Hormone pellet insertion: what happens before, during and after

Hormone pellet insertion is a quick in-office procedure, but “quick” does not mean there is nothing to prepare for. Knowing what happens at each stage makes the visit far less unfamiliar, and it helps you catch the rare problem early instead of assuming discomfort is normal when it is not. Florida’s hormone pellet therapy providers each run this a little differently, but the core steps below are consistent across most clinics.

Before the visit

Your provider will typically want recent bloodwork, current total and free testosterone plus a hematocrit level, confirmed within the last month or two. Based on those numbers and your body weight, they calculate roughly how many pellets you need. Our guide on hormone pellet therapy cost in Florida breaks down what a visit like this typically runs, if budgeting is part of your decision. Most clinics ask you to avoid blood thinners like aspirin or fish oil for a few days beforehand if your doctor agrees it is safe, since that reduces bruising at the insertion site.

During the procedure

Stage	What happens
Prep	The insertion site, usually the upper hip or buttock, is cleaned and numbed with a local anesthetic
Insertion	A small incision or trocar device places the pellets under the skin’s fatty layer
Closing	The tiny opening is closed with a steri-strip or a single stitch, then covered with a dressing
Wrap-up	You get written aftercare instructions and a follow-up date, typically 6 to 12 weeks out

The whole insertion itself is brief. Most of the visit is the prep and the paperwork, not the procedure.

After the procedure: the first week

Mild soreness, bruising, or a small lump at the site is normal and usually fades within a week or two. Keep the area dry for the first day or two, and hold off on hard workouts, swimming, or hot tubs for about a week so the incision has time to close fully. Some clinics recommend a compression bandage for the first 24 hours to reduce bruising.

Red flags to call your clinic about

Contact your provider if you notice spreading redness, warmth, or drainage at the site, a fever, or a pellet that visibly works its way back out through the skin (rare, but it happens). None of these are common, but they are not something to wait out on your own either.

Your first follow-up

Most clinics schedule a lab recheck 6 to 12 weeks after insertion to confirm your levels landed where they expected. This is also the point where dose adjustments for your next insertion get made, so it is worth going into that appointment with a clear sense of how you have felt: energy, mood, sleep, and libido are the usual markers your provider will ask about.

If you are still comparing providers, our published methodology weighs how clinics handle procedure care and follow-up, not just star counts, and you can browse the full Florida rankings here.

This is general information about a common in-office procedure, not medical advice; your provider’s specific protocol may differ.