How much BBL fat survives, and why we never overfill

The first ninety days decide the result

Most of the injected fat survives, commonly around two thirds, because it arrives without a blood supply and lives by diffusion until small vessels grow into it over the first weeks. Volume therefore falls twice: once as swelling settles, and again as the fat that never revascularised is reabsorbed. The shape you see at month three is close to the shape you keep. We quote the volume we expect to remain, not the volume that passes through the syringe, because those two numbers are not the same.

Why overfilling backfires

Pushing more fat into the same pocket raises pressure inside the tissue, and pressure is precisely what blocks the diffusion the graft depends on. Overfilled areas produce firm lumps, oil cysts and occasionally infection. What works is many fine passes distributing small amounts through a large volume of tissue, which takes real time in theatre. A BBL performed quickly is not a bargain. It is a graft that will disappear more of itself by month three.

Where the fat is placed, and where it is not

Every millilitre goes above the muscle, in the subcutaneous layer, with the cannula angled away from the deep planes and ultrasound used to confirm the level where it helps. Injection into the gluteal muscle is the mechanism behind fat embolism, the complication that gave this operation its reputation, and we do not do it. Ask any surgeon that question directly and listen for a specific answer rather than a reassurance.

Planning the volume honestly

The realistic volume comes from three things: how much donor fat your abdomen, flanks and thighs can safely give, how much your skin envelope can hold without pressure, and how much projection you actually want. BBL starts at €3,800 including the liposuction of the donor areas. If more projection is wanted afterwards, a second session at six to nine months is far safer than forcing volume in on the first day.

The Ones People Actually Ask.