Navigating life as a woman in the world today is interesting. From Nigeria to Timbuktu, it’ll amaze you how similar all our experiences are. Every Wednesday, women the world over will share their experiences on everything from sex to politics right here.
For the people who might not know what exactly is a BBL?
A BBL is what all your favourite celebrities are getting done, so they can look snatched, but lying that they are working out. The full meaning is – Brazilian Butt Lift. It’s plastic surgery but doesn’t even have silicone and stuff. Fat is transferred from all the places you don’t want it, like your stomach and arms to your ass. Because who doesn’t want fat in their ass? It’s just moving the fat in your body around it’s not even plastic surgery like that.
And you just got one. How did it go?
It feels like it has been a while now. I think it will be exactly 6 months later this week since I got my surgery done but it feels like longer. I was so scared before the surgery, for some reason in the month before I went in, I just kept seeing more and more reports of botched BBLs. There was a girl who even died early last year but for some reason that didn’t stop me from getting it. I just knew my own would be different, I was very careful.
I got it done here in Abuja despite everyone warning me against it and I don’t have one single regret. It’s not as if getting it done here was my first choice but I didn’t have the money to do it abroad. I’ve been wanting to do this for about 3 years now and I was tired of waiting. So I decided to take a risk and it paid off.
What are the risks?
There are so many, but the biggest one is that you can actually die. It’s rare but it can happen. The fat can enter your bloodstream and start causing blockages, in your arteries and stuff. That’s the biggest risk. There are other risks like blood clots, but the one I was fixated on was this fat entering your bloodstream thing. That’s why it’s so important not to go to any roadside doctor. I did very thorough research before my surgery so I knew what to prepare for. A lot of girls with botched surgeries either didn’t do their research, went to a complete quack or didn’t take care of their bodies properly post-operation.
How did your surgery go?
For me, they took fat out of my stomach and my arms. I had serious Mary Mother arms so I think that’s where they took the most fat from. The surgery itself was fine, there were no complications. During my first consultation, my doctor even told me that I was a model patient for a BBL. But the first night after the surgery, when the anaesthesia wore off I experienced pain that I had never felt in my entire life. I’ve never had a child but it might be worse than childbirth. The kind of pain that I can’t wish on my enemy.
My arms and my ass felt like someone had shot them multiple times. I only spent one day and one night in the hospital. The second night I was allowed to go home even though I was still in a lot of pain. They gave me antibiotics and some pain killers and told me not to joke with my antibiotics at all, if not I could get infections. By the end of the first week the pain had kind of worn off and I was just feeling very sore.
How was the recovery?
Recovery wasn’t easy at all. It took about a month to stop feeling sore. I’m 6 months post-operation now and my body still feels one kind sometimes. I didn’t leave the house for anything until a month after the surgery. By the third week, I was feeling a lot better but I didn’t want to leave the house until I felt like I was almost completely healed.
I also couldn’t sit down for the first month at all. I had to lie on my stomach to sleep. If I wanted to sit briefly I had to sit on a BBL pillow. It’s a special pillow that allows you to sit on your thighs instead of your ass. After the first month, I was sitting down more but I still avoided it when I could. If you sit too much after the surgery the fat can shift and your ass will look like someone punched it.
I had a lot of swelling in my arms and stomach, probably my ass too, but I didn’t notice as much. At the hospital, they gave me this thing called a Faja. It’s like Spanx and a corset in one. It’s supposed to help reduce the swelling. and snatch your waist. For the first month, you have to wear it all times. You can only take it off when you want to shower. I wore mine for an extra two weeks because I heard it could help take your waist in further.
How much did it cost?
It cost me about 1.8 million Naira for everything from the consultation to the surgery itself to the drugs I needed. I only spent one night in the hospital but if I stayed longer it’ll have cost me more.
Has it affected your life in any way so far?
The amount of attention I get now is insane. From both men and women. I’m not ugly, it’s not like I wasn’t getting attention before. But now, I can’t cross the road to buy bread without getting stopped, sometimes it’s annoying but I can’t say that I hate it. Apart from that, life has just continued I’ve gotten used to my new body and I’m yet to have any problems. I only remember when I see the small scars on my ass where they injected the fat through.
You talked about celebrities lying about getting BBLs, does anyone know about yours?
I didn’t broadcast it, but if you are close to me and you ask me about it I won’t lie. I told my best friend though, she also followed me to the hospital and stayed with me for a couple of weeks while I was recovering. But I don’t owe anyone any explanation about why I suddenly look like Kim K’s sister. Some stupid girls have been trying to be shady. Asking me things like “Have you lost weight?” or “Which gym are you going to these days?”. I just ignore them, they didn’t contribute to my surgery money so I don’t owe them any explanation.
I know a lot of people advocate against getting plastic surgery, but if it’s not your body it’s not your business. I remember when people were dragging Toke Makinwa about getting her body done. It was so disgusting, especially the women, because it’s those same women that will be screaming about the importance of feminism.
Do you have even the slightest bit of regret?
Right now no. In fact, my body is at its best right now. Right after the surgery, my ass was stiff at first, it took a couple of months for it to loosen up. Now it’s soft and jiggly. The swelling in my arms and stomach is completely gone too. My stomach is flatter than Beyonce’s own it’s mad. The first two or three days when I was in pain, I had some ‘who sent me’ moments, but apart from that. I don’t have a single regret. Even the money I spent was pinching me at first. But I’ve made almost double the amount back in the last two months in dash money from friends.
Why’d you do it?
My body would never have looked the way it looks now. No amount of working out would have helped. Even with prayer and fasting. I was very unhappy with my body. I wish I could share my before and after pictures so people can see what a difference there is, but people might recognise me and I don’t want drama. Just imagine an inverted triangle with rolls. I was very top-heavy with a big stomach and zero ass and hips. Even if I turned to John Cena in the gym I would never have gotten the body I wanted. People might think I did this for men, to get more attention from men. But I did it for me, it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.
