Plastic surgery is undoubtedly costly, but for many women in Tennessee, the confidence boost that comes with it is more than worth the cost. However, some individuals may still be tempted to shop around for bargain prices, or even entrust their breast augmentation or dermal fillers to professionals who don’t have the necessary qualifications to perform these procedures. A recent string of fatalities linked to Black Market injections has brought this issue to the forefront, with news outlets like Science World Report and Medical Daily speculating about how these transactions even take place.

Science World Report notes that Georgia, Florida, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania and Alabama have all reported hospitalization cases where women received Black Market silicone injections to enhance their rear ends only to suffer from severe complications.

In some cases, including that of Georgia native Karima Gordon in March 2012, women are referred to underqualified individuals by friends or acquaintances, and may even be misled about their medical background. Medical Daily states that Gordon went to interior designer and florist Morris Garner for silicone butt injections after being told by hip hop model Natasha Stewart that she would be seeing a trained professional. The results of the procedure were catastrophic, and Gordon ultimately lost her life.

This is just one instance in a disconcerting rise of Black Market plastic surgery procedures. Given that cosmetic enhancements like breast implants and facelifts are becoming more mainstream, it’s hardly surprising that a number of unqualified individuals are trying to profit from the increased demand. As such, it is more important than ever for women in Tennessee to ensure they work with a board-certified plastic surgeon like Dr. Lett, who has undergone years of training in the clinical and aesthetic aspects of plastic surgery.