Bodybuilder Dave Hartrey has gone viral for showing off the damages steroids have done to his body, spending nine months inside after the excruciating outcome of the drug.
The steroids have given him painful boils all over his body, primarily on his back, chest and arms. He has suffered two sever breakouts of said boils, leaving him with keloid scars.
A fitness instructor from Waterford, he’s begging doctors to help him with his ailments, but his ordeal is a reminder to everyone thinking of trying to use steroids to bulk up that they are incredibly dangerous.
What is a keloid scar?
Hartrey is covered in the scars which look incredibly painful, I dread to think what they actually feel like! However, the 24-year-old is unfortunate enough to live with them every day, leaving him housebound as a result.
They’re just like normal scars, but they are enlarged compared to an average scar and they are raised from the skin and can be pink, red, skin-coloured or darker than the skin.
Ironically, the usual course of treatment for keloid scars is steroid injections/steroid tapes, but it looks like Hartrey will need some serious help, potentially surgery with those scars.
BARCELONA, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 23: An athlete poses with a gold medal after winning the Junior Men category during the bodybuilding competition as part of the Arnold Classic Europe 2016 on September 23, 2016 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
What has Dave Hartrey said?
The bodybuilder has spoken about his ordeal, claiming: “I've always been a big advocate of fitness and have worked out on and off since I was 15. When I was 20 years old, I started training with a bodybuilder and I really enjoyed training with him, so decided to go down the bodybuilding route too.
“When you go to the gym and start making progress people accuse you of taking steroids, and as bodybuilding is a short career, I decided to just go for it. It’s really important to mention how with steroids, you're rolling the dice from the start because when taking testosterone, your body may not produce the same level naturally after, not to mention the other dangers.
“I got mine off a guy in my gym, which I wouldn't recommend doing whatsoever because you could be taking anything!”
Videos: Dave Hartrey’s steroids side affects
@davehartrey #steroids #fitness #fyp #foryou #foryourpage #viral #acne ♬ Calm LoFi song(882353) - S_R
@davehartrey Tips to reduce acne while taking steroids! #fyp #foryou #steroids #awareness #foryourpage ♬ original sound - Dave Hartrey
Hartrey goes on to admit: “I ended up having my first breakout on my back midway through 2020, and this was when I lowered the amount I was taking. A lot of people have said to me why didn’t I stop after the first boil, but I was working towards a bodybuilding show which I'd already put years of hard work into.
“I consulted some of the best coaches in the business. I trusted them and I trusted their advice, and we tried to come up with a cycle where I wouldn't break out. In February 2021 I had my second breakout and this time there were a lot more boils in new places, so now I had them on my back, chest, face, and arms.
"Around the same time, I got invited to train with some of the top bodybuilders and for me, this was massive! However, by this point I realised I was neglecting every part of my life and my back was covered in boils. The pressure from normal day-to-day things made them pop and I was in agony."
He is now on a waiting list for a consultation about potential treatment where he would have the scars lasered off, but there are still no concrete plans as of yet.