Safe Injection Steps (SubQ)
Giving Yourself the Injection
Select your injection site. This must be an area that has a layer of fat between the skin and the muscle. This is called subcutaneous (SubQ). The following parts of your body have subcutaneous layers:
- outer surface of the upper arm
- top of thighs
- buttocks
- abdomen, except the navel or waistline
Note: Do NOT mix water-based and oil-based compounds in the same shot - oil and water do not mix.
- If you are very thin do not use the abdomen as an injection site.
- Do not use the same site for injections each time.
- Rotate your injection sites in a regular pattern. You should be at least 1 ½ inches away from the last injection site. Jot down on your calendar where you gave you last shot. This will help prevent giving the shot in the same place too soon.
- Select a site and cleanse the area (about 2 inches) with a fresh alcohol pad, or cotton ball soaked in alcohol.
- Wait for the site to dry.
- Remove the needle cap.
- Pinch a 2-inch fold of skin between your thumb and index finger as shown above.
- Hold the syringe the way you would a pencil or dart. Insert the needle at a 45 to 90 degree angle to the pinched-up skin. The needle should be completely covered by skin. If you do this quickly, you will feel very little discomfort.
- Hold the syringe with one hand. With the other, pull back the plunger to check for blood. If you see blood in the solution in the syringe, do not inject. Withdraw the needle and start again at a new site.
- If you do not see blood, slowly push the plunger to inject the medication. Press the plunger all the way down.
- Remove the needle from the skin and gently hold an alcohol pad on the injection site. Do not rub.
- If there is bleeding, apply a bandage.
- Immediately put the syringe and needle into the disposal container
