BBL Scars: Where the Incisions Go and How They Heal

A Brazilian butt lift, or BBL, reshapes the buttocks with your own fat instead of an implant. Because it relies on liposuction and injection rather than a long incision, it is sometimes described as scarless. It is not quite that. Every BBL leaves scars, but they are small, and in most cases they are placed where clothing covers them. This guide explains where they come from, how they heal and what helps them fade.

Why a BBL leaves scars

A BBL is a two stage procedure. First, liposuction harvests fat from donor areas of the body. Then the fat is processed and carefully injected into the buttocks to add volume and shape. Both stages work through a thin cannula, and the cannula needs a way in. Each entry point is a short incision, which is where the scars come from. The guide to the Brazilian butt lift covers the procedure itself.

Where the incisions are placed

There are two kinds of incision, and they sit in different places.

Liposuction incisions. These are at the donor areas, typically the abdomen, flanks, lower back and inner thighs. They are placed in creases, inside the belly button or along the line of underwear so the scars are easy to hide. The guide to liposuction scars covers these in detail.
Fat placement incisions. A few small openings are used to place the fat in the buttocks. They are usually positioned in natural folds or areas covered by underwear and swimwear.

Most patients have several of these tiny scars rather than one large one. Using more than one entry point lets the fat be removed and placed evenly from different angles, which gives a smoother result.

What the scars look like as they heal

In the first weeks the incisions are small, closed marks that may look red, pink or slightly raised, and there will be bruising and swelling around the treated areas. Over the following months the scars gradually flatten and lighten. Scars keep maturing for about a year, so that is the point at which to judge the final appearance. For most people the end result is a set of faint marks that are hard to find.

The guide to BBL recovery walks through the first weeks, including sitting, garments and when normal activity can resume.

What affects how they turn out

Your skin. Some people heal with fine, flat scars. Others are prone to raised or thickened scars, and medium and darker skin tones are more likely to darken temporarily after any wound. Tell your surgeon how earlier cuts or surgery scars have healed.
Protecting the skin edges. The cannula moves back and forth through each incision. Careful technique and protecting the skin at the entry point help avoid friction at the edges, which can make a small scar more noticeable.
Pressure and friction. Scars near the buttocks are under pressure when sitting and lying down. Following your instructions on positioning and garments protects them as well as the transferred fat.
Sun. A healing scar exposed to sun can darken and stay darker. Keep scars covered or use a high protection sunscreen while they mature.
Smoking. Nicotine reduces blood flow to healing skin and slows wound healing, and it also matters for how well the transferred fat survives.

Helping the scars fade

Simple care makes the biggest difference. Keep the incisions clean and covered as instructed in the early days, and wear your compression garment as advised. Once the incisions have fully closed, your surgeon may recommend silicone gel or sheets and gentle massage. Keep the scars out of the sun for the first year. If a scar becomes raised, itchy or darker than expected, mention it at your follow up, because early treatment works better than late treatment.

When a scar needs more help

A small number of BBL scars heal raised, wide or darker than the surrounding skin. These can usually be improved with topical treatment, steroid injections, laser treatment or, occasionally, a small revision once the scar has matured. The guide to scar revision explains the options.

It is also worth separating scars from contour irregularities. Dents or unevenness in a donor area, or asymmetry in the buttocks, are a different issue related to how fat was removed and placed, rather than to the incisions.

How BBL scars compare with butt implants

Butt implants need a single longer incision to place the implant, while a BBL uses several very short ones spread across the donor areas and buttocks. Neither is scarless. A BBL also contours the donor areas, which many patients see as part of the result. The comparison of fat transfer and implants covers how the two approaches differ beyond the scars.

The short version

A BBL leaves several small scars rather than one large one: tiny liposuction incisions at the donor areas and a few short openings used to place the fat, mostly in creases or under clothing. They start pink and fade over about a year. Following your positioning and garment instructions, protecting the scars from sun and not smoking give them the best chance of becoming faint marks that are hard to find.

Want to know where your incisions would go?

A consultation maps the donor areas, how the fat would be placed and where each small incision can be hidden, so you know what to expect before you decide.

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Yes, but they are small. A BBL has two parts, liposuction to harvest fat and injection to place it, and both are done through short incisions just large enough for a thin cannula. There is no long incision as there is with a lift or a tummy tuck.

Most are at the liposuction sites, such as the abdomen, flanks, lower back and inner thighs, placed in creases or under the line of underwear. A few small openings are used to place the fat in the buttocks, usually in natural folds or areas covered by clothing.

It depends on how many donor areas are treated and how the fat is placed. Each area usually needs one or two access points so the cannula can work evenly, so several tiny scars are normal.

They are often pink or slightly darker at first and soften and lighten over the following months. Scars keep maturing for about a year, which is the right time to judge how they will finally look.

They can, especially in medium and darker skin tones, which are more prone to temporary darkening after any wound. Protecting the scars from sun while they mature is the most useful thing you can do.

The scars are different. Implants need one longer incision to place the implant, while a BBL uses several very short ones spread across the donor areas. Which is right depends on your anatomy, how much fat you have to transfer and the result you want.