Injections, gels, pellets, patches: the trade-offs in one page.

All four delivery methods work — they differ in cost, dose stability, and daily hassle more than in effectiveness. Here is the honest one-paragraph version of each.

Injections

The least expensive and most adjustable option, usually weekly or twice-weekly at home. Downsides: needles, and levels that peak and dip between doses unless the schedule is tuned. This is where most careful prescribers start.

Daily gels

Steadier day-to-day levels and no needles, but they cost more, absorb inconsistently in some men, and carry a real transfer risk — skin contact can pass testosterone to partners and children before it dries.

Pellets

Implanted under the skin every 3–6 months in a minor office procedure. Convenient — but the dose cannot be adjusted once implanted, and if side effects appear, you wait them out or have the pellets removed.

Patches

Daily, steady, needle-free. The trade-off is frequent skin irritation, which is why patches are the least commonly chosen of the four.