Everything you need to know about the Colombian butt lift trap

Looking to add volume to your buttocks or breasts without resorting to plastic surgery? You may have heard of the Colombian butt lift, which uses a suction system based on cups. This technique is heavily promoted on the social media accounts of beauticians and stands out from other types of lift in that it is completely non-invasive and painless. The Colombian butt lift also requires no injections, unlike aesthetic-medicine procedures. How does the Colombian butt lift work? Is it really effective? What are the limitations and risks of this technique? Everything you need to know about the Colombian butt lift and the other methods for adding volume to your body contour and removing skin imperfections.

How the Colombian butt lift works

Also known as “vacuum therapy” or negative-pressure therapy, the Colombian butt lift derives from age-old Asian methods for increasing the volume of certain parts of the body. This type of lift is performed using a specialised machine made up of cups connected to a suction device. The cups draw up the skin and tissue in order to stimulate blood flow and the lymphatic system and to restore a firm, smooth appearance to the skin. The muscles in the treated area contract, which is said to help mobilise fat cells and reduce the appearance of cellulite thanks to the volumising effect. In theory, then, the Colombian butt lift offers many benefits: body reshaping, muscle toning, cellulite treatment, toxin elimination and improved skin elasticity.

How vacuum therapy is carried out

The first phase of the Colombian butt lift involves a massage to stimulate the fat cells. The cups are then applied for several minutes to the targeted area in order to mobilise these fat cells. After the session, it is recommended to massage the area with a firming gel, alongside regular physical activity. Each session lasts on average between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours depending on the size of the area, and a course of around ten sessions is generally proposed, with at least one day’s interval — often several days — between each one.

The Colombian butt lift is mainly proposed to increase the volume of the buttocks, but it is also promoted for the breasts, and even the belly, thighs, arms or face. Whatever the area, the principle remains suction using cups, with no incision or injection.

How long does a Colombian butt lift last? The lifespan of the results

This is one of the most frequently asked questions about the method, and the answer calls for caution. The effects of a single Colombian butt lift session are temporary: in practice they last only a few weeks before fading. For this reason, the salons that offer it recommend a full course followed by regular maintenance, usually one session per month, presenting a “volume” effect that can be maintained for up to a year with these repeated touch-ups and a healthy lifestyle. So this is in no way a lasting increase comparable to a surgical procedure: as soon as the maintenance stops, the area returns to its original appearance.

The advantages of this particular method

One of the main strengths of the Colombian butt lift is the absence of any surgical procedure. Unlike a conventional lift, it requires no incision or removal of excess skin, since it works simply through suction using cups placed on the area to be treated. It is therefore a non-invasive method, with no scar and no anaesthesia — but not without risk!

Is the Colombian butt lift effective? Limits, reviews and risks

The first limitation is effectiveness. Promoted to increase the volume of the buttocks, this method actually delivers very short-lived results. No long-term result has ever been demonstrated with this type of negative-pressure therapy. It has even been tested by some surgeons, combined with fat injection, without showing any superiority over injections performed without vacuum therapy. This lack of evidence is echoed by the English-language medical literature: Healthline points out that there is “very little scientific literature to support vacuum therapy as a genuine alternative to a surgical buttock lift”, and the smoothing effect observed on cellulite is most often attributed to temporary tissue swelling rather than to any genuine transformation.

As for the “before/after” reviews and testimonials found on social media, they should be viewed with caution: they correspond to an immediate post-session effect that is inherently short-lived, and tell us nothing about a result maintained over time.

The risks to the skin are very real: the treated area can develop ulcerations, bruising, stretch marks or vascular lesions when the pressure is poorly set. The technique is also not advised in cases of an open wound, varicose veins, a recent scar, dermatological conditions, diabetes, anticoagulant use or during pregnancy.

The benefit-risk balance of this procedure is unfavourable. We advise against the Colombian butt lift because of its lack of lasting effectiveness and its proven risks.

How much does a Colombian butt lift cost?

The price of a Colombian butt lift depends on the area treated, the number of sessions and the salon chosen. As the results rely on a course (often around ten sessions) followed by monthly maintenance, what really matters is the cumulative cost, not the price of a single session. As a rough guide, some practitioners mention a budget of around €1,000 to €1,500 for a full course, on top of which come the maintenance sessions. Set against temporary results, this budget remains, in our view, poor value compared with a lasting solution.

The effective alternatives to the Colombian butt lift

The Colombian butt lift should not be confused with the Brazilian butt lift (BBL), which is a surgical procedure combining liposuction of the donor areas and the injection of autologous fat (buttock lipofilling). This operation, although more invasive (the Brazilian butt lift is performed in the operating theatre under general anaesthesia), produces far faster and far more marked results than the Colombian butt lift: it consists of harvesting fat from other parts of the body before re-injecting it into the buttocks.

For patients who want a shapelier contour without moving fat around, opting for buttock implants or a surgical buttock lift in cases of skin laxity are other lasting options, to be assessed in consultation according to your body shape.

The same applies to HYAcorp technology, which injects a body-contouring hyaluronic acid filler to restore volume and reshape an area of the body. This option may be considered for moderate correction, in patients for whom lipofilling is not possible due to a lack of fat. It is performed under local anaesthesia and lasts between 30 minutes and 1.5 hours. For the breasts, a breast lipofilling by fat injection provides a natural gain in volume, whereas the Colombian butt lift produces only a fleeting effect.

The Colombian butt lift therefore has nothing to do with these various methods, as it involves no surgery. It is, however, far less effective for patients wanting a truly lasting and marked result. If your main goal is to firm the skin or reduce cellulite without surgery, you are better off turning to solutions whose effectiveness is documented, such as the non-surgical buttock lift through Lanluma biostimulation or targeted treatments for cellulite on the buttocks, rather than vacuum therapy.