Crystal Hefneris getting candid about some recent big changes in her life.

The widow ofPlayboyfounderHugh Hefnerrevealed in a lengthy Instagram caption on Monday night that she has “removed everything fake from my body and deleted all my old photos.”

“I am more authentic, vulnerable and feel that I belong more to myself. I am mine,” said Crystal, 35.

Earlier in the caption — whichaccompanied a black-and-white photoof the former Playmate, as well as two images of her follower statistics — Crystal admitted she “was living for other people before, to make others happy, suffering internally in the process.”

However, “over five years, my account has shifted from not always safe for work posts to my REAL safe for work life. The real me,” she added.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

RELATED GALLERY:23 Stars Who Quit Social Media … and How Long They Stayed Away

Crystal went on to acknowledge that she realizes she gained a lot of her followers during her years posing forPlayboy, noting, “Certain photos grow followings fast. In short, sex sells.”

Crystal Hefner.crystal hefner/ instagram

crystal hefner

“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 said.

RELATED VIDEO: Inside Hugh Hefner’s Final Years and Quiet Life with Crystal

Crystal’s post comes just over a year after she opened up about a harrowing cosmetic procedure that she “almost didn’t make it through,” revealing last January that shenearly died in 2020 while undergoing a “fat transfer surgery"that required a blood transfusion for her recovery.

Inher Instagram post, the model and DJ called out unrealistic beauty standards, saying, “Our culture is a trap and makes women feel terrible about themselves.”

“For ten years my value was based on how good my physical body looked. I was rewarded and made a living based on my outer appearance,” Crystal added. “To this day I need to write reminders of why I’m worthy that have nothing to do with my physical appearance to convince myself that I’m enough.”

In 2016, Crystal also revealed that sheremoved her breast implants because they had “slowly poisoned” herand caused debilitating illnesses, which included “intolerance to foods and beverages, unexplained back pain, constant neck and shoulder pain, cognitive dysfunction (brain fog, memory loss), stunted hair growth, incapacitating fatigue, burning bladder pain, low immunity, recurring infections and problems with my thyroid and adrenals.”

source: people.com