A Lifted, Rounder Shape
More curve and lift, in proportion to your frame.
Skinny BBL
More shaping, a smaller transfer, a natural curve.
A Skinny BBL is our Brazilian Butt Lift planned for someone with less fat to spare. Liposuction slims your waist and back, then a smaller amount of your own fat lifts and rounds the buttocks and hips. You stay awake, under local anesthesia.
Free Consultation
Your consultation is free and carries no obligation.
In short
What Is a Skinny BBL?
A Skinny BBL is a Brazilian butt lift planned for a slimmer body. It is not a new operation. Liposuction gathers fat from several areas and shapes your waist, then a smaller amount of that fat goes to your buttocks and hips. The goal is a lifted, rounder shape that fits your frame, not a big jump in size. It tends to suit people in the healthy BMI range, 18.5 to 24.9.¹
How it works
How a Skinny BBL Works
- 01
Gather the Fat
A slimmer body has less fat in any one place, so liposuction takes it from several: the waist, back and thighs.
- 02
Shape the Waist
Taking that fat slims your waist and back. On a slim frame, much of the new curve comes from this step.
- 03
Place a Smaller Transfer
The cleaned fat goes into the fat layer under the skin of the buttocks and hips, never into the muscle.⁴
Find your plan
Which BBL Plan Fits You?
Answer three questions and see the plan on the body. Nothing you choose is saved or sent.
Your likely plan
For a slimmer body
Skinny BBL
More shaping and a smaller transfer of your own fat, for a natural lift.
- Liposuction gathers fat from several areas
- The waist and back are shaped
- A smaller transfer lifts the buttocks and hips
For a fuller curve
Brazilian Butt Lift
Liposuction shapes the waist and back, then your own fat adds volume to the buttocks and hips.
- Fat comes from the waist, back or thighs
- Hip dips are filled
- More projection than a Skinny BBL
For a 2nd or 3rd round
Another BBL Round
More of your own fat goes to the buttocks and hips, building on your earlier BBL.
- Fat comes from areas that still have fat to spare
- Your earlier result needs to have settled
- Each round follows the same safety rules
For a past BBL
BBL Reduction
Liposuction removes some of the moved fat, for a smaller, smoother, more even shape.
- Fat is removed from the buttocks
- The hips and waist can be reshaped
- Skin tightening can be added
Without surgery
Instant Butt Lift
Injectables add a subtle lift over a few sessions, with little downtime.
- No incisions or anesthesia
- Two or three sessions for most plans
- Upkeep every year or two
Over a BMI of 38
Liposuction First
A BBL and fat transfer are not offered over a BMI of 38. Awake liposuction can still shape the waist, back and arms.
- Smaller, focused packages
- Awake, under local anesthesia
- More options open as BMI comes down
With a BMI under 25 there may be less fat to move, so a fuller result can be limited. Your surgeon tells you what is realistic.
At a BMI of 31 to 38, a plan keeps to the front or the back of the body, not both. Your surgeon plans the transfer within that.
Your first BBL needs to have settled before a reduction is planned.
Your earlier BBL needs to have settled before another round is planned, and you still need fat to spare. Your surgeon checks both.
All plans: Brazilian Butt LiftSkinny BBLBBL ReductionInstant Butt Lift
A starting point, not medical advice. Your surgeon decides what is right for you.
Results
BBL Results at a BMI of 20 to 25
Real Goals patients whose BMI was 20 to 25, the range a Skinny BBL is planned for. Each was a BBL by a Goals surgeon. Results vary.
Real patients, published with written consent. Photographs are not retouched or AI-generated. Individual results vary — these images show outcomes for these patients and are not a guarantee of your own.
Realistic results
What a Skinny BBL Can and Cannot Do
A Skinny BBL works with the fat your body has. Here is what that means for you.
A Modest Size Change
The change in size is smaller, because there is less fat to move.
Some Fat Does Not Last
Part of the moved fat does not survive. Your shape shows once the swelling settles, over weeks to months.
Weight Still Matters
Moved fat acts like fat anywhere else. A steady weight helps keep the shape.
Candidacy
Is a Skinny BBL Right for You?
A Skinny BBL tends to suit slimmer people who want a natural lift. You still need some fat to spare, and your surgeon checks how much at your consultation.
A Lower BMI
Often a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9, with fat you can pinch at the waist, back or thighs.
Told You Are Too Thin
Another clinic said you lack the fat for a BBL. Gathering from several areas may still make it work.
A Natural Curve
You want lift and roundness that fit your frame, not a big change in size.
Your Own Fat
You would rather use your own fat than an implant or a filler.
Try It
What One Session Can Do at Your BMI
Enter your BMI to see where you sit on the curve our surgeons walk through at consultation.
Not sure? Work it out ›
Enter a BMI between 15 and 70.
You
-
Under 26Your range
Definition Over Volume
There is less fat to spare, so the focus is shape. A BBL may be smaller; liposuction alone can still bring out real definition.
-
26 to 31Your range
Often the Most Visible Change
Usually enough fat to transfer and a clear change in one session. It is the range Lipo360 is offered in.
-
31 to 38Your range
Real Change, Planned in Steps
A safety limit caps how much comes out in one session, so the front or the back comes first. The rest can be planned for a later session.
-
Over 38Your range
A Focused Start
Fat transfer is not offered over a BMI of 38, but awake liposuction is: a focused package can improve the area that matters most to you.
Compare
Skinny BBL or BBL: What Is the Difference?
It is the same operation, done the same way: awake, under local anesthesia, with fat placed under the skin, never in the muscle. What changes is the plan.
| Skinny BBL | Brazilian Butt Lift | |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | A slimmer body, often a BMI under 25. | Anyone with more fat to move. |
| Fat Moved | Less: what your body has to spare. | More, for added volume. |
| Where the Shape Comes From | Mostly contouring the waist, back and hips. | Contouring plus added volume. |
| The Look | Lifted and rounder, in proportion. | Fuller, with more projection. |
| Size Change | Modest. | Larger. |
A general comparison. Which approach suits you is decided at a consultation with a licensed surgeon.
The shift
Why More People Are Asking for It
BBLs are cooling off. Members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons performed 25,662 in 2025, 5% fewer than the year before, and the society describes a continued change in what patients prefer.²
A 2025 study also reported a rise in requests to make an earlier BBL smaller, from patients who still want curves.³
A Skinny BBL is how we plan for that request. The shape comes first and the size second, so the result looks like your own body, lifted and rounder.
Our surgeons
Meet Your Surgeons
Every surgeon on our team holds a U.S. license and works in body contouring, fat transfer, or both. Yours reviews your case and your plan before the day.
Licensed in CA
Dr. Debra L. StaffordMD
- Clinics
- Call for availability
- Certified by
- American Board of Plastic Surgery
Licensed in CA · NY
Dr. Andrew HsuMD
- Clinics
- Call for availability
- Certified by
- American Board of Surgery
Licensed in MD · VA
Dr. George IskanderMD
- Clinics
- Call for availability
- Certified by
- American Board of Surgery
Licensed in NY · NJ
Dr. Anthony PerkinsMD
- Clinics
- Brooklyn · Ridgefield
- Certified by
- American Board of Surgery
Safety
Skinny BBL Safety at Goals
A Skinny BBL follows the same rules as every BBL at Goals. Moving less fat does not make it minor surgery.
Fat Above the Muscle
Fat goes into the layer under the skin, never the muscle: the central rule of the plastic surgery societies' task force.⁴
Awake, Under Local
You stay awake under local anesthesia, with no general anesthesia.
Honest About Risk
Bruising, swelling, uneven areas, and firm lumps where fat did not survive can happen.⁷ Your surgeon goes through each one with you.
Pricing
How Much Does a Skinny BBL Cost?
Your price depends on how many areas are treated and how much fat is moved. You leave your consultation with a written quote, set before you book.
Written Quote
Set at your consultation, before you book.
Flexible Payments
Financing options and monthly plans.
$500 Deposit
A $500 deposit reserves your surgery date.
Your price is set at your consultation, from the areas treated and the plan you choose. Cosmetic procedures are not covered by insurance.
Try it
See Your Monthly Cost
Pick a procedure to see an estimate. Your numbers stay on your device. We do not see or save them.
This is an estimate, not a quote. It splits the starting price over the months you pick, with no interest. Lenders set your real rate and terms. Your price is confirmed at your consultation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About the Skinny BBL
No. It is the same operation: liposuction, then a transfer of your own fat to the buttocks and hips. The plan is what changes. A Skinny BBL moves less fat and leans more on shaping the waist, back and hips.
There is no single cutoff. It tends to suit people in the healthy BMI range, 18.5 to 24.9, who still have some fat at the waist, back or thighs.¹ Your surgeon decides after examining you. BMI alone does not decide it.
Maybe. A Skinny BBL gathers fat from several areas to make up for having little in any one place. If there is not enough for a useful transfer, your surgeon will tell you, and may suggest contouring alone or an injectable lift.
Less than with a larger BBL. The change is mostly shape: more lift, more roundness and a slimmer waist. Part of the moved fat does not survive, and your surgeon plans for that.
It follows the same rules, and it is still surgery. The most serious BBL risk depends on where the fat is placed, not how much.⁵ At Goals, fat goes under the skin, never into the muscle. Since surgeons adopted that rule, reported deaths fell from about 1 in 3,448 to about 1 in 14,952 in surgeon surveys.⁵ ⁶
Plan on a week or two before you are back at a desk, and longer before sitting for hours feels normal. Swelling settles over the following weeks, and your shape shows after that. Your surgeon gives you a plan for sitting and compression.
Fat that survives the first few months tends to stay. It changes with your weight like fat anywhere else, so a steady weight helps keep your shape.
Clinics
Where We Perform the Skinny BBL
Patient Guides
Helpful Resources on the Skinny BBL
Written by the team that performs the procedure, to read before your consultation.
BBL Death Rate: What the Numbers SayThe Brazilian butt lift death rate, from 1 in 3,448 in 2017 to about 1 in 15,000 when fat stays under the skin. Every number sourced, and what makes a BBL safe.Read the guide
Recovery Week by WeekWhat recovery looks like after awake liposuction, a Brazilian butt lift and a FlexTuck at Goals: the day of surgery, the first week, the first month and the final result, plus the signs that mean you call us.Read the guide- Liposuction and BMIIs there a BMI limit for liposuction? What one session can change under 26, at 26 to 31, 31 to 38 and over 38, with an interactive BMI curve and planner.Read the guide
General information, not medical advice. What applies to you is decided at a consultation with a licensed surgeon.
Get started
Ready to Plan Your Skinny BBL?
Book a free consultation. A surgeon looks at your body and your goals, and you leave with a written quote.
- Real Goals Results
Prefer to talk now? (833) 462-5769
References
Sources
The numbered references for the figures and rules cited on this page, checked October 20, 2026.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult BMI categories: healthy weight is a BMI of 18.5 to less than 25.
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons. 2025 Procedural Statistics Release: Brazilian butt lift (buttock augmentation with fat grafting), 25,662 in 2025 and 27,059 in 2024, a 5% decrease.
- Okoro SA, Lamb S. The latest trend in buttock aesthetics: Brazilian buttock lift reversal and buttock reduction. Aesthet Surg J Open Forum. 2025;7:ojaf014. A retrospective series of 123 patients, 2018 to 2023.
- Multi-Society Task Force for Safety in Gluteal Fat Grafting. Urgent warning to surgeons performing fat grafting to the buttocks (July 2018).
- Mofid MM, Teitelbaum S, Suissa D, et al. Report on mortality from gluteal fat grafting: recommendations from the ASERF Task Force. Aesthet Surg J. 2017;37(7):796-806.
- Rios L, Gupta V. Improvement in Brazilian butt lift (BBL) safety with the current recommendations from ASERF, ASAPS, and ISAPS. Aesthet Surg J. 2020;40(8):864-870.
- Tillo O, Nassab R, Pacifico MD. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) gluteal fat grafting safety review and recommendations. Aesthet Surg J. 2023;43(6):675-682. Lists fat necrosis and oil cysts among the complications of gluteal fat grafting.
This page is general patient education published by Goals Aesthetics & Plastic Surgery. It is not medical advice and does not replace a consultation with a licensed surgeon. Every operation carries risk, and results vary from person to person. Figures come from the sources above as of the date shown.