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22-year-old Tamara Blaine began convulsing and having a seizure after being injected in the buttocks with silicon during an illegal medical procedure conducted at a pay-per-hour hotel in NYC. Tamara eventually died at the hospital after the woman who injected her, Tamira Mobley, fled the scene and then denied having any involvement with the incident. According to the medical examiner, “the silicone went into her veins, asphyxiating her and causing her to lose consciousness very quickly.” Blaine’s death has since been ruled a homicide.

The influx of women out to get curvier backsides has grown significantly over the last few years. Celebrity women like Nicki Minaj and Kim Kardashian are praised for their large derriere and the “little in the middle, but she got much back,” image has become so popular that women are increasingly seeking butt injections or implants.

Tamara Blaine found Tamira Mobley via the Internet under the company name Silikon Incorp. She paid her installments of $500 to $800 for a procedure that can cost up to tens of thousands. It’s clear by the tales of injections done in back alleys or seedy hotel rooms, that some women lack the funds to have such procedures in safe settings under licensed surgeons and instead opt for cut-rate, and sometimes illegal jobs. Tamara Blaine isn’t the first and sadly, won’t be the last young woman to lose her life over the desire to surgically enhance their body or face through illegal methods.

While curvaceous figures have always been celebrated in the Black community, Black women are admitting to feeling increasing pressure to adhere to these coke bottle standards by any means necessary or otherwise feel unaccepted. “Love & Hip Hop” star Nya Lee allowed cameras to document her butt injections to educate women about the procedure.

Whether you agree with surgical enhancements or not, it’s better to be safe than dead. Instead of just talking about the problem, we reached out to three established surgeons to ask them the questions every woman should ask before going under the knife.

See Drs. Aisha McKnight-Baron, Michael Salzhaeur and Matthew Schulman weigh in on this potentially troubling trend:

What should you be looking for when searching for a plastic surgeon?

Dr. Schulman: Make sure they are Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons and an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. This is very different from someone who claims to be a “Board Certified Cosmetic Surgeon.” Selecting a plastic surgeon for your buttock augmentation is even more complex. These procedures are very specialized and very few Board Certified Plastic Surgeons are considered experts at this. Your surgeon should perform at least 6 buttock augmentations per week and be able to show you over 100 of his/her own before and after photos.

Dr. Salzhaeur: If your surgeon is board-certified in gynecology, Internal Medicine or General Surgery, they may know how to deliver a baby, treat a flu or take out a gallbladder, but it doesn’t mean they know anything about cosmetic surgery. Most state medical boards have websites where you can review a

doctors malpractice claims history, more than one or two claims against a surgeon is an indication that there are serious problems. If you do your homework and a little online detective work, it should be easy to find several good surgeons  that specialize in the procedure of your choice in a geographical location that works for you.

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