Blac Chyna has silicone butt injections removed. Are they safe?

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Rapper Blac Chyna revealed why she decided to remove her silicone injections, which she got when she was 19.

Silicone injections, often called “butt shots,” rely on permanent dermal fillers to create the appearance of a “plump” or “lifted” look in the buttocks– which the FDA specifically advises against.

The former reality TV star, 34, said she had the fillers removed from her buttocks and breasts. “I just want all the ladies out there to know: do not get silicone shots,” she warned her 16 million followers in a series of Instagram videos posted earlier this week. “You can get sick, you can die, have complications, and all this other crazy stuff.”

The FDA has approved certain injectable dermal fillers for use in the face (lips, cheeks, and jawline), but no dermal fillers are FDA-approved for large-scale body contouring or body enhancement, it cautions.

Chyna continued to post about the potential risks and side effects she wish she had known about, even sharing a video of her consultation with a doctor.

“You can see deformities,” he explained to her. “You can see a discoloration of the skin… so the best thing is just don’t do it. Don’t do it.”

Despite the growing popularity of the trendy and “quick” Brazilian butt lift alternative, previously mentioned by stars like Cardi B, experts warn about its dangers and health consequences.

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What are silicone butt injections? How are they different from a BBL?

Silicone butt shots work by injecting the dermal filler “deep within the tissue of the buttocks to provide a larger volume appearance,” according to Lisa Vasquez, a board-certified aesthetic nurse practitioner at Pearlman Aesthetic Surgery.

It’s different from Brazilian butt lifts (BBL), an FDA-approved plastic surgery which involves using liposuction to gather fat from another part of the body and redistributing it to the buttock region.

Unlike BBLs, silicone injections are not FDA-approved for body contouring or enhancement purposes. However, the appeal of these injections is that they’re less invasive and typically more affordable.

Are health complications common?

Chyna isn’t the only one concerned about the dangers of silicone injections in your butt, which are permanent and stay in your body.

One potential problem is when “the injectible silicone oil (breaks) off into smaller particles throughout the body, possibly causing permanent damage and life-threatening complications such as stroke, embolism and even death,” Vasquez says. Other complications may include infections, inflammation, chronic pain, swelling, nodule formation, skin discoloration and scarring.

There have also been reports of black market silicone injections, which are done illegally and in typically unsterile environments – further increasing the risk for health problems. Cardi B revealed in a 2018 interview that she “felt like I was gonna pass out” after receiving butt injections in someone’s basement for $800. She added that she experienced leakage “for, like, five days” afterwards. That same year, “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” alum K. Michelle said she underwent four surgeries after getting illegal silicone butt injections that later ruptured.

How do you remove silicone butt injections?

Vasquez warns that the reversal process is challenging and “difficult” for even the most skilled plastic surgeons.

“Removal will require direct incision or VASER-assisted liposuction guided by ultrasound,” Vasquez explains, adding that the latter “removes injected silicone, siliconomas, and scar tissue.” “But there is nothing that can dissolve the liquid silicone. Granulomas that are formed need to be surgically excised.”

People are risking their safety to be ‘beautiful.’ At what cost?

In the age of social media, it’s hard to resist the new wave of plastic surgery trends, from BBLs to lip fillers to the more recent Hollywood beauty fad, buccal fat removal.

Instead, experts in body image urge to avoid falling victim to these fleeting trends and take into consideration the less-talked-about health risks of these permanent, body alterations. UCLA sociology professor Abigail Saguy previously told USA TODAY her hope is for people to focus less on how their bodies appear, and more on what their bodies can do.

“It’s important to focus less on the visual and more on, ‘how does my body feel?,” she said. “We look in the mirror to make sure there’s nothing in our teeth, but other than that, hopefully, we’re outward-facing.”

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