An author and Instagram model known for her massive booty is warning others about the hidden risks of black market butt-injections and urging them not to follow in her footsteps.
Courtney Barnes was just 22 when she attended her first "pumping party" and received an illegal cosmetic procedure to increase the size of her booty.
Now 35, Barnes who goes by Ms. Miami on Instagram worries about what the black market polymer injections may be doing to her body along with the social stigma of having a 59-inch rear.
"At one point I wanted a bigger butt at any cost, but now I realize it could cost me my life," Barnes said on a recent episode of the YouTube series Hooked On The Look.
On top of the health concerns Barnes also faces tremendous public scrutiny on account of her looks and wishes she could just go back to before she received the illegal injections.
"I'm tired of being a victim of bullying on social media just because of the way I look. I'm ready to look like the girl next door."
As a model Barnes' massive assets have gained her over 830 thousand followers on Instagram.
And followers are always eager to comment on Barnes' appearance.
But Barnes' spoke candidly with Hooked On The Look about the downsides of so much public attention.
"OK, I may look like a circus freak because my booty is big like this, but I just want people to see me for me."
Barnes added:
"I just want people to see me more as Courtney."
Barnes also admitted she is often followed on the street by people trying to take photos or video of her rear.
Injecting My 59″ Booty Was A BIG Mistake | HOOKED ON THE LOOK www.youtube.com
Barnes says that over the years the injections have started to sag and become discolored.
More concerning than the emotional and psychological consequences for Courtney however are the potential health risks of the injections.
Dr. Gonzalo Mosquera, a plastic surgeon, spoke with Barnes on Hooked On The Look.
"She's definitely had illegal injections of polymer, which is a very sad, common thing."
Mosquera noted:
"We see a lot of complications with that. Some patients get a lot of symptoms, a lot of pain—they can't sleep, they can't lean on it, they can't rest. It's an awful, illegal treatment."
Fortunately for Courtney the injections have not yet migrated to other areas of her body, but Mosquera still recommended a specialist to get the injections removed.
"I want it really bad. That's all I think about," Barnes said of removing the injections.
"It almost consumes my mind. I just want to go through with the procedure that I know will remove it. And I also want to try and live a normal life after."
For Barnes though getting the injections removed may cost her more than the original procedure.
"The cost of fixing my butt is more than what I paid to get this butt, it'd be well over $20,000," Barnes told UK news outlet The Sun.
Barnes has now written an autobiography based on her experiences with the illegal injections and hopes to prevent others from making the same mistakes. Her book is available here.
"Just because it looks good does not mean it's healthy," Barnes told a group of women considering the procedure on Hooked On The Look.
"And I just want to say don't do it. Don't do it!"
On Instagram Barnes continues to flaunt her substantial assets, but these days she hopes it will raise awareness about the dangers of illegal injections and make others think twice before getting similar procedures.
"I just want to get as many people as I can understanding what I went through, so they won't go through it."
"I'm not only doing this for me. I'm doing this for a lot of girls."