Milas Middle Eastern family has always glorified round hips and snatched waists.
Her own body didn’t fit these ideals, she says, and she was consumed by insecurities.
I was depressed, Mila, whose name has been changed for privacy reasons, tells Verywell.
I felt unhappy with myself and who I was becoming, and I couldn’t do anything about it.
Mila lives in California and her family is from Afghanistan.
But then also there’s a side of my culture that is like, No surgery.
If you’re born with it, great.
If you’re not, it’s your loss.
You dont have it.
And in Milas eyes, she didnt have it.
Dieting and exercise proved futile against biology, Mila adds.
But the procedure can be pricey and risky.
What is a BBL?
When Mila finally revealed her plan to her parents, she was getting ready to leave for the surgery.
To her surprise, they supported her decision.
I’ll take you, Mila recalls her father saying.
And I think he did say, Don’t make yourself look like Kim Kardashian.
She has yet to tell her extended family about her transformation.
But nearly three months after the surgery, she feels confident and happy in her own skin.
I just blend in with my culture, she adds.
Now, I’m that curvy, voluptuous body.
It’s a social media and television phenomenon, Lanhijani tells Verywell.
A lot more people are asking for it and desire to get that hourglass look.
The curvature, the waistline, the hips."
The current trend is to have a large butt thats out of proportion to their body, Franco says.
People who want this look may ask for an athletic BBL or a skinny BBL.
More people have been showing him photos of social media influencers or their Instagram crush.
Butt implants typically need to be removed or replaced every 10 years.
How Much Does a BBL Cost?
People who want more extreme results may need to undergo multiple surgeries, which will further increase the price.
BBLs can be life threatening.
Are There Alternatives to BBL?
Due to safety risks, some experts have advised against the surgery or suggested non-surgical alternatives to butt enhancement.
Even better, theres likely very little health risk involved.
But sometimes working out isnt enough.
For Mila, several doctors had suggested dieting and exercise without acknowledging her concerns.
“It was just so painful walking out of those other consultations, feeling judged, she says.
Sometimes we have patients either after a bad breakup or divorce, Franco says.
Sometimes there’s this feeling of I need to change myself so that somebody else will love me.
Studies have found that body dysmorphic disorder is more common among cosmetic surgery patients than the general population.
BBL Trend May Be Here to Stay
Franco doesn’t see BBLs going away anytime soon.
This idea of an overall ‘better shape and enhancing figures isn’t going to go away, Franco says.
I think we’re only going to keep doing more in the future.
For Mila, the rise in popularity of the BBL gives her hope.
I know that there’s other girls that are going through what I went through, she adds.
I hope that it happens soon.
What This Means For You
BBLs are an increasingly popular cosmetic surgery for butt enhancement.
Some people have had good experiences with the procedure, but it comes with safety risks.
If you’re considering getting a BBL, consult a surgeon about its risks and set realistic expectations.
2017;19(4):269-274. doi:10.1001/jamafacial.2016.1535
