Testosterone gel is a popular treatment for men struggling with testosterone deficiency (or hypogonadism). This type of medication is supposed to increase your testosterone levels to make you feel stronger, more sexually active, and more energized – but there is a lot of misinformation about testosterone gel. You see, this product has caused quite a bit of controversy due to the potential testosterone gel side effects. So that’s why I’ll explain all you need to know about testosterone gel, its benefits, and the potential risks to think about before getting the gel. You might want to read this before you try testosterone gel. What is testosterone gel? Benefits of testosterone gel Testosterone gel side effects Testosterone gel risks Testosterone gel vs testosterone injections Natural alternative solutions
What is testosterone gel?
Testosterone gel is a specific form of testosterone medication that can be used to help treat certain issues related to testosterone. The most popular brand of gel is Androgel. As the name suggests, testosterone gel is a gel that contains the male hormone testosterone. This topical medication is administered by rubbing it directly onto your skin. It is most commonly applied to your shoulders, upper arms, or abdomen. The gel is often considered a safer and more convenient alternative to other testosterone/hormone replacement therapies such as injections or patches. Suggested read: What are testosterone injections? Some people use testosterone gel to help enhance the effects of testosterone despite already having healthy amounts of the hormone present in the body. However, most often it’s used to help manage conditions related to a testosterone deficiency called male hypogonadism. As you grow older your t-levels decrease. This is natural and normal. Male hypogonadism, on the other hand, is an exceptionally low testosterone level caused by more than just this age-related decline. Hypogonadism occurs when your gonads (testes), hypothalamus, or pituitary gland fail to produce sufficient amounts of testosterone. The gel was developed to help men who suffer from hypogonadism. This testosterone deficiency can cause a number of serious side effects, and testosterone gel aims to counter those by giving your body more of the hormone. As ideal as that might sound, there are quite some testosterone gel side effects to bear in mind. But before I’ll explain more about those, let’s have a look at what specific benefits this product offers.
Benefits of testosterone gel
Testosterone gel is considered a milder form of testosterone therapy, and as such, the benefits of the stuff will be less significant than they would be from, say, an injection. Fortunately, this also means that the testosterone gel side effects are likely to be less severe (although still present; more on that in a bit).Related article:We love testosterone and so should you!Those who experience the most benefits from testosterone gel will be men who suffer from hypogonadism. This means that if you already have a relatively normal, healthy balance of testosterone in your body, you might not experience such profound changes by using testosterone gel. Regardless, these are some of the most prominent benefits associated with testosterone gel and t-level increase in general.
- Improved heart health
- Losing fat & building muscle
- Improved bone health
- Boosts cognitive health
- Improved sexual health
- Better emotional stability
Testosterone gel side effects
While testosterone gels like Androgel might be known for causing some pretty impressive benefits, it’s important to be aware of any potential testosterone gel side effects. You see, testosterone gel is actually known to cause a relatively high number of side effects, similar to those that are caused by other testosterone-enhancing substances. So even though this gel is often seen as a safer alternative compared to injections, it still poses a lot of risks, dangers, and potentially harmful side effects. Some of the most common testosterone gel side effects are:- Nausea, vomiting, and other issues of digestive upset
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Premature hair loss or increased hair growth in different areas on the body
- Difficulty sleeping
- Changes in libido - some find that they become hyper-sexualized, others notice a significant decrease in their sexual desire
- Redness, swelling, itchiness, burning, or hardening of the skin in areas where the testosterone gel is used
- Changes to skin tone and color in areas of the skin where the gel is worn
- Changes to the breasts - studies have shown that men may find that they begin to grow larger breasts
- Changes to mood and temperament - some become more aggressive, irritable, easily upset, or depressed
- Acne

Testosterone gel risks
Aside from the side effects listed above, there are some additional, long-term risks you need to take into consideration as well as potential risk factors. First of all, using this gel may increase your risk of getting prostate cancer. Furthermore, other risks associated with testosterone gel may include:- Heart disease
- Sleep apnea
- Breast cancer
- High levels of red blood cells
- Premature puberty
- Increased aggression
- More anxiety
- Raised sex drive
- An abnormal amount of erections in boys
- A larger clitoris in girls
Testosterone gel vs testosterone injections
There are many different ways to go about hormone replacement therapy. Even though gels are relatively popular they do offer risks (as we’ve seen) and many people still prefer depo-testosterone injections. However, these pose dangers as well. Suggested read: What is depo-testosterone? Below, I’ll give you a short overview of the different pros and cons when comparing testosterone gel and depo-testosterone. Let's start with the pros of the gel:- It is a milder form of therapy and thus will be less likely to cause serious side effects.
- It is often easier to acquire than testosterone made for injecting.
- It does not require that you actually use a needle, which can cause issues such as infections.
- For starters all the risks and side effects listed above
- An additional con compared to injections is the fact that the therapy is milder. This means that men with healthy levels of testosterone may not experience many benefits from it.
- They are generally much stronger than gels, and can, therefore, provide significant effects in people with healthy testosterone levels.
- They are likely more effective for building muscle mass.
- Some people are able to source their injectable steroids without a prescription, thus making them more affordable than the cost of a gel such as Androgel.
- Testosterone injections are much more likely to cause serious side effects (even more so than the ones listed for the gel).
- Injecting anything can lead to infections of the blood, scabbing, and scarring if not done properly.
Natural alternative solutions
If all of the risks associated with testosterone therapy seem a bit much for you, don’t worry – there are ways to boost your testosterone naturally. Some of these methods involve simply changing your diet, others are lifestyle changes that may take some time and dedication to implement.- Supplement

- Exercise more
- Avoid stress