After about a decade of Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBL) being at the top of beauty standards, a growing trend of reverse BBLs is on the rise.
Stars like Blac Chyna and K. Michelle were transparent about their BBL reversals, while fans can only speculate if celebrities like Kim Kardashian reversed the BBL she never admitted to having. Blac Chyna made media headlines in March when she posted an Instagram video of her “life-changing journey” to reduce her breast and butt augmentation.
The reality star explained how she never underwent a BBL procedure and instead received silicone injections which she urged her followers not to do.
“I just want all the ladies out there to know, do not get silicone shots because you can get sick, you can die, have complications and all this other crazy stuff,” she said in her video post.
Chyna’s reverse augmentation reveal came two years after K. Michelle addressed her reversal journey following a video that appeared to show her butt deflating on Instagram Live.
The Love & Hip Hop star responded to the viral moment, saying she was trying to “help” other women by remaining transparent with her silicone removal journey.
“So the video of me dancing is sad that I even have 2explain,” she tweeted.
“I walked y’all through how difficult this process of removing silicone from my body for 3YEARS/16 surgeries Did we not forget I almost died due 2this?????? Now i’m in the process of 3 reconstruction steps.”
Later that year, eagle-eyed fans took notice of Kim and Khloe Kardashian’s seemingly slimmer figures after years of denying enhancements many believed were the results of a BBL. One TikToker sparked the debate with a video claiming “reverse bbls are going to be the next trend.”
@tianamarion #greenscreen i feel like reverse bbls are going to be the next trend #DealGuesser #MyAncestryStory #kimkardashian #foryou #fyp ♬ All Falls Down – Kanye West
Kim’s “reverse BBL” continued to gain traction on social media, with spectators marking “the end of the BBL era,” as noted by Insider. When Blac Chyna announced her augmentation reduction months later, she might’ve been getting ahead of the curve on the new trend.
Board-certified plastic surgeons have noticed increased butt augmentation reversals in the last year.
“We’re seeing a similar shift to what we saw in the ’90s, with breasts. Huge breasts fell out of style in favor of a more natural hourglass shape, and now that’s happening with the butt,” Dr. Matthew Nykiel, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Newport Beach, California, told Real Self.
“People are coming in wanting it to be balanced, not huge and dramatic.”
But doctors warn of the dangers that come with reversals. According to Dr. Johnny Franco, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Austin, Texas, a BBL reversal “can often be more challenging than the original procedures.”
Concern around the dangers of plastic surgery mounted after the May 31 death of Wild’ N Out star Jacky Oh. The longtime partner of comedian DC Young Fly passed away in Miami days after announcing her plans for a “mommy makeover.”
One TikToker resurfaced Botched surgeon Terry Dubrow’s May 2021 appearance on TMZ Live, where he warned about the dangers of BBL procedures.
@thelifeofnae This is actually so scary 😳 LLJackyOh 🕊#bbljourney #research #terrydubrow #botched #fyp #viralvideo #JackyOh #plasticsurgery #themoreyouknow ♬ original sound – Shop Chantì Collection
“It’s not only the most dangerous plastic surgery procedure, it’s the most dangerous operation there is with the highest fatality rate,” Dubrow said.
The Orange County-based plastic surgeon explained how with BBLs, fat from one part of your body is taken out and “processed” and injected into the buttocks. While Dubrow noted how “easy” the procedure may sound, there are small veins that lead to a major blood vessel and things could get deadly if fat gets inside one of the veins.
“It’s the most fatal operation there is, and I would advise there are other ways to get a full buttock,” Dubrow said.
Dubrow also warned about how many surgeons are ignoring the warnings and not informing their patients of the risks involved. With concerns around the procedure growing, the reverse BBL trend might continue to gain steam.