is also emerging.
More and more case reports are emerging of women who have been injected with a variety of substances, including cement, polyacrylamide hydrogel, olive oil, tire sealant (“fix-a’flat”), superglue, petroleum jelly and industrial grade silicone. In many of these cases, patients have become deathly ill and developed gross deformity of the buttock; in the worst cases, patients have even lost their lives. Although these illegal butt shots can have dangerous consequences, patients are still turning to them given that they’re relatively inexpensive.
Why are illegal injections so potentially deadly? These procedures can trigger a strong autoimmune response, which essentially involves the body attacking itself as it tries to eliminate the foreign substance. This can result in severe inflammation, abscess formation, discoloration of the skin, or even tissue death. In even more severe cases, these substances can travel through the bloodstream and spread to other tissues or organs, which can result in septic shock or even death.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations says the numbers of cases unlicensed practitioners to perform illegal buttock injections are on the rise, especially in Florida, New York, California, Arizona, and Texas (see reference here).
So what do you do if you want a bigger butt? Know that you’re not alone. In 2013, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons estimates that almost 10,000 people received a buttock augmentation with fat (Brazilian Butt Lift), which is huge increase from 10 years ago. In addition, nearly 1000 people received gluteal implants, which are solid silicone implants placed to increase the size of the butt.
If you can’t afford surgery, do not proceed with illegal injections. The consequences can be severe. Not only is the risk of deformity very high, but the potential life threatening consequences are not over-exaggerated. Many plastic surgeons participate with financing companies that can allow you to space payments out over many months or even years, making a surgical buttock augmentation much more affordable.