Does testosterone gel really cause slower changes than injections?
Quick answer
Testosterone gel and injectable testosterone esters can achieve equivalent androgenic effects when serum testosterone levels are matched, but real-world absorption variability with transdermal formulations often leads prescribers to start at lower doses and titrate more cautiously, which can result in a slower path to therapeutic levels. The creator's prescriber appears to have communicated this dosing strategy in a way that was interpreted as a property of gel itself rather than a clinical approach to managing transdermal unpredictability. Any comparison between delivery methods should be anchored to serum testosterone monitoring, not anecdotal timelines.
Our take · Written by FormBlends editorial team · Reviewed by FormBlends Medical Team· This is not a transcript. It is our independent review of the video above.
What did @blakanakin actually say?
The core claim here is that testosterone gel produces slower physical changes than injections, specifically referencing "bottom growth" and "mass" development. To their credit, they walked it back significantly: "if you have the right dosage, it'll probably work the same way as the shot." They also admitted they've only ever been on injections and were partly repeating what a prescriber told them. That context matters a lot.
The original framing was clumsy, and this video is damage control. But the underlying idea, that gel is frequently dosed more conservatively and often results in slower changes in practice, isn't entirely wrong. It's just not the whole picture, and conflating dosing strategy with the inherent capability of the delivery method created real confusion for viewers.
Does the science back this up?
Partially. When testosterone levels are matched, gel and injections produce comparable androgenic effects. That's the key phrase: when levels are matched. The problem is they often aren't matched in practice, especially in the early stages of feminizing or masculinizing HRT.
A 2010 study by Bhasin et al. in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that transdermal testosterone achieved similar serum testosterone levels and comparable effects on lean body mass and sexual function when dosed appropriately. The catch is absorption variability. Gel absorption can range dramatically between individuals based on skin thickness, body fat distribution, application site, and sweating. Spratt et al. (2006, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism) documented up to 30-fold variation in serum testosterone levels from identical gel doses across different patients. Injections, by contrast, deliver a more predictable pharmacokinetic curve. So a prescriber nervous about overshooting might start gel patients at a conservative dose, which would absolutely produce slower changes. That's a clinical decision, not a property of gel itself.
What did they get wrong (or right)?
They got the mechanism wrong but stumbled onto a real-world pattern that has some basis in clinical practice. Saying gel "doesn't grow your body" the same way implies a pharmacological difference that doesn't hold up when serum levels are equivalent. That framing was inaccurate and they should own that more directly than they did.
What they got right: prescribers do sometimes dose gel more conservatively, and anecdotal reports of slower changes on gel are common enough in trans masculine communities that dismissing them entirely would be intellectually dishonest. A 2021 retrospective analysis by Cocchetti et al. in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that trans men on gel formulations took longer on average to reach target testosterone ranges compared to those on injectable esters, partly due to dose titration practices.
The mention of "genetic history of good skin absorbency" is not a recognized clinical concept in this form, but it gestures at real interindividual variability in transdermal absorption, which is documented. Imprecise, but not fabricated.
What should you actually know?
If you're considering testosterone therapy and weighing delivery methods, here's what actually matters. Gel, injections, pellets, and patches can all achieve therapeutic testosterone levels. The delivery method is less important than whether your serum levels are being monitored and adjusted to your target range.
The reason gel gets a reputation for slower results is likely a combination of two things: conservative initial dosing by prescribers managing absorption unpredictability, and genuine variability in how well individuals absorb transdermal formulations. Neither of these is a fixed limitation of gel as a category. If you're on gel and not seeing expected results, the right conversation is with your prescriber about your lab values, not switching delivery methods based on TikTok.
Bottom growth, which in trans masculine HRT refers to clitoral hypertrophy driven by androgenic stimulation, is primarily a function of sustained testosterone exposure above a threshold. Monstrey et al. and other researchers in gender-affirming surgery literature have noted that outcomes vary significantly by individual and are not reliably tied to delivery method when serum levels are controlled. Anyone telling you categorically that gel won't produce bottom growth is overstating the evidence.
Should you take medical advice from this video?
No, and to their credit, they said exactly that. "Please consult your doctor because I'm not the one to ask." That's the right call. This video is a community member sharing personal experience and second-hand information from their prescriber. It's not clinical guidance, and it shouldn't function as a substitute for one. The problem is that on TikTok, even well-intentioned corrections spread as fast as the original claim, and both can shape decisions people make before they ever see a provider. FormBlends recommends discussing delivery method selection with a licensed clinician who can review your individual labs, absorption profile, and treatment goals.
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Testosterone therapy in men with androgen deficiency syndromes: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline
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Testosterone gel and injectable testosterone esters can achieve equivalent androgenic effects when serum testosterone levels are matched, but real-world absorption variability with transdermal formulations often leads prescribers to start at lower doses and titrate more cautiously, which can result in a slower path to therapeutic levels.
FormBlends verdict
Testosterone gel and injectable testosterone esters can achieve equivalent androgenic effects when serum testosterone levels are matched, but real-world absorption variability with transdermal formulations often leads prescribers to start at lower doses and titrate more cautiously, which can result in a slower path to therapeutic levels. The creator's prescriber appears to have communicated this dosing strategy in a way that was interpreted as a property of gel itself rather than a clinical approach to managing transdermal unpredictability. Any comparison between delivery methods should be anchored to serum testosterone monitoring, not anecdotal timelines.
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What it helps with
- Testosterone gel and injectable testosterone esters can achieve equivalent androgenic effects when serum testosterone levels are matched, but real-world absorption variability with transdermal formulations often leads prescribers to start at lower doses and titrate more cautiously, which can result in a slower path to therapeutic levels. The creator's prescriber appears to have communicated this dosing strategy in a way that was interpreted as a property of gel itself rather than a clinical approach to managing transdermal unpredictability. Any comparison between delivery methods should be anchored to serum testosterone monitoring, not anecdotal timelines.
- Bhasin et al. (2010) found testosterone gel and injections produce equivalent effects on lean body mass and sexual function when serum levels are matched, meaning delivery method is less important than hitting your target range.
- Spratt et al. (2006) documented up to 30-fold variation in serum testosterone from identical gel doses across individuals, which is the real reason prescribers often start gel patients conservatively.
What it may miss
- It may not cover eligibility, contraindications, medication interactions, lab history, or dose escalation.
- Compound access, legal status, and product quality still need a separate safety check.
- Social video captions rarely show the full evidence base behind a claim.
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Start provider reviewWhat You'll Learn
- Bhasin et al. (2010) found testosterone gel and injections produce equivalent effects on lean body mass and sexual function when serum levels are matched, meaning delivery method is less important than hitting your target range.
- Spratt et al. (2006) documented up to 30-fold variation in serum testosterone from identical gel doses across individuals, which is the real reason prescribers often start gel patients conservatively.
- Cocchetti et al. (2021) found trans men on gel took longer on average to reach target testosterone ranges compared to injectable users, but this reflects dosing caution, not a pharmacological ceiling on gel.
- Bottom growth is driven by sustained androgen exposure above an individual threshold and varies by person. No robust clinical evidence ties it specifically to delivery method when testosterone levels are controlled.
- The creator correctly stated they have no personal experience with gel and directed viewers to consult a doctor. That caveat matters and should be taken seriously before any delivery method decision.
- If you are on gel and not seeing expected results, the right next step is checking your serum testosterone levels with your prescriber, not switching to injections based on community timelines.
- Transdermal absorption is affected by application site, skin hydration, body fat distribution, and sweating. These are modifiable factors worth discussing with a clinician before concluding gel is not working.
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About the Creator
anakin ! · TikTok creator
3.0K views on this video
Replying to @EinsteinFrizz using this comment cus it was one of the nicer ones lmao but i don’t think gel is weaker and that’s not what i was trying to push, but i do know that doctors don’t dose gel the same way and typically the result is slower changes. that’s how gel was offered to me by my prescribing doctor. anyways if u need to hear a white dude say it, sasha allen made a video about his switch from gel to shots recently! thank you and have a good night call your mother and your doctor
Sources & references
Citations extracted from our medical team's review. Click any citation to search PubMed.
Not medical advice. This video was made by anakin !, not by FormBlends. Our write-up above is an editorial review, not a medical recommendation. Talk to your doctor before making any decisions about medications or treatments.