Man injected oil into his biceps, he fears losing arms

A Russian MMA fighter who has struggled with his health for years after making his arms the size of a football by injecting cheap synthetic oil into them, is still waiting for more surgeries. If they do not arrive on time, the bodybuilder is in danger of losing both arms. With that, the nightmare for 24-year-old Kirill Tereshin, as he describes it himself, is still not over after more than three years.

At the end of 2017, doctors warned the former soldier, who became an international celebrity on social media thanks to his mega-arms, of the dangers of his unnatural ‘muscles’.

They advised Tereshin to have the oil (actually a mixture of oil, alcohol and the anaesthetic lidocaine) sucked out of his biceps immediately, but the vain Russian did nothing with that suggestion.

It wasn’t until two years later that Tereshin decided to go under the knife, largely funded by his regular fans on Instagram, when some of his muscles started to die.

In the meantime, ‘Popeye’, as he was affectionately known, has gone under the knife several times, but the problem turns out to be more extensive than expected, The New York Post reports.

Doctors need a longer time to remove the dead muscle mass without further damaging nerves, tendons and blood vessels. Tereshin also notices that his health is starting to suffer. “I am only 24, and my immune system is suffering from this inflammation. I really don’t know what’s going to happen,” he says.

Boxing match

In 2019, just after his first major operation, he lost a boxing match within three minutes to someone who was twenty years older. “That’s why I started operations to get rid of this nightmare. I have my arms pumped because of my stupidity. I have not thought about the consequences,” he tells the American daily.

And to a Russian newspaper: “The most serious operation will be the one on my biceps. The nerve responsible for the sensitivity of the arms is on the inside. If something happens to this nerve, I can no longer move my arm. I am really worried about this, I am very scared.”

Tereshin started spraying the cheap petroleum mixture in his early twenties because he was unsure of his appearance. “Before I had to do military service, I went to the gym for two years, but the results were disappointing.” Once in the army, he was afraid of losing weight and being bullied because of his slender stature. “For that reason, I decided to inject the oil myself. My mother was very worried about this. She advised me against it. Still, I continued.”

Football woman

One person who eventually managed to change his mind was his Russian football wife, Alana Mamaeva. She has started a campaign for victims of dangerous plastic surgery. After a good conversation, she managed to persuade Tereshin to have an operation before it was too late. “I consider myself to be guilty, I am aware of that,” the Russian now admits.

He announced on Instagram this week that the last operation was successful. It is not clear when he has to go under the knife again. Medical interventions in Russia are delayed due to the corona crisis.

Warning

Doctors have been warning against injecting synthetic oil for years. The non-bodily substance can cause serious complaints such as muscle death, nerve damage, cysts and even brain haemorrhages.

Despite the dangers, it is nevertheless widely used in the illegal circuit. The oil only affects the appearance and does not lead to more muscle strength.