Doctors warn of strange 'BBL smell' side effect making people reconsider surgery
Doctors have warned about an unusual side effect of Brazilian Bum Lift surgery - also known as BBL.
A BBL is a surgical procedure where fat is taken from one part of the body and transferred to the buttocks via an injection. Often fat is taken from either the stomach or thigh area.
BBL surgery has the highest death rate among all cosmetic procedures. The NHS explain that the main risk 'is that the injected fat can cause a blockage in a blood vessel in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), which can be fatal.'
They add: "As well as having the same risks as other surgical fat transfer operations, additional risks of the BBL include: a serious skin infection (cellulitis) [and] lumpy scars (contour deformity)."
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Now, one doctor has shared a warning about another - albeit unusual - side effect, that you've probably never considered before.
Experts have warned that due to the buttocks becoming much larger after the procedure, reaching around to wipe could be more difficult.
"Wiping down there is going be a lot more difficult because there's more to reach around," plastic surgeon, Dr Roger Tsai, told DailyMail.com.
Meanwhile, according to Dr Eric Anderson, there's something called the 'BBL smell.' It can be caused not only from struggling to wipe, but also tissues in the area dying - also known as 'fat necrosis.'
"When there is more fat in an area than the blood supply allows, the fat will die through a smelly process called fat necrosis, which can lead to infections that need antibiotics, hospitalizations, and even sepsis," Dr Anderson said.
Over on social media, people have been talking about the 'BBL smell', with one calling an encounter he had as an 'assault of my nose.'
TikToker @donpsoundsoff explained: "What I realised is if someone has a normal sized behind, for all of their life, and then they switch up, and now they got this BBL, they have to reach back there and really clean."
Others weighed into the debate in the comments, with one person writing: "When God created us, he gave us arms. All of our arms are made specifically for our body. You probably have a hard time wiping... properly because your body is a little bit wider than your arms are allowing you to reach in that area."
Meanwhile, others said they had also had the procedure and hadn't noticed a smell at all.
One wrote: "I have a bbl and I do not smell, neither do my friends."
And another added: "I had a bbl 5 years ago, never smelled."
Despite the split opinion, others said it was confirmation that they wouldn't be getting the surgery.
Plastic surgeon Dr Douglas Steinbrech said that a smell following surgery can be common, however, it's important to seek help if the smell is strong, or if it's accompanied by swelling, redness or discharge.
"It's actually pretty common for patients to notice some unusual or even unpleasant smells after a BBL procedure," he said.
"I don't see it a lot in my practice but I have seen the conversation online.
"Most of the time, what they're smelling isn't anything dangerous - it's usually related to the healing process.
"After surgery, the body is draining fluids, and the patient is wearing tight compression garments that can trap sweat, moisture, and bacteria against the skin."
Lucy Devine