FunkOdyssey
Seeker of Wisdom
I've tested MANY different formulations of testosterone, many different esters, different carrier oils, different concentrations, different excipients, and I can tell you definitively what causes the firm nodules accompanied by redness and irritation in my n=1 case:
It's benzyl benzoate. This stuff is a strong chemical irritant. Interestingly, when it is used as a topical treatment for scabies and head lice, it's prescribed as a 25% lotion and then diluted with water to half concentration (12.5%) before application. At that lower 12.5% concentration, BB often causes burning, stinging, redness, or rashes on the outer layer of the skin, and "most patients will experience some degree of discomfort".
Now remember we're typically injecting a 20% concentration of benzyl benzoate. AI on the prospect of injecting this stuff SC:
It's benzyl benzoate. This stuff is a strong chemical irritant. Interestingly, when it is used as a topical treatment for scabies and head lice, it's prescribed as a 25% lotion and then diluted with water to half concentration (12.5%) before application. At that lower 12.5% concentration, BB often causes burning, stinging, redness, or rashes on the outer layer of the skin, and "most patients will experience some degree of discomfort".
Now remember we're typically injecting a 20% concentration of benzyl benzoate. AI on the prospect of injecting this stuff SC:
- Under the Skin: Injecting or trapping benzyl benzoate in the subcutaneous tissue (the layer under the skin) can lead to severe local inflammation, pain, swelling, or sterile abscesses because it is a known chemical irritant.
- Medical Use: While it is sometimes used as a inactive helper liquid (solvent) in very small amounts for specific deep-muscle (intramuscular) shots, direct or improper placement into subcutaneous fat is not advised and can hurt the tissue.
