What the Experts Say
Miami plastic surgeon Sean Simon, MD is even more direct: “This is news to me. I’ve done well over 25,000 surgeries, including thousands of fat grafting cases, and I have never heard this complaint, not once,” he says. “And we know patients are not shy about complaining about anything. So, this is nonsense.”
Both doctors agree that an odor could indicate infection, but it’s not something unique to BBLs or fat grafting. “Even in cases of fat necrosis, which are rare in the buttocks, there wouldn’t be a smell unless the tissue was infected and open to the environment,” says Dr. Simon. “Odor comes from the bacteria involved in infection.”
When Odor Could Be a Red Flag
Dr. Simon echoes this: “Odor from a wound should always prompt investigation for a possible infection. Look for other signs, too, like redness, swelling, tenderness, firmness. Those are all clues.”
The Real BBL Myth
Dr. Simon notes that this viral trend is just the latest example of misinformation swirling around the BBL procedure. “BBL gets a terrible rap, even from the plastic surgery community, as a ‘dangerous procedure,’ which is also untrue. When performed correctly, it’s extremely safe.”