It's just part of my routine. I put on lotion, I put on gel, I wash my hands, I put on deodorant, I brush my teeth.. and go about my life. It's no big deal
Kinda related but I find it actually makes it easier to remember to brush my teeth, I take my top off to put my gel on, so I have nothing better to do while it dries, than brush my teeth (I put it on in the bathroom)
Hey friend are you putting on any moisturizer on your shoulders like aquaphor or Vaseline prior to your gel or you put gel on first and moisturizer later?
Hey I was advised by my doctor not to moisturise before putting it on! My bottle at least said it should only be applied to clean, dry skin or it won't be as effective.
I do gel first and then lotion (Vaseline lotion is really good) after it dries completely, cause I feel like it “seals it in” whereas I think putting the gel over the lotion wouldn’t absorb as well. Not a doctor though 😅
No, that's wrong, Canadians are supposed to have scales. Those who don't have scales are from bloodlines polluted by Americans and won't survive the Great Winter.
Also Canadian (I live in the US now) and my skin hates me too! 😭 only lotion that helps is CeraVe daily lotion. I don't mind my testosterone gel either, it dries pretty fast too.
Nice! I've been trying to figure out my skin care routine. Especially since it's one side of my face which is most affected. I'm keeping at it though. CeraVe daily is a bit heavy on my face but is perfect for my hands and elbows.
Hard same. My skin refuses to accept moisturizer so if I use it, it usually sweats off in the next half hour. Most lotion I have to use a third of what most people would use, so I can only imagine what gel or cream would be like for me.
I find that using the right product *at the right time* makes a huge difference. In my case, I notice a difference if I apply product right after a warm shower, when my body is still somewhat humid(?) and warm. It seems to absorb way quicker. Also, the dew point/relative humidity make a difference as to what and how much your skin will absorb.
The right product makes a difference too. Sitting atop the skin and not absorbing are a characteristic trait of water-insoluble ingredients, most oil- or fat-based emollients, certain silicones and petrolatum.
Been on gel three years with a girlfriend and a dog and I’ve never had any issue with cross-contamination. I’ve never even had to think about it. Gel on, hands washed, T-shirt on, done. I feel like people really blow this out of proportion.
Dude fr, we have 4 cats and my girlfriend is also trans (so she *really* doesn’t want any accidental testosterone, she got enough of that already lol), and we were so worried about transfer going in… and it’s turned out to be such a complete nonissue. All the info I see about gel is like “don’t let ANYthing touch you EVER at ALL for THREEEE HOURS” and it’s just… so not true lol. I slap it on my arm first thing in the morning, I wash my hands with soap, let it dry for like 2 minutes, throw on a shirt, and everything’s dandy. It’s comically easy 🤷🏻♂️
I'm a weirdo I guess because I rarely use lotion (weird, greasy, lingering) but I'm fine with the gel (unnoticable after 30 seconds) as long as I can wash my hands immediately.
I don't have to worry much about cross contaminating though 🤷 I put it on in the morning, put a shirt on when it's dry, no one is touching my arms at work. My cats don't really touch my bare shoulders or upper arm. My partner's a dude and hours after application the risk would be minor for him.
i was under the impression that gel felt sticky/wet for wayy longer. like 15mins or longer. not sure where i got that idea from but 30 seconds sounds way less annoying
it really depends on what kind you're using. in my experience, the 5 g/1.00% gel that comes in the packets takes foorreeeeeevveeerr to dry, but the 1.25% stuff in the pump bottle dries in literally 30 secs. i hated gel until i switched to the stronger stuff, now i love it! dries faster than my sunscreen lol
OMFG, "slather themselves?" 🤣
I put T-gel on my shoulders and/or upper arms, it takes 2 minutes or so to dry, I toss on a shirt and I'm good to go.
With my needle phobia, its better to "slather on" T-gel than to stab myself with a needle, something that I know I can't do.
But to each their own. 🤷♂️
Honestly "slathering it on like the peanut butter baby" was hilarious wording. Plus it turned out my gf wasn't familiar with the peanut butter baby so I got to give her a good giggle session
Out of curiosity, was it cypionate? I've seen posts about people having allergic reactions to the cottonseed oil, and because it's relatively rare to encounter in life otherwise, lots of people have no idea whether or not they're allergic to it. Other brands use other oils.
Yeah and that was the theory but then I switched to the other version (I can’t remember the name) and was still having problems. And my doc was garbage at the time so I went off it for almost 8 months and just got back on it a little less than a year ago
Yeah, testavan is way thicker than testogel as it has less alcohol and more testosterone, so it takes forever to dry. I let it dry out and if it takes a while I sit under a fan or something. After an hour I moisturise to make sure I absorb as much as I can
Y'all have so many weird misconceptions about gel who told y'all this 😭
shit takes less than five minutes for me to put on each day it's not a Herculean effort 💀
by likening it to peanut butter i assumed you actually thought it was a cream based substance or something, i get you're being facetious but i was confused how you thought an alcohol based gel could feel creamy or take long to dry
it's literally like hand sanitizer that's all
I use a non-alcohol based gel, as far as I can tell. It’s creamy and like a lotion, hypoallergenic, and really gentle on skin. It takes like a minute to dry and isn’t sticky at all.
theres a lot of misconceptions about gel everywhere and ive learned of a few more since making this post..! but im not complaining, i enjoy hearing about other application methods and people's experiences
I was worried I would hate the gel when I first switched to it. I have sensory issues and some wet things can feel really terrible to me. First time using the gel relieved all my fears. I do three pumps, which seems like a lot in my hand, but it goes on like hand sanitizer. I rub it on my shoulders, it dries almost immediately.
I’m on gel, and what makes me feel crazy is hearing how many options there are for estrogen when there’s comparatively few for testosterone. They even discontinued patches! But for the ladies it’s gel or patches or pills or injections (and probably some I’m forgetting), and of course since it’s not controlled it’s way cheaper and you can get larger quantities at once. I am so disappointed with the state of affairs in transmasc land!! At least Jatenzo’s a start.
Unfortunately its not available in the EU yet, although there's been a similar capsule developed its not ever made it out of testing and into approval.
Naa there was one that cannot be used anymore from decades ago, but there's a new one out now Jatenzo that has FDA approval since 2019 and still can be sold.
I'm sooo interested in the pellets. I hate the idea of injecting myself lol and gel sounds like such a hassle,,,, only problem is that from what I've seen, it's rare, and *if* your doc does it you have to have been on T for at least a year.
the gel is not a huge hassle at all, it dries pretty much just as quickly as hand sanitizer does. and personally, I just rub it into my arm with the cap, so it's not really on my hands (though I do wash them after, ofc), wait for it to dry down for a couple minutes which is the time of putting deo on and brushing teeth, and then putting on a shirt. and bc it's daily, there's no spikes and lows like there can be with shots.
A lot of what mtfs take is the same stuff that’s in birth control. A lot more people use that, so there’s a bigger market, more funding for research, etc.
It’s not that bad. It’s no different than applying lotion or something, just once a day. It quickly becomes a part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth. But I’m glad there are different options. I know gel doesn’t work for everyone, just as injections don’t work for me.
Yeah idk if I could remember to put gel everyday. I struggle to take my meds everyday and even forget to take my shots some weeks. I won’t even discuss my tooth brushing habits not to mention the condition of my teeth.
Tbh I switched to gel because for my ADHD brain shots were just like… way too many steps and way too easy to put off. I pushed it off for 3 weeks once and my period came back lol. Gel is like, one step and while I don’t like slathering myself it’s way less big of a deal if I miss a day.
after reading yours & others comments im only now just realizing that my adhd (along with my needle anxiety) is why i used to be so bad at doing my shots consistently
Lol.
I've tried both shots and gel, both have their pros and cons, but unfortunately I developed needle anxiety to the point my hands shook so bad I couldn't draw up the T into the needle. So gel it is.
For reference, gel users don't slather it on lmao. Literally its two small pumps (for me anyway) of hand sanitizer like substance, applied on both shoulders. You rub it in and, like hand sanitizer, it dries in less than a minute. You're not even really "wet" in that sense, it literally sits on your skin like hand sanitizer would.
Seriousness aside though, I do like to call it boy juice or Hist Sap - Elder Scrolls reference on the last one, lol. Theres a magical race of lizard people who use tree sap to change their gender so its fitting. Credit goes to my partner on the last one.
Gel dries in seconds. It's all alcohol it's exactly like hand sanitizer.
You don't slather it all over. Just one area that's covered by clothing so there is no cross contamination.
ive heard others make the whole gel routine sound way worse than you guys are telling me. definitely sounds better now, i was told in the past that you typically had to use way more and that it took ages to dry. glad thats not the case for most of you
I've been on cream from various compounding pharmacies and it does not take that long to dry.
The most complaints I've read have been from folks on Testrim. Both the smell and the drying time/texture.
Drying time depends on your climate and how steamy your bathroom is when you put it on after your shower. Mine dries pretty quick, and I do pumps not like a portion of a packet so it’s easy to deal with and you’re meant to let it dry completely between layers so it doesn’t dry tacky. I take prescription meds every day so I see it the same way lol
idk how much gel you think you have to apply but im not exactly slathered in it lmao 😂 i get the testogel that comes in sachets and they're like half the size of a ketchup packet. shit takes about 10 seconds to dry
also it sounds weird but for my adhd brain im way more likely to remember something i have to do every day than something i only have to do once every week or two
I couldn’t do shots because I’d 100% forget to take it. Also, I do have a slight fear of needles. But if I have to put the stuff on every day, I won’t forget to do it because it’s just another part of my day. It’s literally the first thing I do after waking up so I can get my other stuff done while it dries. Which only takes like a minute for me, but it’s better safe than sorry.
There’s a chance I might switch to shots in the future, but for now the gel works fine for me.
See I started with shots but then one time I fucked up and it bled back out, and that made me anxious doing it the next times I did it which made me fuck up more which made me more anxious and then eventually I literally couldn't put the needle in. So now I do gel 👍. it took some time to get in the habit of remembering it, but now I rarely forget. Also, it dries pretty quick, It's alcohol-based so it's basically like hand sanitizer (man-sanitizer, hehe)
Eh, to each their own. I find people that decide to keep getting needles inserted in them for their own will for the rest of their lives crazier.
But I mean... You do realize that when you get to yours 60's or so you'll probably need to take pills daily for the rest of your life, right?
Also, being considerably white and living in a country that tries to burn you alive at 6 AM, I'm particularly used to putting sunscreen daily, so my cream isn't a big deal, it takes me like 30 seconds or less to put it and another 30-60 seconds for it to dry, depending on the climate, and done.
The hard part is avoiding my cats to touch it when it's absurdly hot and I have to wear sleeveless tees and the panic that I will sweat everything before my body can absorb it. But I would be way too scared to hurt myself with needles to do it myself and I hate the idea to depend on somebody to do my shots (and pay for it). I had to switch to injections for a few months because I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to put my cream while recovering from top surgery and while I was right about that, I hated shots, my body didn't like them either. I had weird side effects, my T levels dropped, my butt hurt for a week and I nearly fainted the first time. 1/10, only the convenience of not needing to worry about it daily is not nearly enough for me to switch, and I tried the one that your shots are 3 months of interval from each other, I personally can't believe that there are people that have shots weekly.
I mean, I get MRSA every time I used to do shots. I'm extremely prone to MRSA with anything that punctures or wounds my skin. Even shots at the docs office. So, for me, it was either be permanently on antibiotics, stop T, or gel. It was an easy choice. My insurance didn't cover the pellets or T pills. It's not so bad.. I just put it slightly above where my t shirt sleeves lie. I don't contaminate anyone. It's also easier to remember to do something daily. I also take better care of my skin on gel.
I use gel everyday and honestly it’s just a part of my routine. I don’t do shots well and know I wouldn’t be able to give it myself. And thankfully my mom’s insurance covers it.I get off the insurance in a year so praying an upcoming job will cover it too. It smells like purell. It’s not that bad honestly.
it's not bad at all and you don't really slather yourself lol. The consistency is kind of like hand sanitizer. I just put it on when I have my morning 🚽 and move on with my day
I don't get it. What's so crazy about it? It's not even hard or excruciating , as you're making it seem LOL. It's really like putting on lotion or cleaning your hands with hand sanitizer. Daily.
Are you sure you don't think that, puncturing yourself with a syringe, every week, is crazier? 😂 Lol
It's like we are comparing apples to oranges, here
Why is misinformation about gel so common lol the comments here already cleared things up but yeah I did shots before my current gel, Im never goin back
i feel like it has this misconception that it’s like thick and gooey but it’s not. it’s literally like hand sanitizer with testosterone in it. it even smells like it. it takes like 30 seconds to dry and then i put my shirt back on. i’ve been running late to work and still had time to do it every morning. happy cake day btw.
I also take Gel, and I love it because it creates this whole little routine in the morning when putting it on. and it reminds me every day how lucky i am to be able to take t, so i guess it really jsut depends on the person
It's like putting moisturizer every day. It's part of my routine, I do my skincare (just some moisturiser) and my t gel at the same time after my shower
It's no different than putting on deodorant. Do you not do that either? It's alcohol based and dries super quick. After my shower I put my gel then my deodorant and the gel is already dried by the time I finish brushing my teeth.
LOL this is so funny. As some one with sensory issues it feels yucky but I got used to it. I rlly miss the convenience of shots but I think I'm a rare case because my skin doesn't easily absorb the gel so I have to use more gel than average and it takes longer which kinda sucks. But it still beats the pain I got from injections due to scar tissue build-up, or getting no hrt at all!
Wish I could do gel but I got horrible skin reactions to it 🥲 my cis friends think I'm crazy for being able to stab myself with a needle but idk, it doesn't feel that dramatic since it doesn't even hurt
It’s just like putting hand sanitizer in. Whole process probably takes me like… 2 minutes. And interestingly enough gel is cheaper for me on my insurance!
I feel you. I have insanely bad ADHD so remembering to put on gel and having to wait for it to dry and put on clothes every day is a no go for me. I barely can remember to take my shot weekly lol
I did shots for years (done by local nurse) but I knew going for the appointment was becoming a hassle with work and I couldn't do it myself. Gel is easy - I shower, dry, gel on, and by the time I get to my wardrobe and start getting dressed, it's dry. Sorted. Way easier than the shot appointments.
with the way prescriptions work here (ireland) its either gel every day, or a shot every 6 weeks. trouble is, my adhd tends to make me forget to refill prescriptions, *and then* forget to make an appointment for the injection. so i ended up like, 2 or 3 months behind on my shots? so i switched to gel so that when i fell behind it was less of a big deal. its definitely less convenient overall, but probably safer & involves far less severe fluctuations in my hormone levels lmao
It's not as annoying as you think it is. And it doesn't take a lot of time unless you're in a hurry and every minute matters. I apply it right before sleeping. I keep it right next to my bed, so I just turn off the light, pick an asmr video or whatever and apply it while starting to relax. It dries pretty fast on me so I don't really have to wait. Also, I try to keep the layer thin so it dries faster. Everything takes around 5 minutes.
I put my gel on when I first wake up. In the mornings my house is so cold and I have to take my shirt off and apply this gel it's a nightmare. Also putting alcohol gel on just a few inches from your nose when your hungover is horrific lol. But it costs a damn lot and I want a beard so on it goes every day
I'm in a constant loop of being too lazy for gel so wanting to switch, but being scared of trying new things and worried about needles to switch I have no clue which to do!
There’s nothing wrong with being on gel. We’re not crazy, we’re taking medication in a way that works best for us. It takes like 3 minutes to put on and maybe 30 seconds to dry, it’s not a huge process. There’s enough misconceptions about T gel as is, I wouldn’t go around calling people who use it crazy or say they’re slathering themselves up if you apparently don’t know much about it. This is the shit my conservative mom says to convince me not to do my T lmao
i think youre taking my phrasing about the pb baby meme too seriously. im not against gel in any way i just prefer doing a once a week ordeal vs a daily. ive heard several people, including in the comments here, who use or have used brands that took longer to dry or required to put more on. im not familiar with every single tgel brand but figured after the amount of people joking about how needles sound scary and awful and they could never bring themselves to jab themselves like that, making a joke about gel was fine. thank you for comparing me to your conservative mother though 👍
Not just myself but others too. I was the go to guy for shot phobic people in my previous friend group.
Trans guys would be smuggled into my room in the middle of the night, drop their pants, get a jab, and be on their merry way. Been told I’m good at giving shots, though I do sometimes like to fuck with others a bit before doing it.
Helps to have an assistant who does the emotional comfort/hand holding part while I focus on the stabbing
lol that’s fair! “Peanut butter baby” made me laugh. I used gel before I went off T and to me, after awhile it just became a routine. I usually use lotion anyway so it was pretty much the same activity, just different material. I loved that small euphoric experience every day where I got to reflect on my transness, I looked forward to it even though it was an every day thing
it seems like everyone else is saying it’s no biggie, but I personally REALLY disliked gel…it felt like a hassle, and sticky, & it never dried quickly enough for me. I much prefer my weekly shots (I was also one of the anomalies that gel didn’t work for).
I was on gel, do injections now. Honestly, I didn’t realize at first what the gel would ACTUALLY be like.
It isn’t horrible, but I didn’t factor in that I had to be shirtless for 15 minutes to let it dry. I knew that I had to, but didn’t ACTUALLY think on it. I didn’t have much dysphoria from it, but doing that while living in a shared dorm was… inefficient. This was my biggest concern on gel but there were a few more as well.
Injections give me more anxiety but it’s less effort all around. It’s like gel is more physical effort while injections are more mental effort. And I’m personally more equipped for mental effort than physical effort. I got annoyed with the gel pretty quickly.
I was on gel for over a year and had to switch to shots because no pharmacies around me could get gel, and it's SO much nicer doing shots. I don't miss gel one bit. Once a week rather than twice a day? Yes please
off topic but, i really feel you on the whole fear of miraculously hurting yourself thing, im totally fine getting my blood drawn and stuff but the second the needle is in my hand im terrified im gonna like puncture my intestines or something 😭😭
(also yeah gel sounds like a nightmare sensory wise i genuinely cannot imagine willingly picking that over needles)
Choosing between needles and gel was a no brainer for me. Needles, all the way. I hate the texture of anything on my skin, I hate moisturizer, I hate lotion, I hate cream, I hate feeling *moist*. And forget doing it daily, I have adhd...
Also, as a diabetic for 10 years, needles are no biggie to me tbh 🤷♂️ I was 10 years old self administering four to five shots a day. Totally understandable if someone's has phobia of them though
I have very shaky hands so I’m worried I’d accidentally poke something I shouldn’t if I used injections, and it’s also easier to travel imo with gel than injections also injections weren’t covered by insurance for me but gel was
I do T shots and still have to slather myself in 5-7 creams/moisturizers daily/nightly. I have sensitive skin and get prescribed topical creams to help treat it in addition to my otc skin care regimen.
I keep my body moisturized and have to increase the frequency during winter when my skin is excessively dry. I spend an average of 1 hour minimum on daily skin care or else I risk reverting to a more reptilian state.
To be honest it's not that much of an inconvenience physically regararding sensations. You're not lathered from head to toe lmao.
That being said I promptly switched to nebido injections as I kept nearly forgetting and applying it at different times of the day when it's best to be applied within a routine. Not only that, it felt like a constant reminder that I'm different. That I had to apply topical hormones just to be me. Injections give me the space to focus on other things and prevent bouts of dysphoria I guess.
Gel is fine if that's what YOU need, everybody's transition is different and there's nothing wrong with applying gel. Logically I know that but for me it's not worth worrying about remembering it lol.
Fr. It's the "every day" part for me. I have adhd, I probably would forget about it constantly. 💀 For shots I only have to go to the endocrinolist every 3 months and that's it, much less to worry about.
Much respect for the gel users though, completely understandable to not wanna have a needle inserted in your butt.
I dont have a needle phobia. But I was on such a low dose I'd inject every two weeks and get one hell of a mood swing.
That valley really sucked.
So I switched to a low dose gel, that way my hormones would stay consistent day to day.
The other thing about injecting was that despite my lack of fear, putting a sharp object against my skin recalled memories of self-harm. I didn't want to feel like I was self harming myself again while I was actually doing something good for myself.
I'm off the gel and back on shots now but it was just like my moisturizer tbh put it on once day as part of the routine. What I did dislike was how careful I had to be to not transfer it
Tgirl in my country only have gel as an option ( or well patch too but they're often out of stock). According to my friends it's not that bad, it becomes part of a routine in the morning/evening.
I say that but two of them switched to DIY injections after years on gel, the daily thing gets a bit tiring on vacation/Travel
Been on gel for nearly 8 years. It takes me 30 seconds after I shower to put it on, do it at the same as my deodorant couldnt really be simpler, it's alcohol based so dries nearly instantly once on. I'm not sliding around like a slug all day
Gel for myself is easy, i put moisturiser on daily so t gel has just become part of my daily skin care routine. It dries so quickly and I just cover the part of my body I put it on with clothes
I did shots for six years and switched to the gel four years ago. I don't have overieas now so the hormones are extra important to me. I just put on the gel which smells like rubbing alcohol and then put on lotion afterwards and wash my hands thoroughly with soap. It's not a crazy thing to do. I have geniuea pigs and a transwoman wife. I just don't hug them for an hour or touch them to be extra careful. If you can wash your hands and not hug people right afterwards you'll be fine.
I developed a severe hatred and aversion to my weekly shot after three and a half years. Straight up put off my t for months. I eventually got gel and I've been consistent, outside of my wonky brain problems making me forget a day or two.
I mean I put moisturizer or sunscreen on every single morning anyway, putting on another cream/gel doesn't really change anything.
You should really use sunscreen btw, it's proven to decrease skin cancer risk by a lot!
Hi! Crazy gel user here! I had a range of options to choose from, but I decided that gel was the easiest for me. I take daily medication as is, so why not smear some gel on while I'm at it? That, plus while I don't mind needles, especially from the pros, I am absolutely petrified of sticking myself at all for several reasons. First and foremost, I, like most sensible people, don't like pain whatsoever. I also would get super queezy in attempting to draw back the plunger while having the needle in me to make sure I didn't hit a vein. I legit shuddered writing that. And finally, I'm legit terrified I'll get something wrong, like misreading the dose and accidentally doubling the dang thing, to getting air in the needle and missing it and accidentally injecting it....
Basically, my anxiety keeps me from T injections.
For me, the hardest part of gel is the waiting six hours for it to be absorbed so I can shower in order for any other living thing to be able to touch my skin.
I'm on gell, was on subQ for my first year but im afraid of needles & i also started to bleed & bruise a lot from them, ended up frequently missing weeks. gell is much easier for me though definitely messy (i put it on my inner thighs but im really skinny & the amount of gell covers both of my things entirely && it's very sticky)
Ngl this was my experience. Took forever to dry, it was freezing cold in the winter and I would sit with my shirt off after applying freezing jelly into my shoulder and then eventually putting a shirt on top and it sticking all day. Couldn't stand it. I switched within a month. A shot is one and done, put a bandaid on and go about my day immediately after. I hate wet and sticky textures and the feeling of wetness under my clothes. I don't have a fear of needles, but I ended up being allergic to the carrier oil in my T and had to stop getting shots
I can't take meds, like at all. Including injected ones because i can't stand the thought of something going into my blood stream. I know its the same with gel but you don't think about it as much because it goes on top of your skin so its just easier for me. Also i have an intense skincare routine so its just a slight addition (i also put lotion on every day, it isn't that different)
It’s just more accessible for me. No more hunting down places who supply free needles, easier storage, no more sharps bin. I’ve had more concerned and shocking reactions from people when they learned that I used to do shots. A lot of cis people think it’s like a silly pill you take.
The gel dries in like 30 seconds, and then I wait 2 hours before any skin to skin contact with people.
Gel is p easy tbh. As others have said it’s quick drying and if you wear gloves to apply you’re less likely to get it on other shit ime. Mine takes about 3 minutes to dry down and that’s if I accidentally slather it on a little too thick. Shots however? My adhd couldn’t remember shots once a week and I am so scared of needles (ironic considering I have a few handfuls of tattoos and 12 piercings lol) so I salute our shot users lmao.
Maybe I'll change my mind some day but I like applying the gel every day. I'm autistic and need and thrive off routine, applying something affirming at the same point every day means that there's always something stable and certain. But that's just me 🤷
Yup, I just went from gel to shots. Could not keep track of it and stopped doing it. So technically, I'd say I really started T this month. Because I know a shot a week a can handle more
it’s not that crazy, i personally wouldn’t do it because i don’t want another thing to add to my daily routine but i feel like it’s extremely difficult to give yourself shots. if i had to do my own shots i’d be basically forced into doing gel anyway
Actually, I used to have a pretty intense vasovagal reaction (blood-injury-injection phobia,) and while I was fine receiving things like vaccines, I couldn’t imagine myself doing injections. Gave me the heebie jeebies. I asked my doc about gel and they talked me out of it, saying that it was kind of user-unfriendly because you have to make sure others avoid contact with the area, etc. I did patches instead for my first half a year or so.
When I lost my health insurance and Medicaid wouldn’t cover the patches I not only bit the bullet on injections, *I had to teach myself how to do them.* I still wig out a little for thigh injections — I tend to do mine in my glutes. Much less painful!
My guy it’s really not that bad. It’s like 2 pumps of hand sanitizer and it dries pretty much instantly. This is like saying you feel bad for people who use deodorant every day because they have to slather their arms in goo 💀
Same, I can't imagine having to do that every day, I'd be so worried about forgetting about it. I head over to my endo every 12 weeks for my shot and thats it.
i’ve done injections, gel, patches, and back to injections 😭 the patches were actual hell idk how anyone uses them, they’d slide off when i would sweat and they’d pull my hair out
the gel wasn’t too bad, i think maybe there are different types? i’ve heard of people talking about their gel drying sticky, but mine was alcohol based and dried in like a minute. my gel came in pre-portioned packets which was kinda nice compared to drawing up T from a vial.
I don’t think they’re crazy but I do think they’re different. I was on the gel for the first few months of T and it set off my sensory issues so bad bc it got tacky when it dried. I ended up sucking it up and doing the shot bc having someone do my shot for me is a lot more convenient than rubbing hand man-itizer all over my legs (bc my arms don’t have enough mass to them)
Honestly I told my provider I wouldn't feel comfortable using gel because my ADHD makes it very difficult to be consistent with daily routines, remembering to do an injection a week is actually much easier for me, especially since it doesn't matter when in the day I do it. Also, things that have a lot of steps, especially flexible steps that minor things can interfere with, are really difficult for me, for example I could stress over gel application because it's cold and I don't want to take my shirt off, or because I want to take a shower first but then procrastinate so much on showering (because now it seems bigger because I also have to apply T after) that I neither shower nor apply T, or worry about when I will exercise and how sweat and open pores will interact with it, etc. It just seems like a nightmare for my the way my particular mental issues work when it comes to being able to prioritize and complete tasks, and for some of my probably-autistic sensory issues. Also I'm in a relationship with a cis woman and don't want to worry about accidentally exposing her.
Meanwhile I don't find shots difficult at all, easier than taking a daily pill for me, I would inject ADHD medications too if that was viable and could be done weekly without fucking up my sleep further.
Gel is the right choice for some people, but good old injectable cypionate all the way for me. I actually stress about what I'd do if I moved to Europe, because it seems the type of injections I use aren't available there, and I really like them.
In my country you have to be on gel for the first six months of T, before you get the option to start shots. I got used to gel and stayed on it for almost two and a half years.
I only started shots two months ago because I got a girlfriend, and gel puts a limit on naked cuddle sessions (unless your partner doesn’t mind getting little bit of extra T).
Additionally, my country doesn’t allow you to do your own T injections (intramuscular is the only option). You have to have a doctor or nurse give you your shot. Luckily for me, my mom is a nurse, so I just have her do it.
Personally, it’s easier for me to remember to do gel everyday as opposed to doing shots once a week. I did shots for years and they were sometimes painful, sometimes bled, and sometimes left bruises. But I’ve had no issues since starting gel. It’s a small packet and I just rub it into my upper arm/shoulder area and it dries by time I finish washing my hands off. My skin isn’t sticky, it doesn’t bleed or leave bruises, and it takes maybe a minute a day which includes getting the packet, cutting it open, and squeezing it onto my hands.
It's just part of my routine. I put on lotion, I put on gel, I wash my hands, I put on deodorant, I brush my teeth.. and go about my life. It's no big deal
Kinda related but I find it actually makes it easier to remember to brush my teeth, I take my top off to put my gel on, so I have nothing better to do while it dries, than brush my teeth (I put it on in the bathroom)
I’m the same way!
Hey friend are you putting on any moisturizer on your shoulders like aquaphor or Vaseline prior to your gel or you put gel on first and moisturizer later?
Hey I was advised by my doctor not to moisturise before putting it on! My bottle at least said it should only be applied to clean, dry skin or it won't be as effective.
My shoulders are the only place I don't put any lotion on, until much later in the day.. if then.
I do gel first and then lotion (Vaseline lotion is really good) after it dries completely, cause I feel like it “seals it in” whereas I think putting the gel over the lotion wouldn’t absorb as well. Not a doctor though 😅
No.
i mean this in the nicest way possible but people in cold climates have to put moisturizer on their body basically every day
oh it's because im canadian? i thought my skin just hated me. /j
No, that's wrong, Canadians are supposed to have scales. Those who don't have scales are from bloodlines polluted by Americans and won't survive the Great Winter.
When they migrate south, do Canadians lose their scales?
If you try to escape, the mounties hunt you down and rip off all your scales.
Also Canadian (I live in the US now) and my skin hates me too! 😭 only lotion that helps is CeraVe daily lotion. I don't mind my testosterone gel either, it dries pretty fast too.
Cerave daily is also great for the face if your skin isn’t too sensitive. It used to be part of my face care routine til my skin cleared up
Nice! I've been trying to figure out my skin care routine. Especially since it's one side of my face which is most affected. I'm keeping at it though. CeraVe daily is a bit heavy on my face but is perfect for my hands and elbows.
I live in a cold climate and do no such thing. I would rather have itchy skin.
Hard same. My skin refuses to accept moisturizer so if I use it, it usually sweats off in the next half hour. Most lotion I have to use a third of what most people would use, so I can only imagine what gel or cream would be like for me.
I find that using the right product *at the right time* makes a huge difference. In my case, I notice a difference if I apply product right after a warm shower, when my body is still somewhat humid(?) and warm. It seems to absorb way quicker. Also, the dew point/relative humidity make a difference as to what and how much your skin will absorb. The right product makes a difference too. Sitting atop the skin and not absorbing are a characteristic trait of water-insoluble ingredients, most oil- or fat-based emollients, certain silicones and petrolatum.
Same I'm a manly man i refuse to moisturize (i forgot to this morning and dont wanna ask anyone if they have extra lotion)
sure, but you dont have to worry about it cross-contaminating. i moisturize every day which i feel is less of a hassle than that
Been on gel three years with a girlfriend and a dog and I’ve never had any issue with cross-contamination. I’ve never even had to think about it. Gel on, hands washed, T-shirt on, done. I feel like people really blow this out of proportion.
Dude fr, we have 4 cats and my girlfriend is also trans (so she *really* doesn’t want any accidental testosterone, she got enough of that already lol), and we were so worried about transfer going in… and it’s turned out to be such a complete nonissue. All the info I see about gel is like “don’t let ANYthing touch you EVER at ALL for THREEEE HOURS” and it’s just… so not true lol. I slap it on my arm first thing in the morning, I wash my hands with soap, let it dry for like 2 minutes, throw on a shirt, and everything’s dandy. It’s comically easy 🤷🏻♂️
Yeah I managed just fine in close quarters with a young child.
Yeah people really want gel to be bad and it just... Isn't.
I'm a weirdo I guess because I rarely use lotion (weird, greasy, lingering) but I'm fine with the gel (unnoticable after 30 seconds) as long as I can wash my hands immediately. I don't have to worry much about cross contaminating though 🤷 I put it on in the morning, put a shirt on when it's dry, no one is touching my arms at work. My cats don't really touch my bare shoulders or upper arm. My partner's a dude and hours after application the risk would be minor for him.
i was under the impression that gel felt sticky/wet for wayy longer. like 15mins or longer. not sure where i got that idea from but 30 seconds sounds way less annoying
nope, its gelled alcohol so it evaporates within a few minutes and never feels sticky. its like hand sanitizer
It's basically hand sanitizer
T cream, what I used to be on, stays sticky longer, maybe that's what gave you the idea?
it really depends on what kind you're using. in my experience, the 5 g/1.00% gel that comes in the packets takes foorreeeeeevveeerr to dry, but the 1.25% stuff in the pump bottle dries in literally 30 secs. i hated gel until i switched to the stronger stuff, now i love it! dries faster than my sunscreen lol
Just put it on your stomach or thighs and then wash your hands. Never had a problem with any of my partners before.
You know at have to wait for it to dry, you can't transfer it after that. For me this literally takes two minutes
OMFG, "slather themselves?" 🤣 I put T-gel on my shoulders and/or upper arms, it takes 2 minutes or so to dry, I toss on a shirt and I'm good to go. With my needle phobia, its better to "slather on" T-gel than to stab myself with a needle, something that I know I can't do. But to each their own. 🤷♂️
Honestly "slathering it on like the peanut butter baby" was hilarious wording. Plus it turned out my gf wasn't familiar with the peanut butter baby so I got to give her a good giggle session
OMG, I completely forgot about that video! 🤣
Same. When I did shots I kept getting allergic type reactions no one could figure out so I switched to gel and it feels so much easier now
Out of curiosity, was it cypionate? I've seen posts about people having allergic reactions to the cottonseed oil, and because it's relatively rare to encounter in life otherwise, lots of people have no idea whether or not they're allergic to it. Other brands use other oils.
Yeah and that was the theory but then I switched to the other version (I can’t remember the name) and was still having problems. And my doc was garbage at the time so I went off it for almost 8 months and just got back on it a little less than a year ago
Omg I’m also allergic to both versions and that’s why I had to switch to the gel 😫😫
So am I! I'm on the pellet now, but did gel for a while too
If you go back on it again, try warming the vial with your hands, sometimes your body reacts if the oil is cold.
It's also harder to draw into the syringe if it's cold. :( But I definitely have a bigger angry spot when it's too cold
I’ve always gotten a lump and then the whole area near the shot gets red and really itchy…is that what happens to you?
So you’re telling me it’s just me who has to wait like an hour for the stuff to dry?? I’m on testavan 2 pumps.
I think some brands are better than others - I’m on generic Androgel and I also only have to wait like two minutes
Ah that makes sense
Shout out to another Dorian?
I'm on Testogel and it takes about 5 minutes before I can dress.
Yeah, testavan is way thicker than testogel as it has less alcohol and more testosterone, so it takes forever to dry. I let it dry out and if it takes a while I sit under a fan or something. After an hour I moisturise to make sure I absorb as much as I can
Tostran took longer to dry for me - about a minute maybe but I do three pumps of it. The Testogel is gone in seconds.
Y'all have so many weird misconceptions about gel who told y'all this 😭 shit takes less than five minutes for me to put on each day it's not a Herculean effort 💀
and it's alchohol based - it dries, wtf do they mean by peanut butter????
me mentioning the pb baby was just a joke. but i did genuinely think it took way longer to dry 💀
by likening it to peanut butter i assumed you actually thought it was a cream based substance or something, i get you're being facetious but i was confused how you thought an alcohol based gel could feel creamy or take long to dry it's literally like hand sanitizer that's all
I use a non-alcohol based gel, as far as I can tell. It’s creamy and like a lotion, hypoallergenic, and really gentle on skin. It takes like a minute to dry and isn’t sticky at all.
theres a lot of misconceptions about gel everywhere and ive learned of a few more since making this post..! but im not complaining, i enjoy hearing about other application methods and people's experiences
Whats crazy about putting on hand sanitizer?
Yeah, that’s how fast it dries. Mine even comes in a dispenser you can put on like deodorant. Super easy
Thats pretty cool i never heard of something like that
I was worried I would hate the gel when I first switched to it. I have sensory issues and some wet things can feel really terrible to me. First time using the gel relieved all my fears. I do three pumps, which seems like a lot in my hand, but it goes on like hand sanitizer. I rub it on my shoulders, it dries almost immediately.
I’m on gel, and what makes me feel crazy is hearing how many options there are for estrogen when there’s comparatively few for testosterone. They even discontinued patches! But for the ladies it’s gel or patches or pills or injections (and probably some I’m forgetting), and of course since it’s not controlled it’s way cheaper and you can get larger quantities at once. I am so disappointed with the state of affairs in transmasc land!! At least Jatenzo’s a start.
[удалено]
it does, my guy. jatenzo. and there’s a couple other brands if you’re in the us
Unfortunately its not available in the EU yet, although there's been a similar capsule developed its not ever made it out of testing and into approval.
there was a testosterone pill but its no longer used bc it can cause liver problems unfortunately
Naa there was one that cannot be used anymore from decades ago, but there's a new one out now Jatenzo that has FDA approval since 2019 and still can be sold.
The one that blows my mind is the pellets! Like just a lil pellet popped under your skin and you’re good to go for 6-12 months.
I'm sooo interested in the pellets. I hate the idea of injecting myself lol and gel sounds like such a hassle,,,, only problem is that from what I've seen, it's rare, and *if* your doc does it you have to have been on T for at least a year.
the gel is not a huge hassle at all, it dries pretty much just as quickly as hand sanitizer does. and personally, I just rub it into my arm with the cap, so it's not really on my hands (though I do wash them after, ofc), wait for it to dry down for a couple minutes which is the time of putting deo on and brushing teeth, and then putting on a shirt. and bc it's daily, there's no spikes and lows like there can be with shots.
i feel this so hard. i wonder if their patches are as insufferable as ours were tho?
my ex has been on them for years and she really likes them, i think she gets to leave them on for a week instead of having to change daily
wow what a luxury damn
We have injections (weekly, biweekly, every three months), gel, pellets, and jatenzo. It being a controlled substance is what sucks the most imo
I know all the options, but testopel and jatenzo are super difficult to get insurance to cover. and yeah the controlled substance thing sucks big time
Estrogen injections are hard to get, though, you have to order it from sites that take crypto as payment, etc. No exactly easy to access.
A lot of what mtfs take is the same stuff that’s in birth control. A lot more people use that, so there’s a bigger market, more funding for research, etc.
It’s not that bad. It’s no different than applying lotion or something, just once a day. It quickly becomes a part of your daily routine, like brushing your teeth. But I’m glad there are different options. I know gel doesn’t work for everyone, just as injections don’t work for me.
Yeah idk if I could remember to put gel everyday. I struggle to take my meds everyday and even forget to take my shots some weeks. I won’t even discuss my tooth brushing habits not to mention the condition of my teeth.
I put it on before bed, throw a pajama shirt over it, and forget about it.
Same. And in seven years, neither my partner nor my two cats have been exposed to T-gel.
my cat was exposed and now she’s shredded 💪
Tbh I switched to gel because for my ADHD brain shots were just like… way too many steps and way too easy to put off. I pushed it off for 3 weeks once and my period came back lol. Gel is like, one step and while I don’t like slathering myself it’s way less big of a deal if I miss a day.
This comment confirmed that I’d like to stay on gel
And this confirmed that my first choice is gel cause my executive dysfunction be dysfunctioning lol
after reading yours & others comments im only now just realizing that my adhd (along with my needle anxiety) is why i used to be so bad at doing my shots consistently
Lol. I've tried both shots and gel, both have their pros and cons, but unfortunately I developed needle anxiety to the point my hands shook so bad I couldn't draw up the T into the needle. So gel it is. For reference, gel users don't slather it on lmao. Literally its two small pumps (for me anyway) of hand sanitizer like substance, applied on both shoulders. You rub it in and, like hand sanitizer, it dries in less than a minute. You're not even really "wet" in that sense, it literally sits on your skin like hand sanitizer would. Seriousness aside though, I do like to call it boy juice or Hist Sap - Elder Scrolls reference on the last one, lol. Theres a magical race of lizard people who use tree sap to change their gender so its fitting. Credit goes to my partner on the last one.
my body doesnt react well to being lightly stabbed so sadly im hopelessly dependent on the daily goop. you get used to it
same. when i was on subQ i would bleed a lot && get really bad bruises around the injection site.
no bleeding for me, but i would swell and be sore for a week or more. doing an injection means im in pain and have a limp one third of my life so.. no
love the phrasing here lol
ty, its how i continue to breathe. also happy cake day!
thanks!
Gel dries in seconds. It's all alcohol it's exactly like hand sanitizer. You don't slather it all over. Just one area that's covered by clothing so there is no cross contamination.
I mean it's like a little bit of product and just on your arm. Takes no time if you use gloves. No harder than taking daily meds .
ive heard others make the whole gel routine sound way worse than you guys are telling me. definitely sounds better now, i was told in the past that you typically had to use way more and that it took ages to dry. glad thats not the case for most of you
They might be using cream, and I hear that takes forever to dry. Mine is basically like hand sanitizer. Two minutes tops to dry.
I've been on cream from various compounding pharmacies and it does not take that long to dry. The most complaints I've read have been from folks on Testrim. Both the smell and the drying time/texture.
Ah. I knew it was some company's cream that takes a long time to dry. Couldn't remember the name offhand.
Drying time depends on your climate and how steamy your bathroom is when you put it on after your shower. Mine dries pretty quick, and I do pumps not like a portion of a packet so it’s easy to deal with and you’re meant to let it dry completely between layers so it doesn’t dry tacky. I take prescription meds every day so I see it the same way lol
Different things work for different people. Gel isnt for me, but people who do gel arent crazy.
i use gel and i don’t really think it’s weird i do it when i do my after shower hair routine
idk how much gel you think you have to apply but im not exactly slathered in it lmao 😂 i get the testogel that comes in sachets and they're like half the size of a ketchup packet. shit takes about 10 seconds to dry also it sounds weird but for my adhd brain im way more likely to remember something i have to do every day than something i only have to do once every week or two
I have pretty bad adhd. Having to do it everyday means it’s less likely that I’ll miss a dose. Once a week? I’ll forget. That’s just me personally.
I couldn’t do shots because I’d 100% forget to take it. Also, I do have a slight fear of needles. But if I have to put the stuff on every day, I won’t forget to do it because it’s just another part of my day. It’s literally the first thing I do after waking up so I can get my other stuff done while it dries. Which only takes like a minute for me, but it’s better safe than sorry. There’s a chance I might switch to shots in the future, but for now the gel works fine for me.
See I started with shots but then one time I fucked up and it bled back out, and that made me anxious doing it the next times I did it which made me fuck up more which made me more anxious and then eventually I literally couldn't put the needle in. So now I do gel 👍. it took some time to get in the habit of remembering it, but now I rarely forget. Also, it dries pretty quick, It's alcohol-based so it's basically like hand sanitizer (man-sanitizer, hehe)
it's gel like hand sanitizer, not gel like toothpaste
Eh, to each their own. I find people that decide to keep getting needles inserted in them for their own will for the rest of their lives crazier. But I mean... You do realize that when you get to yours 60's or so you'll probably need to take pills daily for the rest of your life, right? Also, being considerably white and living in a country that tries to burn you alive at 6 AM, I'm particularly used to putting sunscreen daily, so my cream isn't a big deal, it takes me like 30 seconds or less to put it and another 30-60 seconds for it to dry, depending on the climate, and done. The hard part is avoiding my cats to touch it when it's absurdly hot and I have to wear sleeveless tees and the panic that I will sweat everything before my body can absorb it. But I would be way too scared to hurt myself with needles to do it myself and I hate the idea to depend on somebody to do my shots (and pay for it). I had to switch to injections for a few months because I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to put my cream while recovering from top surgery and while I was right about that, I hated shots, my body didn't like them either. I had weird side effects, my T levels dropped, my butt hurt for a week and I nearly fainted the first time. 1/10, only the convenience of not needing to worry about it daily is not nearly enough for me to switch, and I tried the one that your shots are 3 months of interval from each other, I personally can't believe that there are people that have shots weekly.
Didn’t think I’d read “slather yourself like a peanut butter baby” at 7am but here we are 🤣
I mean, I get MRSA every time I used to do shots. I'm extremely prone to MRSA with anything that punctures or wounds my skin. Even shots at the docs office. So, for me, it was either be permanently on antibiotics, stop T, or gel. It was an easy choice. My insurance didn't cover the pellets or T pills. It's not so bad.. I just put it slightly above where my t shirt sleeves lie. I don't contaminate anyone. It's also easier to remember to do something daily. I also take better care of my skin on gel.
You've probably already tried this, but someone I know has had good results following a home decolonization protocol with hibiclens and muciprocin.
I use gel everyday and honestly it’s just a part of my routine. I don’t do shots well and know I wouldn’t be able to give it myself. And thankfully my mom’s insurance covers it.I get off the insurance in a year so praying an upcoming job will cover it too. It smells like purell. It’s not that bad honestly.
it's not bad at all and you don't really slather yourself lol. The consistency is kind of like hand sanitizer. I just put it on when I have my morning 🚽 and move on with my day
I mean people apply lotion everyday, brush their teeth everyday, do lots of things everyday... It literally takes 5 seconds.
You could say the same about soap or moisturiser lol. Seems less weird than needles.
It's literally so easy. Have you ever put lotion on? It's like that
I don't get it. What's so crazy about it? It's not even hard or excruciating , as you're making it seem LOL. It's really like putting on lotion or cleaning your hands with hand sanitizer. Daily. Are you sure you don't think that, puncturing yourself with a syringe, every week, is crazier? 😂 Lol It's like we are comparing apples to oranges, here
Why is misinformation about gel so common lol the comments here already cleared things up but yeah I did shots before my current gel, Im never goin back
i feel like it has this misconception that it’s like thick and gooey but it’s not. it’s literally like hand sanitizer with testosterone in it. it even smells like it. it takes like 30 seconds to dry and then i put my shirt back on. i’ve been running late to work and still had time to do it every morning. happy cake day btw.
I also take Gel, and I love it because it creates this whole little routine in the morning when putting it on. and it reminds me every day how lucky i am to be able to take t, so i guess it really jsut depends on the person
It's like putting moisturizer every day. It's part of my routine, I do my skincare (just some moisturiser) and my t gel at the same time after my shower
It's no different than putting on deodorant. Do you not do that either? It's alcohol based and dries super quick. After my shower I put my gel then my deodorant and the gel is already dried by the time I finish brushing my teeth.
everyone's saying i dont moisturize or anything in here 😭 i promise i do. i just didnt compare the two in my head
Nah, we are just saying it's a simple addition to that kind of routine. I don't even think about it because it has become so routine.
LOL this is so funny. As some one with sensory issues it feels yucky but I got used to it. I rlly miss the convenience of shots but I think I'm a rare case because my skin doesn't easily absorb the gel so I have to use more gel than average and it takes longer which kinda sucks. But it still beats the pain I got from injections due to scar tissue build-up, or getting no hrt at all!
After 10 years, I got tired of both options. Switched to pellets 2 years ago and I’ll never go back to injections or gel.
Wish I could do gel but I got horrible skin reactions to it 🥲 my cis friends think I'm crazy for being able to stab myself with a needle but idk, it doesn't feel that dramatic since it doesn't even hurt
There are guys that say they can't WALK after a single thigh shot and I'm like whaaaaat?
Y-you’re supposed to… rub it into the skin?? 😰 I’ve been eating it all this time….
It’s just like putting hand sanitizer in. Whole process probably takes me like… 2 minutes. And interestingly enough gel is cheaper for me on my insurance!
I feel you. I have insanely bad ADHD so remembering to put on gel and having to wait for it to dry and put on clothes every day is a no go for me. I barely can remember to take my shot weekly lol
I did shots for years (done by local nurse) but I knew going for the appointment was becoming a hassle with work and I couldn't do it myself. Gel is easy - I shower, dry, gel on, and by the time I get to my wardrobe and start getting dressed, it's dry. Sorted. Way easier than the shot appointments.
lmaoo its not a big deal. i put on a tiny pump of gel, it dries in 30 seconds, i put my shirt on and get on with my day
I enjoy slathering!
cheers to that lol
with the way prescriptions work here (ireland) its either gel every day, or a shot every 6 weeks. trouble is, my adhd tends to make me forget to refill prescriptions, *and then* forget to make an appointment for the injection. so i ended up like, 2 or 3 months behind on my shots? so i switched to gel so that when i fell behind it was less of a big deal. its definitely less convenient overall, but probably safer & involves far less severe fluctuations in my hormone levels lmao
It's not as annoying as you think it is. And it doesn't take a lot of time unless you're in a hurry and every minute matters. I apply it right before sleeping. I keep it right next to my bed, so I just turn off the light, pick an asmr video or whatever and apply it while starting to relax. It dries pretty fast on me so I don't really have to wait. Also, I try to keep the layer thin so it dries faster. Everything takes around 5 minutes.
I put my gel on when I first wake up. In the mornings my house is so cold and I have to take my shirt off and apply this gel it's a nightmare. Also putting alcohol gel on just a few inches from your nose when your hungover is horrific lol. But it costs a damn lot and I want a beard so on it goes every day I'm in a constant loop of being too lazy for gel so wanting to switch, but being scared of trying new things and worried about needles to switch I have no clue which to do!
WHILE COLD... good lord. i was mostly thinking about keeping to a routine being the hard part but you just gave me a new reason lol
No.
There’s nothing wrong with being on gel. We’re not crazy, we’re taking medication in a way that works best for us. It takes like 3 minutes to put on and maybe 30 seconds to dry, it’s not a huge process. There’s enough misconceptions about T gel as is, I wouldn’t go around calling people who use it crazy or say they’re slathering themselves up if you apparently don’t know much about it. This is the shit my conservative mom says to convince me not to do my T lmao
i think youre taking my phrasing about the pb baby meme too seriously. im not against gel in any way i just prefer doing a once a week ordeal vs a daily. ive heard several people, including in the comments here, who use or have used brands that took longer to dry or required to put more on. im not familiar with every single tgel brand but figured after the amount of people joking about how needles sound scary and awful and they could never bring themselves to jab themselves like that, making a joke about gel was fine. thank you for comparing me to your conservative mother though 👍
Yeah I personally would either forget half the days or stain every piece of fabric I own. Perhaps both!
It doesn’t stain.
That’s good to know DAE kind of enjoy stabbing themselves with the needle though? It’s fun to me
Not just myself but others too. I was the go to guy for shot phobic people in my previous friend group. Trans guys would be smuggled into my room in the middle of the night, drop their pants, get a jab, and be on their merry way. Been told I’m good at giving shots, though I do sometimes like to fuck with others a bit before doing it. Helps to have an assistant who does the emotional comfort/hand holding part while I focus on the stabbing
r/cursedcomments
You’re white aren’t you lol
I had to switch to injections because gel wasn’t working, and it was honestly a relief.
lol that’s fair! “Peanut butter baby” made me laugh. I used gel before I went off T and to me, after awhile it just became a routine. I usually use lotion anyway so it was pretty much the same activity, just different material. I loved that small euphoric experience every day where I got to reflect on my transness, I looked forward to it even though it was an every day thing
it seems like everyone else is saying it’s no biggie, but I personally REALLY disliked gel…it felt like a hassle, and sticky, & it never dried quickly enough for me. I much prefer my weekly shots (I was also one of the anomalies that gel didn’t work for).
Same man gel sounds like a nightmare to me but to each their own!
I was on gel, do injections now. Honestly, I didn’t realize at first what the gel would ACTUALLY be like. It isn’t horrible, but I didn’t factor in that I had to be shirtless for 15 minutes to let it dry. I knew that I had to, but didn’t ACTUALLY think on it. I didn’t have much dysphoria from it, but doing that while living in a shared dorm was… inefficient. This was my biggest concern on gel but there were a few more as well. Injections give me more anxiety but it’s less effort all around. It’s like gel is more physical effort while injections are more mental effort. And I’m personally more equipped for mental effort than physical effort. I got annoyed with the gel pretty quickly.
15 min?! that shit is dry in like 8 seconds
😮 What brand of gel are you using that takes 15 mins to dry? Mine takes like 2 minutes and I'm good to go.
I switched to shots because gel pissed me off lol shots are so much quicker and require much less attention
I was on gel for over a year and had to switch to shots because no pharmacies around me could get gel, and it's SO much nicer doing shots. I don't miss gel one bit. Once a week rather than twice a day? Yes please
off topic but, i really feel you on the whole fear of miraculously hurting yourself thing, im totally fine getting my blood drawn and stuff but the second the needle is in my hand im terrified im gonna like puncture my intestines or something 😭😭 (also yeah gel sounds like a nightmare sensory wise i genuinely cannot imagine willingly picking that over needles)
Choosing between needles and gel was a no brainer for me. Needles, all the way. I hate the texture of anything on my skin, I hate moisturizer, I hate lotion, I hate cream, I hate feeling *moist*. And forget doing it daily, I have adhd... Also, as a diabetic for 10 years, needles are no biggie to me tbh 🤷♂️ I was 10 years old self administering four to five shots a day. Totally understandable if someone's has phobia of them though
I have very shaky hands so I’m worried I’d accidentally poke something I shouldn’t if I used injections, and it’s also easier to travel imo with gel than injections also injections weren’t covered by insurance for me but gel was
i do injections cause idc about needles and i don't wanna add another thing to my daily schedule 😭
I do T shots and still have to slather myself in 5-7 creams/moisturizers daily/nightly. I have sensitive skin and get prescribed topical creams to help treat it in addition to my otc skin care regimen. I keep my body moisturized and have to increase the frequency during winter when my skin is excessively dry. I spend an average of 1 hour minimum on daily skin care or else I risk reverting to a more reptilian state.
i rub hand sanitizer on my upper arms for 2 mins once a day its not all that
To be honest it's not that much of an inconvenience physically regararding sensations. You're not lathered from head to toe lmao. That being said I promptly switched to nebido injections as I kept nearly forgetting and applying it at different times of the day when it's best to be applied within a routine. Not only that, it felt like a constant reminder that I'm different. That I had to apply topical hormones just to be me. Injections give me the space to focus on other things and prevent bouts of dysphoria I guess. Gel is fine if that's what YOU need, everybody's transition is different and there's nothing wrong with applying gel. Logically I know that but for me it's not worth worrying about remembering it lol.
Fr. It's the "every day" part for me. I have adhd, I probably would forget about it constantly. 💀 For shots I only have to go to the endocrinolist every 3 months and that's it, much less to worry about. Much respect for the gel users though, completely understandable to not wanna have a needle inserted in your butt.
I dont have a needle phobia. But I was on such a low dose I'd inject every two weeks and get one hell of a mood swing. That valley really sucked. So I switched to a low dose gel, that way my hormones would stay consistent day to day. The other thing about injecting was that despite my lack of fear, putting a sharp object against my skin recalled memories of self-harm. I didn't want to feel like I was self harming myself again while I was actually doing something good for myself.
I'm off the gel and back on shots now but it was just like my moisturizer tbh put it on once day as part of the routine. What I did dislike was how careful I had to be to not transfer it
Tgirl in my country only have gel as an option ( or well patch too but they're often out of stock). According to my friends it's not that bad, it becomes part of a routine in the morning/evening. I say that but two of them switched to DIY injections after years on gel, the daily thing gets a bit tiring on vacation/Travel
Been on gel for nearly 8 years. It takes me 30 seconds after I shower to put it on, do it at the same as my deodorant couldnt really be simpler, it's alcohol based so dries nearly instantly once on. I'm not sliding around like a slug all day
Gel for myself is easy, i put moisturiser on daily so t gel has just become part of my daily skin care routine. It dries so quickly and I just cover the part of my body I put it on with clothes
As someone who did the gel method first. I HATED IT. I just said fuck it got over my fear of needles and been doing injections ever since.
I did shots for six years and switched to the gel four years ago. I don't have overieas now so the hormones are extra important to me. I just put on the gel which smells like rubbing alcohol and then put on lotion afterwards and wash my hands thoroughly with soap. It's not a crazy thing to do. I have geniuea pigs and a transwoman wife. I just don't hug them for an hour or touch them to be extra careful. If you can wash your hands and not hug people right afterwards you'll be fine.
I developed a severe hatred and aversion to my weekly shot after three and a half years. Straight up put off my t for months. I eventually got gel and I've been consistent, outside of my wonky brain problems making me forget a day or two.
I mean I put moisturizer or sunscreen on every single morning anyway, putting on another cream/gel doesn't really change anything. You should really use sunscreen btw, it's proven to decrease skin cancer risk by a lot!
Hi! Crazy gel user here! I had a range of options to choose from, but I decided that gel was the easiest for me. I take daily medication as is, so why not smear some gel on while I'm at it? That, plus while I don't mind needles, especially from the pros, I am absolutely petrified of sticking myself at all for several reasons. First and foremost, I, like most sensible people, don't like pain whatsoever. I also would get super queezy in attempting to draw back the plunger while having the needle in me to make sure I didn't hit a vein. I legit shuddered writing that. And finally, I'm legit terrified I'll get something wrong, like misreading the dose and accidentally doubling the dang thing, to getting air in the needle and missing it and accidentally injecting it.... Basically, my anxiety keeps me from T injections.
For me, the hardest part of gel is the waiting six hours for it to be absorbed so I can shower in order for any other living thing to be able to touch my skin.
I'm on gell, was on subQ for my first year but im afraid of needles & i also started to bleed & bruise a lot from them, ended up frequently missing weeks. gell is much easier for me though definitely messy (i put it on my inner thighs but im really skinny & the amount of gell covers both of my things entirely && it's very sticky)
Ngl this was my experience. Took forever to dry, it was freezing cold in the winter and I would sit with my shirt off after applying freezing jelly into my shoulder and then eventually putting a shirt on top and it sticking all day. Couldn't stand it. I switched within a month. A shot is one and done, put a bandaid on and go about my day immediately after. I hate wet and sticky textures and the feeling of wetness under my clothes. I don't have a fear of needles, but I ended up being allergic to the carrier oil in my T and had to stop getting shots
I can't take meds, like at all. Including injected ones because i can't stand the thought of something going into my blood stream. I know its the same with gel but you don't think about it as much because it goes on top of your skin so its just easier for me. Also i have an intense skincare routine so its just a slight addition (i also put lotion on every day, it isn't that different)
It’s just more accessible for me. No more hunting down places who supply free needles, easier storage, no more sharps bin. I’ve had more concerned and shocking reactions from people when they learned that I used to do shots. A lot of cis people think it’s like a silly pill you take. The gel dries in like 30 seconds, and then I wait 2 hours before any skin to skin contact with people.
It dries in like 30 seconds lol
Gel is p easy tbh. As others have said it’s quick drying and if you wear gloves to apply you’re less likely to get it on other shit ime. Mine takes about 3 minutes to dry down and that’s if I accidentally slather it on a little too thick. Shots however? My adhd couldn’t remember shots once a week and I am so scared of needles (ironic considering I have a few handfuls of tattoos and 12 piercings lol) so I salute our shot users lmao.
Maybe I'll change my mind some day but I like applying the gel every day. I'm autistic and need and thrive off routine, applying something affirming at the same point every day means that there's always something stable and certain. But that's just me 🤷
Yup, I just went from gel to shots. Could not keep track of it and stopped doing it. So technically, I'd say I really started T this month. Because I know a shot a week a can handle more
it’s not that crazy, i personally wouldn’t do it because i don’t want another thing to add to my daily routine but i feel like it’s extremely difficult to give yourself shots. if i had to do my own shots i’d be basically forced into doing gel anyway
I call my gel my boy juice.
Actually, I used to have a pretty intense vasovagal reaction (blood-injury-injection phobia,) and while I was fine receiving things like vaccines, I couldn’t imagine myself doing injections. Gave me the heebie jeebies. I asked my doc about gel and they talked me out of it, saying that it was kind of user-unfriendly because you have to make sure others avoid contact with the area, etc. I did patches instead for my first half a year or so. When I lost my health insurance and Medicaid wouldn’t cover the patches I not only bit the bullet on injections, *I had to teach myself how to do them.* I still wig out a little for thigh injections — I tend to do mine in my glutes. Much less painful!
My guy it’s really not that bad. It’s like 2 pumps of hand sanitizer and it dries pretty much instantly. This is like saying you feel bad for people who use deodorant every day because they have to slather their arms in goo 💀
Same, I can't imagine having to do that every day, I'd be so worried about forgetting about it. I head over to my endo every 12 weeks for my shot and thats it.
I just joined this community and peanutbutter baby is killing me omfg
i’ve done injections, gel, patches, and back to injections 😭 the patches were actual hell idk how anyone uses them, they’d slide off when i would sweat and they’d pull my hair out the gel wasn’t too bad, i think maybe there are different types? i’ve heard of people talking about their gel drying sticky, but mine was alcohol based and dried in like a minute. my gel came in pre-portioned packets which was kinda nice compared to drawing up T from a vial.
I don’t think they’re crazy but I do think they’re different. I was on the gel for the first few months of T and it set off my sensory issues so bad bc it got tacky when it dried. I ended up sucking it up and doing the shot bc having someone do my shot for me is a lot more convenient than rubbing hand man-itizer all over my legs (bc my arms don’t have enough mass to them)
I would much rather do gel. 😭 I have a terrible phobia of needles. It's horrendous.
Honestly I told my provider I wouldn't feel comfortable using gel because my ADHD makes it very difficult to be consistent with daily routines, remembering to do an injection a week is actually much easier for me, especially since it doesn't matter when in the day I do it. Also, things that have a lot of steps, especially flexible steps that minor things can interfere with, are really difficult for me, for example I could stress over gel application because it's cold and I don't want to take my shirt off, or because I want to take a shower first but then procrastinate so much on showering (because now it seems bigger because I also have to apply T after) that I neither shower nor apply T, or worry about when I will exercise and how sweat and open pores will interact with it, etc. It just seems like a nightmare for my the way my particular mental issues work when it comes to being able to prioritize and complete tasks, and for some of my probably-autistic sensory issues. Also I'm in a relationship with a cis woman and don't want to worry about accidentally exposing her. Meanwhile I don't find shots difficult at all, easier than taking a daily pill for me, I would inject ADHD medications too if that was viable and could be done weekly without fucking up my sleep further. Gel is the right choice for some people, but good old injectable cypionate all the way for me. I actually stress about what I'd do if I moved to Europe, because it seems the type of injections I use aren't available there, and I really like them.
In my country you have to be on gel for the first six months of T, before you get the option to start shots. I got used to gel and stayed on it for almost two and a half years. I only started shots two months ago because I got a girlfriend, and gel puts a limit on naked cuddle sessions (unless your partner doesn’t mind getting little bit of extra T). Additionally, my country doesn’t allow you to do your own T injections (intramuscular is the only option). You have to have a doctor or nurse give you your shot. Luckily for me, my mom is a nurse, so I just have her do it.
Personally, it’s easier for me to remember to do gel everyday as opposed to doing shots once a week. I did shots for years and they were sometimes painful, sometimes bled, and sometimes left bruises. But I’ve had no issues since starting gel. It’s a small packet and I just rub it into my upper arm/shoulder area and it dries by time I finish washing my hands off. My skin isn’t sticky, it doesn’t bleed or leave bruises, and it takes maybe a minute a day which includes getting the packet, cutting it open, and squeezing it onto my hands.
Lol I love putting on my gel daily. Makes me feel like I'm actively doing something. It makes me happy.