Testosterone Patch

Route: Transdermal patch. A reservoir of unesterified testosterone with a permeation enhancer, delivering a set milligram dose per 24 hours regardless of how much surface area you cover.

Dosage:

• Androderm: 2 mg or 4 mg per patch. Starting dose 4 mg/day, titrated between 2 mg and 6 mg/day
• Doses are delivered milligrams, not applied milligrams, so the numbers look much smaller than gel or cream doses
• Ceiling is low: patches generally land people mid-range at best and are a poor fit for anyone needing upper-range levels

Application Protocol:

• Apply nightly, around 10 pm, to mimic the natural morning peak
• Sites: back, abdomen, thighs, upper arms. Clean, dry, hairless, non-oily skin
• Never the scrotum, and never over bony prominences or anywhere pressure is applied during sleep
• Rotate sites and leave at least 7 days before reusing one
• Press firmly for 10 seconds; the edges are where it fails

Skin Reactions (the main problem):

• Erythema, pruritus, and contact dermatitis affect a large minority of users
• Occasional blistering and burn-like reactions that leave marks
• Pre-treating the site with a low-potency corticosteroid cream (not ointment) before applying reduces reactions
• This is the usual reason patches get abandoned

Bloodwork Timing:

• Apply at night, draw in the morning, roughly 8-12 hours after application, with the patch still on
• Test after at least 14 days on a stable dose
• Record the application-to-draw interval

Key Notes:

• No transfer risk to partners or children, which is the one thing patches do better than any gel or cream
• Availability has collapsed in most markets as gels and creams took over. Andropatch and Testoderm are discontinued in many countries
• Minimal haematocrit impact at label doses
• Same HPTA suppression as any exogenous testosterone