Bodybuilder Shows Off Serious Damage Steroids Have Done To His Body In A Bid To Warn Others

By Abdul Rafay in Health and Fitness On 27th November 2022
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After being restricted to his home for nine months with painful boils, a bodybuilder has disclosed the serious harm that steroids have done to his body.

Dave Hartrey, 24, of Waterford, Ireland, is pleading with doctors for assistance after going through two painful severe breakouts. The online fitness teacher now has keloid scars on his back, chest, and arms as a result.

An enlarged, raised scar known as a keloid might be pink, red, flesh-colored, or darker than the surrounding skin.

Credit: Caters News

"I've always been a big advocate of fitness and have worked out on and off since I was 15," says Dave.

“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.

Credit: Caters News
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"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!”

After stopping the drugs, Dave experienced one more bout in addition to two really bad outbreaks of acne and boils.

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"I ended up having my first breakout on my back midway through 2020, and this was when I lowered the amount I was taking," he continues.

"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.

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"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 realized 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."

Dave quit the show and stopped using the steroids, but he then experienced what he calls "the worst ever" breakout again, which rendered him housebound for nine months.

"I’m now on a waiting list for a consultation about having the scars lasered off or injected but I don’t have any concrete plans as of yet," says Dave.

"This experience has given me so much perspective, I've grown so much and I’m glad I have this platform on TikTok to help others."

Reduced sperm count, infertility, shrinking testicles, erectile dysfunction, hair loss, breast development, higher risk of prostate cancer, severe acne, and stomach pain are some of the negative effects of anabolic steroids in men.