I Got a Liposuction and BBL in Nigeria. Here’s What It Cost Me

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Martha*, 42, lost a pregnancy in March 2024. Three months later, she spent ₦8 million on a liposuction and BBL, and nearly double that on recovery. Now that her body is snatched, she breaks down the full, staggering cost.

As told to Aisha Bello

I’ve always been a size 12-14, but my tummy was my biggest insecurity. It’s hereditary; I got my mum’s big tummy. Even with a naturally large midsection, I liked being a thick girl. But my tummy, arms and inner thighs bothered me.

I’ve never had a flat stomach, not even at size 10. I had no fibroids or medical conditions; it’s just how I was built. So, I knew surgery was my path. I always knew I’d get liposuction. I just didn’t know when.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been pro-plastic surgery. My motto is: if you don’t like it, fix it. Women should do what they want with their bodies.

In March 2024, I lost a four-month-old pregnancy, and the baby fat clung to me. I went in on my usual routines: intermittent fasting, dieting, and gym, but nothing worked. Instead, my tummy got bigger than ever. Clothes didn’t fit. I couldn’t button my jeans. I became so self-conscious. Mentally, I was drained.

Then, a friend who’d done her body asked why I hadn’t done it yet. I admitted I was scared of Nigerian doctors. Soon, Instagram ads for plastic surgeons started popping up. The algorithms work! I saw an Abuja surgeon’s page, and my friend confirmed he was her doctor. I consulted him online in June 2024, after months of grieving. His prices were high: $6,000 was the cheapest, and the highest quote was $20,000. It was too expensive for me, so I continued searching.

The Real Cost of a BBL: More Than Just Surgery

Here’s the thing about liposuction and BBL: whatever you spend on surgery, expect to pay at least double for aftercare. A $10,000 surgery meant an extra $10,000 to $15,000 for aftercare. Aftercare is critical.

I found a Lagos doctor on Instagram and booked a consultation. They broke down my surgery into arm lipo and a Lipo 360 for my tummy and back. I already had prominent buttocks, so there was no need to touch that. I only wanted to fill my hip dips, levelling them with my natural curves. But doctors still call this a Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL), whether you add volume to your butts or just correct hip dips.

I paid in July, and my surgery was scheduled for October 2024. My niece, also a BBL enthusiast, helped me. She kept gassing me up. I wanted to know the worst-case, so I asked the necessary questions. I also watched videos of surgeries done on black people.

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The ₦16 Million Breakdown

Initial Surgery Cost:

Your final cost depends on your body. My first payment was ₦5 million, which covered the surgery. But more costs came. My Body Mass Index (BMI) was high; I weighed 107.5 kg. This meant more fat extraction and complexity, translating to higher fees. I needed to lose some weight. After a few months at the gym, I lost 7 kg before surgery.

Pre-Surgery Expenses:

My first set of medical tests for the surgery was done a month in advance. Then, just two weeks before the scheduled operation, I had another test, and the results revealed an infection. This led to a two-week prescription for drugs that cost me ₦25,000.

A doctor called to inform me that I needed to avoid eating from 7 P.M. the night before. They also recommended a ₦12k drug to calm my nerves, which I readily bought. I’d never gone under the knife before. I knew I needed it.

I got an aftercare kit containing wipes, a urinal, compression socks, antibacterial soap, pain relief gels, and pads. That preparation cost up to ₦100k.

Return flights from Lagos to Abuja cost ₦200k.

The Unexpected Hospital Costs (During & After):

I also had to get ulcer treatment before and after the surgery, which cost ₦40k. I’d been instructed not to eat, and it triggered a flare-up.

I get heart palpitations when my iron gets low. They treated it, and it cost another ₦15k.

Malaria treatment? They wanted ₦50,000. I refused. I told them I always take anti-malarial medication before travel or major procedures.

I had paid for a three-man room, but I needed a private room to sleep before surgery, which cost an extra ₦150k.

They pushed a ₦800,000 painkiller machine. It provides electronic and continuous pain relief. I refused. Why pay that much for two days of relief only to return to pain in the following weeks? I’d rather endure the pain with regular pain relief meds. I have a high pain threshold. I didn’t pay for that either.

I wanted thigh liposuction, but it was an extra ₦750k. I skipped it for later.

At 41, I needed extra precautions and more tests not included in standard quotes for younger patients (20s, early 30s), which meant more costs.

My total surgery costs moved up to ₦8 million.

Woman in a compression garment (faja) after liposuction and BBL surgery.

The Surgery Experience

My surgery was on a Friday. The doctor marked my body: Lipo 360, arms, hip dips. A nurse took me to the operating room. They rubbed cold iodine on me. I lay on the surgical bed. “Count to ten,” they said. I got to seven before I passed out from the anaesthesia.

I woke up lying on my chest in a ward. My body felt so heavy. I learned that my friend who accompanied me had been panicking. They spent seven hours on me, instead of six. She heard them repeatedly calling my name until I reluctantly answered. They don’t push a patient out till they wake.

I was in a compression garment wrapped in foam. My compression socks were on to prevent blood clots, another part of the accumulating costs. The next day, under 12 hours later, they bathed us, cleaned us, and put on our compression garments. Then, I had my first lymphatic drainage massage.

Post-Surgery: The Healing & The Creeping Costs

Aftercare costs twice as much as the surgery. Costs crept in daily: new treatments, new drugs, new expenses.

My package included 10 massages. I needed 20 more daily massages for another month. Those extra massages alone cost ₦600,000. I couldn’t get them in Abuja, so I had to stay in Lagos until November. Each session costs ₦30k.

I rented a short-let apartment in Lagos for a month at ₦80k daily. The total came to ₦2.4 million.

My pre-existing medical condition, sciatica, which is a nerve problem, worsened. My spine touched my nerves, causing thigh pain. It wasn’t the hospital’s fault, because I already had it. I’m still treating it with drugs and a physiotherapist. They said sleeping on my stomach for so long, while I healed, made it worse.

Fajas & Meds:

Massages and fajas are key aftercare. Fajas are compression garments for skin retraction and swelling. You need multiple fajas, with different compression levels and sizes for healing stages, hygiene, fit, and support change.

I used five fajas. One braless, full-body short faja alone was ₦129,335 at the hospital. Total fajas: almost ₦700k.

I stopped painkillers 10 days post-operation. I just endured the pain because I wanted to avoid addiction to painkillers.

I hired a carer and paid ₦200k for six weeks. In the first two weeks, I was incredibly vulnerable. I couldn’t do anything. I had my first dump 10 days post-op, and it was challenging. I couldn’t sit on the toilet properly. My carer helped with everything, even cleaning me.

Wherever they lipped, tummy, back, arms, itched. I needed specific drugs. These drugs and continuous antibiotics were all part of aftercare medication.

I spent ₦250k on post-surgery meds during my healing phase: painkillers, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory meds, and stool softeners. I also got two scar creams: one was ₦55k, so ₦110k for two.

The Outcome: Best I’ve Ever Felt

My ‘surgery sisters’, other women I met during the journey, said my healing was fast. They were still in pain a month and a half later, but I was back to regular programming in six weeks. My doctor did an incredible job; you can’t see my incisions. Unless I pointed out two tiny, nearly invisible ones, you wouldn’t find them. My body heals quickly; my incisions were closing by day three or four.

The process was expensive, but I’m a businesswoman. I just took the money from my savings. I didn’t want to dwell on it and don’t regret it.

This is the best I have felt about my body in forever.

I pulled out an old Arsenal jersey I’ve had for years. Now, my tummy is completely flat inside. Every time I look in the mirror, I love my body. I did this for confidence. I don’t want to girdle my tummy or be uncomfortable. I want to wear clothes freely, just a bra and pants underneath. No tights, no waist trainer. That’s why I did it.

My waist is crazy snatched. My arms went from over 20 inches to 14! I almost didn’t do my arms, but the nurse insisted. She said a small body with big arms wouldn’t suit the new silhouette. And trust me, the doctors sucked the hell out of my sides and back.

I Feel Fantastic

If I had the money, I’d do it again. It’s truly addictive, no lie. You want to tackle everything once you fix one insecurity, especially without complications. People say I’m lucky because there were no significant complications. My tummy is so smooth, unlike those with fibrosis or rough results. People find it hard to believe it’s not natural.

I did nothing excessive with my BBL. When my doctor asked how I wanted my hips, I told him I just wanted to fill the deep parts to match my existing curves. I already had hips and big buttocks naturally. There were no significant additions, just corrections.

I still want my outer and inner thighs done, and probably fat transfer to my breasts. I regret not doing them with the first surgery. I was focused on the excessive spending. I could have combined healing periods.

That’s all that’s left. I like my stature. I’m fine. Hips, back, sides, arms — all good. My waist is snatched. If I wear a tight bodycon dress, you’ll know somebody’s passing.