The Price of Perfection: The Dangers of Brazilian Butt Lifts

As you gear up for the back-to-school season or a return to your regular routine, finding time for self-care can be challenging. However, a few quick beauty treatments can make all the difference in helping you look and feel refreshed.

For some patients, plastic surgery is a way to improve self-confidence. However, recent news stories — including that of a woman who died after having a Brazilian butt lift performed by an improperly licensed surgeon — have shown the dangers of unsafe cosmetic procedures. Fortunately, surgeons like Dr. Alexander Earle of Miami-based Pure Plastic Surgery are dedicated to offering safe, personalized procedures.

Plastic surgery, while often enhancing self-esteem and appearance, comes with inherent safety concerns. We reached out to three leading plastic surgeons at Pure Plastic Surgery—Dr. Garrett Wegerif, Dr. Natalia Vidal, and Dr. S. Alexander Earle—to provide insights into these concerns and how patients can ensure they are in safe hands.

July is the peak of summer, and with it comes the excitement of vacation getaways and travel adventures. Whether you're heading to a tropical beach, exploring a bustling city, or enjoying a serene mountain retreat, maintaining your health and beauty routines while on the go can be challenging. To help you look and feel your best, we asked our Haute Beauty experts for their top travel health and beauty tips. From skincare advice to wellness practices, discover their professional recommendations to ensure you stay radiant and revitalized throughout your summer travels.

Recovery after plastic surgery is as important as the actual surgery – that’s when discipline and patience become very important attributes. For many patients, after surgery they want to see immediate results and with most procedures it can takes weeks, months and sometimes a year for final results to appear. Your surgeon will provide post-operative instructions and a checklist for you to follow, that may include lymphatic drainage massages if you had a mommy makeover, Ultrasound-Guided Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), tummy tuck or liposuction. The purpose of lymphatic massages is to accelerate healing and recovery.

"Contouring the body in this way makes a BBL a very impactful procedure that can transform someone’s shape in ways that simply aren’t possible with butt exercises alone," Alex Earle, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Miami and president of the World Association of Gluteal Surgeons, tells SELF.