Apryl Brown says she had always been teased about having a flat butt when she was a kid. As an adult, she decided to do something about it. Unfortunately, the fillers that were injected into her buttocks cost Brown her arms, her legs, and the flesh around her posterior. The fillers also almost killed her.
In 2004 Brown was a successful hairstylist. When she mentioned to a client that she’d like to get a better-looking butt, the client offered to help Brown at a reduced price, which was a seductive proposition. Brown went to two sessions before she realized that she was making a mistake.
“A voice just came to me like, ‘What are you doing? Are you serious? You are going to allow somebody to inject something into your body and you have no idea what it is.’ ” Brown decided that day to stop doing the treatments and never went back.
According to The American Society of Plastic Surgeons, more and more people are making the mistake of getting cosmetic procedures at back-alley clinics and even buying the supplies for their desired procedures online, injecting themselves with ingredients they know nothing about and have no training in administering. For these consumers, the lower price point is attractive, but the result can be devastating. Some individuals are turning to plastic surgeons only to correct the mistakes that they’ve made by trying to give themselves surgical cosmetic enhancements at home. Dr. Richard Glogau, a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco says that being able to shop online has given consumers the misguided notion that they can purchase the same fillers as legitimate medical doctors.
“If we live in a world where you buy your Manolo Blahniks shoes at Neiman Marcus or you can buy them online at Zappos and it’s the same shoe, I think you’re expecting what you see on a website as full value and true.”
Apryl Brown is living proof of the dangers of undergoing cosmetic procedures outside of a doctor’s office. When her buttocks were tested, it was revealed that what she’d been injected with was bathroom caulk, which caused her flesh to harden and discolor. She was in pain for over five years. In 2010, a staph infection connected to the fillers landed her in the hospital where Brown’s arms and legs had to be amputated. She’s had to learn how to do everything over again and can live independently with the help of an aide.
According to WPTV 5, Brown isn’t asking for pity. Instead, she’s trying to spread the message that people should do their research before they decide to go under the syringe.
“All I would ask them to do is, when you have that first thought, make sure they have a second thought about it and do a little research. And if they still want to do it, go for it. They won’t be blind sighted, saying, ‘Oh, my God, I had no idea that a simple procedure like that can leave me with no hands, no feet and no butt cheeks.'”
Brown is also spreading the message that cosmetic surgery is not the answer. Her new mantra is “We are enough and we were made to be enough.”
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