What is a Mini-BBL, and Is It Really That Different?

A BBL, or a Brazilian Butt Lift procedure, includes liposuction contouring, commonly of the waist and back area. It then involves transferring fat from one or more areas of the body to the buttocks.

This fat transfer treatment attracts many patients looking to enhance their lower bodies while avoiding artificial buttock implants. That said, some thinner patients may not have enough excess fat; surgeons must purposely overfill the buttocks, as natural reabsorption of some fat occurs after any transfer.

As a result, many opt for a small BBL procedure, also called a Mini BBL. Keep reading to learn what a Mini BBL is and how it differs from a traditional Brazilian Butt Lift.

What is a Mini BBL?

A Mini BBL transfers fat to the buttocks to increase the overall aesthetic of a patient's lower body. Importantly, it focuses less on removing or transferring large amounts of fat. Instead, the Mini BBL harvests just enough fat to touch up areas of the butt and hip dips or to create a natural-looking projection.

The procedure is particularly appealing for thinner patients who lack large amounts of excess fat.

A Mini BBL starts with liposuction, in which a surgeon harvests fat from your body. This form of plastic surgery requires a few small incisions on the body parts where fat is removed, along with the buttocks. Afterward, the entry points are typically sutured, though advanced fat transfer techniques can be done without stitches.

After processing the fat, surgeons will reinject it into your hips and buttocks. This specific form of fat transfer focuses more on enhancing subtle details than drastically augmenting the volume of your buttocks. 

Differences Between a Standard BBL & Mini BBL

Dr. Kevin Hanz, a board-certified Dallas plastic surgeon, emphasizes that the Mini BBL, also called a Skinny Brazilian Butt Lift or Petite BBL, focuses less on maximizing the amount of volume added to the buttocks. Instead, the treatment aims to tailor results to each patient's specific goals, including enhancing hip dips, adding minor projection to the buttocks, or refining areas of the back.

A traditional BBL would, by contrast, remove greater amounts of fat and focus mainly on adding a larger volume to increase buttock projection drastically.

How Much Does A Mini BBL Cost?

Cosmetic procedure costs vary significantly based on where you live and your surgeon's fees. However, most Mini Brazilian Butt Lift costs range between $5,000 and $15,000, which is comparable to the price of a standard BBL.

There's an extensive range of prices because each patient's cosmetic procedure experience will differ. Some patients will require one treatment to obtain the shape and size that they desire. In contrast, others may need several procedures to achieve their desired results.

Other patients may not have sufficient body fat to undergo a Mini BBL procedure. Some patients may have enough pockets of fat that surgeons can use to improve the appearance of their thighs and buttocks.

Nonetheless, surgeons always recommend that patients be in good health and close to their ideal weight range. Your practitioner will check you thoroughly to give you medical clearance, as being healthy will ensure you minimize the risk of side effects during a surgical experience.

Several factors determine the cost of Brazilian butt lift surgery, such as:

• The surgeon's experience with this surgical procedure

• The amount of areas used to harvest excess fat

• The number of buttock augmentation treatments used to achieve the final result

• The number of areas treated

• The type of anesthesia used

• The geographical location of the facility

• The technique and procedure used for enhancing the buttocks

What Is Mini BBL Recovery Like?

The recovery process from a Mini BBL procedure includes three phases: the first few days, several weeks, and the following months.

First few days:

• Focus on resting for the first few days after surgery

• After a week, you can return to work or your daily routines.

• Light walks are recommended to promote blood circulation, thus improving your fat survival rate

• Avoid sitting on your buttocks while working.

• Swelling around this timeframe is common and very noticeable.

Next several weeks:

• Around this time, you can reintroduce activities like going to the gym or traveling.

• Sleep on your side until you're fully recovered.

• Avoid extended periods of sitting or lying on your back to prevent adding pressure to the butt.

• Swelling and bruising become less apparent around this timeframe.

The final months (3-6 months post-op): 

• Expect swelling and bruising to subside entirely.

• By this timeframe, your permanent results should become entirely noticeable.

• Most practices like AirSculpt® will give you a BBL cushion to aid recovery.

Remember, maintaining your health during recovery is crucial. Neglecting this aspect could lead to suboptimal or temporary results. A successful procedure typically results in around 70 percent of the transferred fat surviving long-term.

How Much Fat Will Survive After a Mini BBL?

Fat grafting is quite a complex procedure. In a BBL surgery, not all transferred fat is expected to survive.

Generally speaking, fat transfer surgeries will see around 50 to 70 percent of the fat survive. That's because the fat needs to acclimate to the body and gain a blood supply.

That said, if 1 liter of fat is injected into your buttocks, you should expect a survival of about 700 milliliters of fat.

It's common practice for the surgeon to overfill the buttocks with fat to guarantee your desired projection and shape.

Due to the swelling, you can see some of your results 8 to 12 weeks after the surgery.

Furthermore, you must also understand that fat is a living tissue. The fat tissue will change if you fluctuate in weight. Therefore, if you gain weight, the fat will expand, and if you lose weight, it will shrink.

That's why it's best to maintain a stable weight to keep the shape and size of your preference. 

A Real-World Example, Explained by a Surgeon

The embedded YouTube Short above features double-board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Edward Dickerson detailing the eloquent refinement he provided a petite BBL patient. 

Because she did not have much excess fat, the procedure focused on contouring and highlighting proportions rather than maximizing the size of her buttocks. Dr. Dickerson demonstrates how, by narrowing the patient's waist with fat removal, he emphasized the fat transfer results.

In the front view of his patient's Mini BBL before and after, you can also see the slight projection his patient achieved. Dr. Dickerson notes how this new treatment can provide the desired silhouette in leggings or dresses thanks to the improved hip-to-waist ratio and targeted enhancements delivered.  

Mini BBL In A Nutshell

What is a mini BBL surgery? Simply put, it's a different version of the BBL that still removes fat via liposuction but does not focus on large quantities of fat removal and transfer. If performed with traditional liposuction techniques, this type of surgery still takes up to a year for patients to fully recover. 

Although it may be technically less complex and time-consuming, the most important part of any surgery is the precautions you take afterward.

AirSculpt® Offers An Advanced, Custom Small BBL

AirSculpt® provides a line of fat transfer procedures designed to optimize both comfort and precision. Results with an AirSculpt® Power BBL™ are customized depending on the patient's preferences. For subtle or dramatic changes, we are your ideal option. 

AirSculpt® Power BBL™ achieves exceptional, high-quality results without needing a scalpel, stitches, or general anesthesia. It uses a minimally invasive fat transfer technique that reduces discomfort and enhances precision. Due to the tiny entry point width (two millimeters across), scars after this BBL variant resemble freckle-like blemishes, if they form at all.

Patented AirSculpt technology also enables surgeons to remove and graft fat cell by cell. We can use this enhanced control to create subtle, artistic effects similar to what's typically labeled as a Mini BBL. For more dramatic results, our highly personalized treatment can also remove or transfer large volumes of fat with ease.

These advanced tools significantly reduce the recovery period, even if the patient opts for dramatic results. On average, full recovery can take just about three to six months. However, downtime is only 48 hours, so you can return to your daily responsibilities with minimal interruption.

Our recovery plans are also personalized to ensure optimal fat survival rates. We will provide compression garments and a BBL cushion to assist your recovery. 

AirSculpt® is proud to offer its next-generation body contouring results to more than 30 markets across North America and Europe. Call the AirSculpt® office closest to you to schedule a free consultation.