Also, besides what some of the other comments said estradiol taken orally can increase blood clots/thromboses. It's really up to preference though. I started with patches, but switched to injections because despite some of the annoyances, the upside of only needing do an injection once a week instead of changing patches 2-4 times a week was very welcome, and needing to have a bunch of patches (and the residue they'd leave) on my skin was getting a bit annoying. But at the end of the day whatever works best for someone is the best method to use!