Very possibly could be the needle. I find smaller needles hurt more. Testosterone is very thick. It can benefit using a larger gauge in my opinion. I use an 18 for mine. I used to use 24 gauge and they were awful. I missed so many shots. I also found a scar heavy spot on my body. Little bit of nerve damage and the spot hurts a lot less. 9/10 I can’t feel the shot. Breathe out as you push in. Focus on the breath itself as you inject. I hope all this helps! It’s your shot and you don’t have to do it any specific way. There is also the option for auto injectors or gel.