Where & How to inject?

Where to inject

The best injecting sites are in the larger muscles such as the backside, mid thigh and upper arm. Rotating injecting sites will reduce any marking or scarring.

Backside Gluteus Maximus Muscles (check above)

It can be very difficult to inject yourself safely into the backside (buttocks). Get a friend, who knows how to inject, to inject you. You should make sure when you are being injected that the other person uses a safe and clean injecting technique, just as you should when injecting another person.

To inject into the backside, draw an imaginary line vertically down the middle of one of the buttocks. Draw another line horizontally across the same buttock half way down, so that there is a cross, and so that the buttock cheek is divided up into quarters. Inject into the upper, outer quarter of the buttock where there are no large nerves. The sciatic nerve runs down the middle of the buttocks, and if you hit it with a needle you could cause yourself permanent damage. So always inject in the outer side of the buttock. (If you do hit a nerve and experience severe pain on injecting, pull the needle out immediately and apply pressure on the area for a few minutes. An ice pack or crushed ice in a tea towel will also help reduce any bleeding or pain).

Thigh Quadriceps Muscles (check above)

To inject into the thigh, divide the thigh from the knee to the hip in thirds by drawing three imaginary horizontal lines across it. Inject into the outer part of the middle section.

The thigh has more exposed nerves and veins than the backside. Place a cotton ball over the injection site if the oil based steroid dribbles out a little bit - this suggests the injection wasn't deep enough into the muscle.

Arm Deltoid Muscles (check above)

To inject into the arm, divide the area from the elbow to the shoulder into thirds and inject into the upper outer third. This is the deltoid muscle.

Preparation:

Wash hands or wipe fingertips with a swab and using a separate swab, clean both the rubber cap of the vial and the injection site.

If you are using a water based steroid, shake the vial sufficiently well to mix and dissolve all particles in the solution.

Attach a drawing up needle (19 or 21 gauge) to a syringe, ensure there is about 0.5 ml of air in the barrel so that drawing up is easier and stick the needle through the stopper of the vial.

Draw up the required amount of steroid.

Remove the needle and put it into a disposal container.

Attach the injecting needle (21 or 23 gauge) to the full syringe. Hold the syringe upright and expel any air in the syringe. You will need to flick the barrel to get any remaining air bubbles to the top of the barrel next to the needle, and then expel these also.

Injecting Technique

• Choose the injection site.

• Swab the injection site thoroughly with a new alcohol swab or with soap and water using clean cotton wool.

• Hold the syringe as if it was a dart, between the thumb and the forefinger of the hand you use the most. With the other hand, spread the skin tightly at the injection site;

• Insert the needle at a ninety degree or right angle a bit like throwing a dart and with enough force for it to go into the skin and muscle smoothly. Push the needle in about 2/3 of its length, no further; unless you have good muscle bulk or carrying excess bodyfat.

• Draw the plunger back a small distance.

• If blood appears in the syringe, you have inserted the needle into a vein (or artery). Remove the syringe, apply pressure to the area for a few minutes and start again.

• When the needle is safely in place, check again that you are not in a vein or artery and then push the plunger down into the syringe with a smooth motion.

• Rub the injection site with a new swab to disperse the drug and reduce pain.

• Apply pressure to the injection site with the swab for several minutes until any bleeding has stopped.