The Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. Celebrities and influencers alike have undergone the procedure to enhance their curves. It's an age where social media and celebrity culture often promote the perfect hourglass figure. Unfortunately, many view BBLs or butt injections as a quick fix for their body image problems. However, people are increasingly speaking out about their regrets and the harsh realities of the surgery as the trend grows. As these high-profile individuals have demonstrated, the risks and decisions of getting a BBL can have long-reaching consequences.
Cardi B
The New York rapper has been candid about her experiences after regretting getting injections. She revealed that she felt pressured to undergo these procedures after becoming a stripper out of high school. At just 19, Cardi B had breast implants, followed by illegal buttock injections due to insufficient body fat for a traditional BBL. In an interview with GQ, she shared, "When I was 21, I did not have enough meat on my body — if I was to get lipo, I wouldn't have fat for my ass." Desperate for a solution, she paid $800 for filler injections, enduring excruciating pain and leakage for five days. Despite the risks, Cardi B attempted to get a touch-up. However, she discovered that the woman administering the injections had been arrested for allegedly causing someone's death.
In 2014, Cardi got the illegal silicone injections and removed them after giving birth to her son, Wave, in 2022. She warned fans against the procedure during an Instagram Live in December 2022 when she revealed she had 95 percent of her biopolymer buttocks injections removed. “All I’m going to say is that if you’re young, if you’re 19, 20, 21, and sometimes you’re too skinny, and you be like, ‘OMG, I don’t have enough fat to put in my ass,’ so you result to ass shots—don’t,” said the rapper. “When it comes to BBLs, if y’all want advice from me, before you get your BBL done, you have to make sure your blood levels are all right,” she added. “If a doctor says your blood levels are too low or you have diabetes or whatever, don’t do it.”
Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj opened up about her own struggles with body image and the pressure to conform to certain beauty standards. During a podcast interview with Joe Budden, Minaj revealed that she received illegal butt injections early in her career. She explained that being surrounded by women with large buttocks at Cash Money Record label studios, particularly those invited by Lil Wayne, made her feel inadequate. "All I would hear them talking about is big butts, and I didn't feel complete or good enough, good as those girls because I'm like, 'Oh My God, you know, this is what you're supposed to look like in the rap culture, and I don't look like that," Minaj expressed. Although she said the jokes directed at her smaller buttocks by label members were likely unintentional, Minaj emphasized the impact of their words on her self-esteem.
"I think they said stuff sometimes jokingly. But to a young girl or up-and-coming rapper or anything, when it's from someone like Lil' Wayne, it matters. You know?" Minaj said. "Even if they're joking, they don't know that the person that is there in that room with them is not finding it funny." She said she now understood the impact of their words. "They're just joking. They didn't mean any harm. But it wasn't a joke to me," the rapper added.
Asked by Budden if she held herself responsible for and regrets influencing the BBL trend, the mother of one confessed that she did. "I was one of the first people saying, 'Oh, I'm not these people's parents,' but now I get it. I look at it from a different perspective now. Because superstars inadvertently become role models no matter what," Minaj said.
K. Michelle
Memphis singer K. Michelle has also been vocal concerning her regrets about getting injections and the pressure to conform to industry beauty standards. She underwent a staggering over one dozen surgeries in one year to have her injections removed, yet still struggles with confidence in her body. "I be asking myself, 'Are you healed or are you just numb?' You know what I'm saying? So, when you do 13 surgeries in a year and you watch your mama look at you like 'what the f—k did you do to yourself?'" K. Michelle shared with The Shade Room.
She attributed her decision to get the augmentations to the expectations within the entertainment industry. “I didn’t know that certain things were needed and expected until I got into the industry,” she said. “Then it got very—I gotta do this. I need to fix this; I got the money to do this, so I need to fix that. That was the worst sh—t ever.” She now believes that her strength is her greatest physical asset. “I’m learning…to deal with the confidence, and I’m not ashamed to say that […] You gotta figure out what is it about you, and that’s what I’m doing.”
Chantel Sophia
Social media influencer and podcast host Chantel Sophia addressed a follower's question about whether she felt peace after regretting getting a BBL. In a transparent response, Sophia revealed that the surgery had only intensified her existing insecurities. "I always say this to anyone who comes to me with, 'Oh, I wanna get surgery, I wanna do this.' Be prepared to have a focus on all your insecurities times a thousand," she cautioned. Sophia explained that while the initial "honeymoon phase" of enjoying the change in her body was gratifying, the eventual comedown was inevitable.
"In my case, it wasn't perky enough, it wasn't round enough, it wasn't big enough," she recalled. "Some days it wasn't small enough. Nothing was enough." The podcaster also felt her buttocks had become an integral part of her identity as a result of seeking approval from others. “My character trait became how big my bum was...i just needed the outward validation that ‘does everyone like this yeah?’” she explained.
Queen Naija
R&B songstress Queen Naija also expressed regret over her decision to have a BBL. "I hated my hip dips and c-section belly," she wrote in the comments of a post by The Neighborhood Talk. "Now I dislike how all my weight gain goes to my booty and hips. Either way, I disliked something." While many users suggested that a removal procedure could alleviate her concerns, Naija admitted that the thought of another surgery was too daunting. She added, "Can't be perfect y'all [shrug emoji]. I would get it reduced, but the risk of getting put to sleep again is scary."
Blac Chyna
Recently, Blac Chyna had several major cosmetic surgeries reversed. These included a breast reduction, silicone injections from her butt, and fillers from her face. Chyna explained that when she was 19, she had shots in her buttocks, which she now regrets. “I just want all the ladies out there to know: Do not get silicone shots. You can get sick, you can die, have complications, and all this other...stuff.” She added, “Normally, my procedure would’ve taken four hours tops. My procedure took over eight-and-a-half hours y’all. Whatever that silicone mass—whatever that was that was in my buttocks—it kept clogging the machine and breaking it.”
She explained her motivation for making the change. "I'm just tired of the look. It's just not flattering. It's just not what I look like," she told her doctors in an Instagram Live video. "It totally changed my face and I'm just ready to get back to Angela. Blac Chyna's Blac Chyna, and I feel like I've outgrown that." She also revealed that she began getting fillers at a very young age, which did not allow her body time to fully develop.
Rachel Velasco
Rachel Velasco, a 23-year-old influencer, endured an excruciating experience that made her regret getting a BBL at 7Q Spa in Los Angeles. The procedure was performed by Dr. Anna Gevorgyan, an OB-GYN on probation. Desperate for the perfect body, Velasco overlooked the risks. "I was just so thirsty to get a BBL," she told NBC News. Hours later, she was hospitalized, "screaming and covered in blood," enduring "indescribable agony." Despite complications and minimal results, including a 4-inch puckered scar, Velasco spent over $13,000. Gevorgyan, who previously practiced in Illinois, faced disciplinary action in both states. Velasco admitted, "I would have not done this if I would have known that I would have a scar and it would be this big hooplah," questioning, "You cut my body open for what?"
Celebrities and influencers can make cosmetic procedures like the BBL appear quick and easy to achieve. However, as the experiences of Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, K. Michelle, and others demonstrate, the reality is far more complex. In addition to their risks and potential complications, these procedures do not address the underlying emotional and psychological factors contributing to low self-esteem.
Ultimately, the decision to undergo cosmetic surgery is a deeply personal one that should not be taken lightly. It's essential to approach these procedures with a clear understanding of the risks and limitations. And by prioritizing self-love, self-care, and a healthy body image, an individual can achieve true confidence and contentment.