An Illinois woman who self-injected hot beef fat into her face has died of natural causes.

Homewood resident Janet Hardt, 63, died of peritonitis and not from the beef fat, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Authorities said the beef fat was meant to act like a Botox treatment, the Sun-Times reported. Botox is used to treat wrinkles.

Hardt boiled beef, extracted the fat, and injected it into her face, according to a Sun-Times Media Wire source.

Hardt had infections in her mouth and lip and went to the hospital on Thursday. She said her face felt as if it was on fire, according to sources, the Sun-Times reported.

There are a lot people out there doing self-injections for wrinkles, but I don't know of any medical associations that would recommend this, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Dr. Phillip Haeck told ABC News. It's not worth taking a chance with your face to try to save money when it could ultimately cost you a lot more money.

Authorities were told by family members that Hardt had already had cosmetic procedures done to her face and neck, the Sun-Times reported.

Hardt had done the beef fat procedure multiple times, ABC News reported, so she likely developed an allergic reaction.

A lot of people who have allergic reactions to animal proteins will say that their face is burning like this woman did, Haeck told ABC News. That's probably what was going on here.

Medicine