‘Synthol Freak’ Has 3 Pounds of Petroleum Jelly Removed from His Arm

If the name Kirill Tereshin sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because the Russian “bodybuilder” and self-proclaimed “synthol freak,” known for his massive artificial biceps, recently made headlines for getting destroyed in an MMA bout against a fellow internet star and getting knocked down in a slapping contest with a world champ. But this time, he’s making the rounds for something much less stupid: getting surgery to remove the oil that formed his signature biceps and triceps.

The typically unapologetic synthol enthusiast had a change of heart a few months back when he started to get sick and experienced alarming inflammation. Tereshin injected about three liters of petroleum jelly into each arm, according to Alana Mamaeva, the Russian plastic surgery activist who helped raise money for Tereshin’s surgery. In an Instagram post, she wrote that when “Bazooka Arms” reached out, she initially thought that there was no hope for him other than amputation. 

Fortunately, the pair settled on Dr. Dmitryy Melnikov, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Sechenov Moscow State Medical University who often finds himself fixing botched operations. Melnikov reportedly removed a total of about three pounds of scar tissue and petroleum jelly in the first of at least four surgeries necessary to rid Tereshin of his bazooka arms for good. 

Melnikov posted some videos and photos of the procedure, but be warned: They’re not for the squeamish. 

In Melnikov’s post, he said that he often finds petroleum jelly in women’s breasts and buttocks. As you can probably guess, the effects of injecting yourself with petroleum jelly are not good. 

“Once in the body, petroleum jelly causes an effect that resembles a large burn: all tissues die and are replaced by scars,” his post (translated by Google) says. “In such conditions, the removal of the “bazooka” becomes a very risky operation: all functionally important nerves and arteries are woven into a ball of scars and oil, and there is simply no surgical layer! Our goal was to remove the maximum of foreign matter while maintaining the functionality of the hands.”

Luckily for Tereshin, the first surgery was a success.

Mamaeva also posted on Instagram to share Tereshin’s story in hopes of putting a spotlight on the issue.

None of the parties involved have mentioned a timeline for the second surgery, but we’re sure they’ll keep us posted on social media.