TikToker's testosterone injection tips need some context

What did @rydaviin actually say?

@rydaviin shared a short personal tutorial on self-administering a testosterone injection, describing their supplies: the testosterone vial, an ampule breaker, alcohol wipes, a drawing needle, and a separate insertion needle. They mentioned switching needles between drawing and injecting, cleaning the skin with alcohol and waiting for it to dry, and noted they used to "pinch" the skin on their thigh before injecting but learned to aim for muscle instead. They also said they no longer apply pressure after pulling the needle out.

The transcript is garbled in places, likely from auto-captioning, so some context is inferred. But the core message is a practical walkthrough of subcutaneous or intramuscular self-injection for gender-affirming testosterone therapy. That's a real, common practice, and the creator is sharing lived experience, not medical advice. That framing matters.

Does the science back this up?

Most of what @rydaviin describes aligns with established injection safety practices, though some details need unpacking. The evidence on self-administered testosterone injections for transgender men is solid and growing.

Switching from a drawing needle to a separate insertion needle is genuinely recommended. Drawing with a larger-gauge needle pulls medication efficiently, but injecting with it increases tissue trauma. The Endocrine Society's 2017 clinical practice guidelines (Hembree et al., Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism) support intramuscular testosterone administration as standard of care for transgender men, and nursing literature consistently recommends dual-needle technique to reduce contamination and tissue damage.

Waiting for alcohol to dry before injecting is also correct. Alcohol introduced into the injection site can cause stinging and may theoretically affect tissue at the injection point. The CDC's 2011 injection safety guidelines specifically note that antiseptic should be allowed to dry before needle insertion.

The move away from skin-pinching reflects a shift toward intramuscular technique. Pinching is a subcutaneous method. For IM injections into the thigh, it is not standard and can redirect the needle incorrectly.

What did they get wrong (or right)?

Credit where it is due: the dual-needle practice and the alcohol-dry step are both correct and often skipped in informal tutorials. The creator is doing better than a lot of self-injection content online.

The part that warrants scrutiny is the apparent abandonment of post-injection pressure. @rydaviin says "I actually don't put bad eats anymore," which the context suggests means they stopped applying pressure or a cotton ball after withdrawal. Standard injection guidance recommends gentle pressure after needle removal to reduce bleeding and bruising, especially with oil-based testosterone formulations like cypionate or enanthate, which are viscous and slower to absorb. There is no strong published evidence that skipping post-injection pressure is harmful, but it is not a recommended deviation either.

The transition from pinching to not pinching is appropriate for intramuscular injection but the creator seems uncertain: "I'm not sure no more about just a muscle." That ambiguity is worth noting. IM and subcutaneous injections are both used in testosterone therapy, but they require different techniques. Mixing them up increases the risk of suboptimal absorption or injection site reactions (Spratt et al., 2017, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism).

What should you actually know?

Self-injection of testosterone is common, manageable, and when done correctly, carries low risk. But technique matters more than most informal tutorials suggest.

• Always use a separate drawing and injection needle. This is not optional hygiene theater. It reduces particulate contamination and tissue damage.
• Let alcohol dry fully before injecting. Wet alcohol in the needle tract is an avoidable irritant.
• Know whether your prescribed route is intramuscular or subcutaneous. They are not interchangeable techniques. Confirm with your prescribing provider.
• Pinching skin is for subcutaneous injections. For intramuscular thigh injections, you typically stretch the skin flat or use a relaxed muscle, not a pinch.
• Post-injection pressure with a clean cotton ball or gauze is still recommended by most clinical guidelines. Skipping it is not proven dangerous, but it is also not evidence-based.

If you are starting testosterone therapy through a telehealth platform, ask for a proper injection training session. Written guides and TikTok tutorials are supplements, not substitutes, for clinical instruction.