@pedchamp89's testosterone injection technique fact-checked

What did @pedchamp89 actually say?

The creator walks through a technique called "backdrawing" for testosterone injections. The basic claim: pull testosterone oil into a large 3cc syringe first, then transfer it into an insulin syringe barrel by removing the plunger, pouring the oil in, and reinserting the plunger. The goal is to inject with a much smaller needle, which they say produces "less scar tissue, virtually painless." They also recommend keeping subcutaneous oil injections "less than half a cc" to avoid welts, and close the video by plugging a supplement called Hemaflow for managing "thick blood" and blood pressure in people running testosterone.

That is a lot packed into one short video, and the techniques and the supplement recommendation land in very different places on the accuracy spectrum.

Does the science back this up?

On the injection technique itself, the general principle holds. Subcutaneous testosterone administration using fine-gauge needles is clinically validated and increasingly preferred for self-injection in TRT patients. A 2021 randomized controlled trial by Olsson et al. in Andrology confirmed that subcutaneous testosterone cypionate produced stable serum levels comparable to intramuscular injections, with patients reporting significantly less injection-site pain. The volume limitation advice also has a basis in physiology: subcutaneous tissue has limited capacity to absorb viscous oil depots, and volumes exceeding 0.5 mL are consistently associated with local reactions including nodules and welts in clinical observation.

The backdrawing transfer method itself is not a standard technique documented in clinical literature, but the underlying sterility logic is sound as long as the plunger tip and syringe interior are never exposed to contamination. The concern is execution risk in an uncontrolled home environment, not the concept.

What did they get wrong (or right)?

The injection technique guidance is mostly right. Credit where it is due: the volume-under-0.5-mL recommendation for subcutaneous oil injections is consistent with clinical practice. Smaller-gauge needles do reduce injection trauma, and there is real evidence behind it.

Where this video goes sideways is the Hemaflow plug. The creator tells viewers that if they are "running testosterone," Hemaflow is "the best thing you can take" for "thick blood" and blood pressure. This is an unverifiable commercial claim for an Amazon-sold supplement, delivered inside what looks like a clinical tutorial. Elevated hematocrit is a known side effect of testosterone therapy, and it is not managed with unregulated supplements. It is managed by a clinician who can order a CBC, adjust dosing, or recommend therapeutic phlebotomy. Funneling viewers toward a branded product instead of a physician for a real cardiovascular risk factor is genuinely problematic. The backdrawing tutorial earns a passing grade. The supplement endorsement does not.

What should you actually know?

Subcutaneous testosterone injection is a legitimate and increasingly supported route of administration, but the backdrawing technique described here introduces contamination risk that most pharmacy or clinical guidance would not recommend. Standard protocols involve drawing with one needle and swapping to a fresh sterile needle for injection, not transferring oil through an open barrel.

On hematocrit: testosterone therapy does raise red blood cell mass in a meaningful percentage of users. A 2014 meta-analysis by Calof et al. in Journals of Gerontology found polycythemia occurred in roughly 5.7% of testosterone-treated men versus 0.8% in placebo groups. This is a monitored lab value, not a supplement category. If your hematocrit is climbing on TRT, you need a blood panel and a clinician conversation, not an Amazon order. FormBlends providers monitor these values as part of standard TRT care for exactly this reason.

• Use a fresh, capped needle for injection after drawing, when possible, to minimize contamination risk.
• Subcutaneous injection volumes above 0.5 mL of oil-based testosterone are more likely to cause local reactions.
• Elevated hematocrit from TRT requires clinical monitoring, not supplement management.