Women interested in reducing the appearance of hip dips and enhancing the size and shape of their buttocks have at least two popular options to choose from:
- The Surgical BBL
- And the Non-Surgical BBL
Because while most (if not all) women looking for the scoop and skinny on a BBL want larger, more pronounced, and more shapely buttocks, not all are willing to go through with the price, pain and recovery period required of the surgical version of the procedure.
Thankfully, the non-surgical version–which requires zero surgery or incisions–is an option.
It won’t, however, give you results that are as dramatic as a surgical BBL, but it can still look great and is a very popular option among many women.
Both the surgical BBL and the Non-Surgical BBL have their own unique differences as well as pros and cons, which we will look at in detail here:
Table of Contents
1. Pros and Cons of a Non-Surgical BBL
- Can remove or greatly reduce hip dips.
- Enhances volume and projection of buttocks.
- Safer than a surgical BBL; filler is placed superficially.
- Works with the body’s own healing properties, and promotes collagen.
- Less augmented look, not quite as dramatic as a surgical approach.
- Improves firmness of buttocks and may reduce appearance of cellulite.
- Some soreness is experienced the day after injections—though you may sit normally.
- No recovery downtime; resume all normal activities immediately, including exercise.
- Ideal for persons who don’t want incisions or are fearful of adverse surgical outcomes.
2. BBL vs Non-Surgical BBL in Summary
| Aspect | Non-Surgical BBL | Surgical |
| Cost: | $3-6,000 | $4-12,000 |
| Procedure Length: | Under an hour | 2-4 hours |
| Product Used: | Fillers (Sculptra) | Your own fat, via liposuction. |
| Risks: | Mild-Moderate Discomfort | 1-in-14,000 chance of death* |
| Limitations: | Can’t go as large | Very few; safety mostly. |
| Treatments required: | 2-3, at 4-6 weeks apart | 1 usually. |
| Final results seen in: | 4-6 months | 4-6 months |
| Recovery period: | No downtime | 4-6 weeks |
| Lasts how long: | 2-3 years | 6-10 years |
| Patient satisfaction rate: | 67% | 85% |
3. Cost
A nonsurgical BBL that uses Sculptra could cost anywhere from three to six thousand dollars. As many as 40 or 60 vials of the product could be required, depending on your goals for the procedure.
A surgical BBL could cost two to three times that much, ranging anywhere from four to twelve thousand dollars.
Extremely low costs (like a two or four-thousand-dollar surgical BBL) may be indicative of a “chop shop” type practice that fails to meet or uphold basic safety standards: avoid at all costs.
4. Procedure
A surgical BBL involves the removal of excess healthy fat from one area of the body (typically the abdomen, flanks, or thighs) and injecting it into the buttocks to add volume and projection.
Liposuction is done to harvest the fat and a blunt surgical cannula is used to inject that fat into the buttocks.
Harvesting and injecting may be done in the same session or (less commonly) over two surgical sessions.
A nonsurgical BBL involves injecting a filler—typically Sculptra—into the buttocks to stimulate the body to produce collagen over time, which thus improves the size, shape, and projection of the buttocks.
A nonsurgical BBL requires no incisions, creates no scars, and is followed by no recovery downtime.
You would have the procedure done while you are wide awake, with only topical anesthesia applied to the buttocks. You will feel little if any pain, but some discomfort is likely the day after the procedure. The buttocks are home to plenty of fatty tissue and fewer nerve endings so needle (cannula) pokes here aren’t all too uncomfortable.
No recovery downtime; resume all normal activities immediately, including exercise.
5. Results
A BBL can produce more dramatic and pronounced results than its nonsurgical counterpart.
But the results possible with a nonsurgical BBL are still quite satisfactory to most patients.
In both cases—surgical or nonsurgical—the final results of the procedure are usually evident within 4-6 months.
6. Recovery Time
A nonsurgical BBL typically requires no recovery downtime at all. Patients can often immediately resume all of their routine activities, including exercise, and sitting down.
Patients who undergo a surgical (or standard) BBL will have a long road of recovery in front of them, and will be unable to sit down normally for some time.
7. Patient Satisfaction
Surgical BBLs have a patient satisfaction rate of 85% (according to 2,419 recent reviews on RealSelf.com).
That means there is approximately an 8.5 out of 10 chance you will be pleased with your results. Your selection of surgeon is perhaps your most important choice.
Non-Surgical BBLs have a patient satisfaction rate of 67% (according to just 38 reviews on RealSelf.com)
Unfortunately this is likely not entirely accurate since multiple types of “nonsurgical butt augmentation” are listed under the same procedure entry on RealSelf.
8. Non Surgical BBL Using Sculptra Fillers Procedure
The procedure would start with you standing upright, and your surgeon making markings on your buttocks of what areas are to be augmented in order to create the desired shape.
A topical numbing cream is applied and usually then let sit for some time, up to 45 minutes.
Unlike a surgical BBL, which injects your own fatty tissue, the non-surgical BBL is done using FDA-approved fillers (such as Sculptra or Radiesse) that spur your body (booty) into the production of collagen, which produces a naturally lifted and more voluminous derriere.
9. What a Non-Surgical BBL is NOT
As we discuss and compare the surgical and nonsurgical BBL, let’s be very clear about what a Non-Surgical BBL is NOT:
- A Non-Surgical BBL is NOT the injection of silicone into the buttocks.
You should never have silicone directly injected into your buttocks or any other part of your body for any reason.
