Subcutaneous injection
How to administer a peptide
- 1
Gather your supplies
You will need the peptide vial, a new sterile insulin syringe, alcohol prep pads, and a proper sharps container. Wash your hands and work on a clean surface.
- 2
Inspect the vial
Check the label and concentration. Do not use the vial if it is cloudy, discolored, damaged, leaking, or has particles or anything else that looks wrong.
- 3
Clean the vial and skin
Swab the vial's rubber stopper with an alcohol prep pad. Clean the area of skin you plan to use with a fresh pad, then give the alcohol a moment to dry.
- 4
Draw the planned amount
Draw air into the syringe equal to the volume of liquid you plan to remove. Inject the air into the space above the liquid, turn the vial upside down, and slowly draw the calculated volume. Clear any air bubbles and check the syringe marking again.
- 5
Use the fatty layer under the skin
Pinch a fold of skin and fatty tissue, insert the needle using the angle appropriate for your needle and body, and slowly press the plunger. Remove the needle and place it directly into a sharps container. Never reuse a needle or syringe.
One needle. One syringe. One time. Never put used equipment back into a vial, even if it was only used by you.
Before filling the syringe
Principles for safer dosing
Double-check the concentration
Read the vial label and confirm how much water was added. Recalculate before every new vial instead of assuming it matches the last one.
Use a calculator
Use a reconstitution calculator to convert the target amount into liquid volume. Check the units carefully and run the math twice.
Write down the target
Record the target amount in milligrams or micrograms before filling the syringe. Do not rely on memory once the vial and syringe are in front of you.
Research the amount
Look for compound-specific evidence and compare more than one trustworthy source. Do not copy a number from a vendor, influencer, forum post, or single chart.
Start low with every new compound or vial
Begin with a very small, concentration-based test amount, then increase gradually toward the researched target only if no problems appear. A small first amount may reveal an immediate reaction, but it cannot prove that a vial is correctly labeled, accurately dosed, sterile, or safe.
Helpful dosing reference
Hunter Williams’ Peptide Cheat Sheet
This is a helpful dosing guide, but it cannot account for every situation or guarantee safety. Cross-check the information, confirm the concentration, and double-check the math before proceeding.
Open the dedicated reconstitution calculator
Weight first, volume second
Units and milliliters are not a dose
Treat any dosing recommendation stated only in syringe units or milliliters as incomplete. Those numbers describe liquid volume, and the amount of compound in that volume changes with concentration.
Start with the compound amount in milligrams or micrograms. Once the target amount and vial concentration are known, calculate the volume and syringe marking. Never work backward from somebody else's number of units.
Stop instead of guessing
When the math does not line up
Pause if the vial amount, water added, concentration, target amount, or syringe scale do not agree. Starting over is safer than trying to make a confusing answer fit. Do not proceed unless you are absolutely sure you understand the calculation. If you have any doubt at all, stop and double-check it. Never be afraid to ask for help from someone who knows what they are doing.