Not sure where to begin with self-injection of testosterone or hormones? Don’t know if self-injection is safe or where you should inject yourself? Worse, do you have a phobia of needles? Relax and dry your palms; we’ve got you, and you’ve got this. Here’s the definitive guide to everything you’ll need to know about injecting hormones, testosterone, and self-injecting.
Talk to Your Doctor Before Self-Administrating Steroids
All doctors can show you how to give yourself an injection; if you need assistance, email us and we’ll set up a live instruction. Either will be able to assist you in troubleshooting or will be able to point out typical faults, and with telehealth on the rise, a video call with a medical professional to see your first shot is becoming more popular. That can help you get over the massive mental anxieties that come with your first shot.
After the first shot, it truly becomes simpler. Almost all people exclaim after the first self-injection, “That’s it?! That was insignificant.”
New Needles for Testosterone Only
Needles should never be reused. Reusing needles is troublesome not just because it is unhygienic, but also because the needle gets blunted immediately after the initial usage, making the next time you use it more painful. Keep a fresh supply of new needles in your home at all times and use one for each injection.
Understanding Syringes for Steroids
A needle is a component of a syringe. Let’s go over the other sections fast. The tip of the syringe is where the needle is attached. The barrel is the open tube section that narrows into the hollow tip at the opposite end. There are lines on the barrel to let you see how much solution is inside. The plunger is a rod that lies within the barrel and acts like a piston, allowing you to pull or push it to help get solutions into and out of the barrel.
Know Your Needles and Gauge Sizes for Testosterone
Depending on the activity necessary, you can connect many needles to a syringe. Needle diameter is measured using gauge numbers, which indicate the lumen bore of a needle (a fancy word for the hole at the tip of the needle). The smaller or narrower the hole, the higher the gauge number; the larger or thicker the hole, the lower the gauge number. Although larger needles can lessen pain when injecting, larger needles are required when injecting higher amounts of oil-based drugs (such as testosterone) into the muscle.
The length of the needle itself is the last thing you’ll need to know about needles. This number follows the gauge number. A 25G 1/2 needle, for example, denotes a 25 gauge needle that is a half-inch long.
Injection Location Dictates Your Needle
The injection site will help you choose the needle size, but your weight may also play a role; slightly larger individuals may require a slightly larger needle because there is more tissue for the needle to penetrate.
We send two needles for intramuscular injections: a 20 gauge for drawing in the drug and a 23 gauge for the injection itself (some individuals may use this for a subcutaneous injection, after a little experience). Because the needle must pierce the muscle, intramuscular needles are longer, measuring one to one and a half inches.
The Rest of Your Gear for Testosterone
Before you begin your self-injection, make sure you have everything ready. You don’t want to be in the middle of a shot and discover you need something. You should have the following items within easy reach.
- Your testosterone vial or medication vial
- Syringes and needles
- Swabs with alcohol. You should sterilize and disinfect the rubber top of the drug bottle as well as the injection site.
- After the injection, use a gauze or a cotton ball to apply mild pressure to the injection site for a few seconds.
- Bandages, in case there is any blood (this is more common in intramuscular injections)
- A container for sharps. This is a puncture-proof jar for safe needle disposal Soap, so you can properly wash your hands
Clean Everything
To begin, wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. Then, using an alcohol swab, clean the top of your pharmaceutical vial and allow it to dry fully (you don’t want any residual alcohol to go into the testosterone or medicine). After that, scrub your injection site with a fresh alcohol swab and let it dry completely. Finally, if you require an injectable aid, such as the Buzzy, ice, or a numbing agent, you should have them on hand.
What Are You Injecting?
You inject testosterone if you use testosterone replacement treatment (TRT). Again, as long as you operate under the supervision of a medical practitioner, injecting testosterone is completely safe. There are numerous methods for introducing testosterone into your body, but studies have shown that injections are highly effective and the amount is consistent. Because testosterone in the bloodstream is quickly removed, injections slowly release the hormone into the bloodstream over time.
Furthermore, studies demonstrate that testosterone injections result in increased muscle strength, proving that testosterone injections are the ideal option for testosterone replacement therapy.
Choosing an Injection Site for Testosterone
You should inject intramuscularly into your gluteal muscle (your butt), thigh muscle, or shoulder muscle for intramuscular injections. Subcutaneous injections should be administered into the stomach or the shoulder.
Regardless of whether you use IM or SubQ, your ultimate goal is to avoid any arteries or veins with the needle. With IM injections, this means always injecting into the upper outer thigh—the inner thigh is too vascular. The answer to the question of where to inject within the glute is the same: the upper outside section of your glute.
Rotating injection locations is beneficial with either IM or SubQ. Because any injection causes tissue trauma, returning to the same place will result in more discomfort. If you’re taking IM injections in your thighs, start with the right leg and work your way down. Rotate your glutes to the left and right.
Draw an imaginary square around your belly button and rotate shots at the corners of that square if you’re doing SubQ injections into your abdomen.
How to Self-Inject Testosterone
Are you prepared to administer? Take a deep breath and remind yourself that you can do it.
- Scrub your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap.
- Make sure the pharmaceutical container is at room temperature. Many men keep TRT dosages in the fridge; do not. It’s not medically essential, and the chilly testosterone will make you feel very uneasy as it enters your body. If you’ve stored your TRT dose in the fridge and need to warm it up, you can do so by running it under warm water, holding it in your fist for several minutes, or even sticking it in your armpit.
- Wait for the top of the drug vial to dry completely after cleaning it with an alcohol swab. When you inject, residual alcohol that has gotten onto the needle and is still wet will pain you more.
- Connect the syringe to the needle you’re using. Draw back the plunger and fill the syringe with air, the same amount of air as the amount of medication you intend to inject.
- To clarify your dose, it will mention something like 100 mg or 12 ml once every week. Mg (milligrams) is the normal amount of testosterone, whereas ml (milliliters) is the amount of the testosterone solution. If you have any questions about your prescription or dosages, please contact us.
- Insert the needle into the now-dry rubber top of your TRT vial and squeeze the plunger down, squeezing all the air into the vial. This is known as aspirating the bottle. It will make it easier to get the drug out of the vial.
- Pick up the vial containing the needle and turn it upside down. Make sure the needle’s tip is completely covered by the liquid in the vial. Pull the plunger out slowly, drawing the drug into the syringe. Make sure you’re not drawing in air bubbles, which can skew your dose measurement. Pull the plunger back until the line of your specified dose is met.
- Remember that because testosterone is thicker, utilizing a SubQ injection needle will take longer. While an IM needle can take anywhere from five to 30 seconds to insert, a SubQ needle can take up to a minute to insert the dose into the syringe. That’s the price you pay for not being in pain.
- Once the dose is in the syringe’s barrel, slightly pull the plunger back to draw any remaining medication out of the needle and avoid losing any.
- Remove the needle from the vial and, if necessary, swap needles. Always cap any needles and immediately store them in your sharps container.
- Tap the barrel of the syringe to shift any air bubbles to the top of the syringe. Depress the plunger gently to eliminate any surplus air from the syringe and the tip of the injection needle. When you get a tiny drop from the tip, it means the air has been completely evacuated and you’re ready to finish your injection.
- Using a fresh alcohol swab, clean the skin around your injection site. Allow it to dry completely because alcohol can irritate your pierced flesh.
- Maintain a 90-degree angle with the needle to your body. Never inject yourself at an angle other than 90 degrees since you will not be fully penetrating as needed. Insert the needle into your skin when you’re ready.
- Do you know how far to insert the needle? If you’re giving SubQ injections, use a needle that’s only a half-inch long and insert it all the way to the hub. If you’re performing an IM injection, go an inch and a half deep.
- Pull the plunger back slightly immediately before injecting the drug. You’ve tapped a vein if you see blood enter the syringe. Remove the needle and repeat the injection at a separate spot. If you don’t see any blood, you’re good to go.
- To inject the medication, press the plunger down.
- Remove the needle from the same angle at which it was entered.
Needle Disposal
Is everything finished? Congrats. What happens next? To begin, cap your needle and place it in your sharps container. Most pharmacies have sharps containers, but if you can’t find one, an empty laundry detergent bottle would suffice.
When your sharps container is full, bring it back to the pharmacist for disposal. Check your state’s regulations to see if you can put a filled sharps container in with your trash. Never dispose of needles in the garbage.
Post-Injection Site Care
You can ice the injection site if you want to lessen swelling, irritation, and redness. It’s not uncommon to have redness, swelling, bruising, or a little bleeding. Apply a cotton ball to the injection site to help stop any bleeding, and then cover it with a Band Aid. For your next shot, remember to rotate your injection sites.