In 2019, a British beautician was sentenced to prison after injecting a TV producer client with silicone she bought on eBay. Donna Francis was sentenced in New York after pleading guilty to the death of Kelly Mayhew. That same year, the British Association Of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) announced they were launching a formal review into the safety and techniques used for Brazilian butt lifts as experts continue to warn against the procedure following multiple UK deaths.
And yet, Brazilian butt lifts continue to soar in popularity.
What does the BBL procedure involve?
BBL's commonly involve transferring fat from the thighs or stomach deep into the buttocks to change the shape of it. According to a statement by the BAAPS, injecting fat ‘carries the risk of fatty tissue being drawn into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream the fat can become an embolus passing into the lungs and resulting in death.’
As a result, they have recommended BAAPS members do not perform fat grafting to the buttocks until more evidence has been gathered about safety – something they also concluded at last year’s conference.
Why are BBLs so dangerous?
‘Anyone thinking of having a fat-graft buttock augmentation should await the emergence of further evidence,’ BAAPS president Paul Harris said. ‘Around the world there are still patient deaths as a result of this procedures and patient safety should not be compromised.’
According to a 2017 study by the American Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation, the BBL is 3-5 times more dangerous than abdominoplasty, also known as ‘a tummy tuck’.
BBL’s have grew in popularity massively in recent years, with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) stating a buttock procedure is done 'every 30 minutes'. Given the BAAPS warning to UK surgeons, many British patients choose to go abroad for the surgery (as well as the much more competitive price). In fact, the BAAPS noted last year that four out of five plastic surgeons had seen a ‘wild increase in patients requiring revision after botched cosmetic surgery abroad’.
In fact, the surgery where Leah Cambridge received her BBL comes recommended by a slew of British reality stars including Geordie Shore’s Chloe Ferry, TOWIE’S Georgia Kousoulou and Ex on the Beach’s Jemma Lucy.
‘A vulnerable group of patients are openly being targeted through social media and the Web to travel abroad for cheaper cosmetic surgery – and this trend is likely to rise,’ former BAAPS president Simon Withey said in a statement last year. ‘The outcome of having these operations away from home can be devastating.
‘Crucially, the Brazilian Buttock Lift is a complex technique, and its death rate of 1 in 3,000 (or as much as 1 in 2,000! is the highest for any aesthetic procedure,’ he continued. ‘An international task force has already been assembled to analyse and hopefully prevent, future tragedies. However, at the BAAPS we will go a step further and recommend that all surgeons refrain from performing these procedures until we have more proven data.'
The best exercises for your glutes, legs and core...
Essential Exercises For Building Muscle In Every Muscle Group
1 of 12glutes and legs
2 of 12Deadlifts
These may look scary to a beginner, but they're essential if you want to build your hamstrings and glutes- plus provide better glute activation than squats. Perform them in front of a mirror or personal trainer at your gym to make sure your form is right. Start with your feet shoulder width apart, holding a barbell (always start light, good form is essential to prevent back injuries so you need to master this before going heavy) with your arms extended. Lower the barbell to the floor, keeping your back straight, legs straight but not locked and pushing your bum out, until your barbell reaches the floor. You should only squatting into the movement if you're not flexible enough to reach the floor without. As you lift the barbell back up and reach the top of the movement, push your hips forward and squeeze your glutes.
3 of 12Bulgarian Split Squat
The split squat is a great quad exercise, engaging your gluteus medius and tensor fascia latae (the side of your bum and hip/thigh region where people complain about hip dips) the lower you go. Aim to lower yourself until the quad on your front leg is parallel with the floor. If you find it difficult to balance, focus on one spot on the wall in front of you, and make sure to do them without weight at first until you master the form.
4 of 12Hip Thrusts
The queen of all glute exercises, the hip thrust is also a scary looking exercise at first. Find a bench and position yourself so your shoulder blades rest on it with your feet in front of you, shoulder width apart. Place the barbell on your hips, with a barbell pad depending on how heavy your going), and thrust up into the sky. Clench your glutes when you reach the top of the movement, they will be on fire after a few reps. If you're worried about trying this one, you can always do it with a dumbbell or no weight at all at first.
5 of 12Hip Abduction
These are great for ensuring the whole of your glutes are being exercised. Targeting the gluteus medius and your TFL again, you need to attach your foot to the cable machine, bend your balancing leg slightly, then move your other leg away from you until you feel a squeeze in your thigh. Perform the movement continously to keep the muscles under tension, clenching your glutes the entire time. These can also be performed on the hip abduction machine at any gym, which is even easier because you're sitting and use both legs at the same time - this means you can go heavier, although it's good to have single leg exercises in your routine to ensure you're not overworking one leg.
6 of 12Sumo Squat
The back squat is extremely overrated when it comes to glute engagement, however having some sort of squat in your routine is important to ensure you're not neglecting your quads. The sumo squat provides the most glute activation of all the squats, as you can go lower. These can be performed with a barbell or by holding a dumbbell at your chest (or at your hips if you're on an elevated surface). Widen your stance to beyond shoulder-width and squat as low as is humanly possible, as you come up you should tense your glutes and push your hips forward.
7 of 12core
8 of 12Thread The Needle
This is a great exercise for your obliques, and is a step up from the regular side plank. Since holding a side plank can get boring and is more of a mental battle than physical, this not only adds an extra burn but makes the exercise more fun.
9 of 12Slider Knee Tucks
A misleadingly hard core exercise, this will have you sweating like no other. Start in a plank position with your feet on two sliders and pull your knees into your chest.
10 of 12Plank Twists
Another way to spice up the regular old plank, which I give up on more because it's boring than because I can't do it, plank twists give an extra burn to your obliques.
11 of 12V-Sits
Working your upper abs, these are that one step further from the regular crunch. Start with your shoulders and legs off the floor with your arms outstretched in front of you, bring your knees into your chest until your fingertips are reaching your toes and repeat.
12 of 12Russian Twists
Another great oblique exercise, these a great way to add some weight into your ab routine. You can use a dumbbell, weight plate, kettle bell, bag of sugar, whatever you want- just make sure it's almost hitting the floor and you're going through the full range of motion.