Crystal Hefner says she has ‘removed everything fake’ from her body as she opens up about lifestyle changes

Hugh Hefner’s widow says she is now ‘more authentic, vulnerable and feel that I belong more to myself’

Crystal Hefner talks about removing ‘everything fake’ from her body (AFP via Getty Images)

Crystal Hefner has spoken candidly about her reasons for “removing everything fake” from her body and the changes it has made to her health and life.

The widow of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner discussed her transformation in an Instagram post, where she explained that she has witnessed a change in her social media following as she has become more true to herself.

“Over five years, my account has shifted from not always safe for work posts to my REAL safe for work life. The real me. I was living for other people before, to make others happy, suffering internally in the process,” she explained in the caption of a black-and-white photo of herself.

Hefner, 35, then went on to reflect on her previous social media persona, with the former Playmate, who has more than 3m followers on Instagram, acknowledging that she grew her social media following during her “Playboy years” and that “certain photos grow followings fast”.

“In short, sex sells,” Hefner continued, adding that she doesn’t know whether she felt empowered at the time, or if she dressed in a certain manner because that’s what she thought was “expected of me”.

While she doesn’t completely understand her former motives, the model said that she is now focused on a new mindset, in which she is empowered by modesty.

“Now I can confidently and 100 per cent proudly say, modesty is what empowers me these days. And because it feels so much better internally, it will probably be this way for the rest of my life,” she wrote.

In addition to choosing different photos to post on her social media accounts, and deleting her old photos, Hefner also explained that the change has been personal as well, as she has “removed everything fake from my body”.

According to Hefner, as a result, she feels “more authentic [and] vulnerable” and like she belongs “more to myself”.

In the post, Hefner also reflected on the ways this change has influenced her social media following, noting that she lost followers in the beginning as she transitioned into a more modest ⁣mindset. However, she said that that has since begun to change as she has gained a following that is more interested in the “actual soul behind the lens”.

“But now it has shifted. Now it’s in the green. Most days the count is growing. Now my women followers are giving the men followers a run for their money. Now I truly feel I have an army of supporters that care and see an actual soul behind the lens. For that I thank you,” she wrote.

Hefner concluded the heartfelt post expressing her gratitude to those who follow her, before promising her followers that she has made it her mission to “try and help in all ways that I can while staying true to myself”.

“I hope all of you can stay true to yourself and do what feels right for you as well, because there’s a certain power you get from that you can’t find anywhere else. I love you,” she wrote.

This is not the first time that Hefner has opened up about changes she’s made to her appearance, as she previously revealed that she had her breast implants removed in 2016 because they were “slowly poisoning her”.

At the time, Hefner discussed the factors that went into her decision to have explant surgery in a Facebook post, where she revealed that she had been suffering from fatigue, brain fog and aches.

According to Hefner, who explained that she became aware her breast implants may have been causing the problems after fans reached out, she had also been developing allergies and problems with her thyroid before the removal surgery.

“Instantly I noticed my neck and shoulder pain was gone and I could breathe much better,” Hefner wrote. “I know I won’t feel 100 per cent overnight. My implants took eight years to make me this sick, so I know it will take time to feel better.”

Over the years, Hefner has continued to be transparent in regards to her cosmetic procedures, as she revealed last year that she nearly died in October after undergoing a fat transfer surgery.

“I had a fat transfer surgery October 16 and almost didn’t make it through,” she wrote on Instagram in January 2021, alongside a photo of herself wrapped in bandages.

According to Hefner, she lost “half the blood in [her] body and ended up in the hospital needing a blood transfusion” following the procedure, which sees fat removed from one area of the body and moved to another.

At the time, Hefner acknowledged that she advocates “for being natural since I got very ill and removed my implants and everything else toxic in my body in 2016” and that she “should have learned my lesson the first time”.

“But I guess the universe keeps sending you the same lesson until you learn it,” she wrote.

In the post, Hefner also spoke candidly about the toxicity of social media and beauty standards, and how it feels impossible to keep up with our culture’s definition of beauty.

“Women are overly sexualised. I know from the worst kind of experience … For 10 years my value was based on how good my physical body looked. I was rewarded and made a living based on my outer appearance,” Hefner continued, adding that the scary experience acted as a “huge slap on my own wrist for caving in to this pressure, even now in my 30s, as I thought I would have learned my lesson by now”.

Following Hefner’s most recent post, fans have praised her for her honesty and transparency.

“I think, as we age, we crave more authenticity versus an escape from reality (if that makes sense). Thank you for showing us the real you!!!” one person commented.

Another said: “Beautiful post. Thanks for showing that It’s never too late or early to realign with yourself and move forward in a direction that brings happiness and personal growth.”

“You are so much more beautiful living your authentic and natural self. I find you more fascinating than ever and love seeing your transformation and growth over the years,” someone else wrote. “You’re an inspiration to women that are having a hard time finding themselves and who might be in a situation you were in years ago. REAL is sexy. So happy to see you glowing and surrounded by so much love.”