Thread Song
Table Of Contents
I. Fundamentals and Basic Setup
II. Dosage Calculation Formula & Rules for Accurate Dosing
III. Step by Step Process
IV. Pro Tips
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. All of the information above is based on my own research and personal experience, and I am not recommending or encouraging anyone to do any of this themselves.
I. Fundamentals and Basic Setup
II. Dosage Calculation Formula & Rules for Accurate Dosing
III. Step by Step Process
IV. Pro Tips
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. All of the information above is based on my own research and personal experience, and I am not recommending or encouraging anyone to do any of this themselves.
I. Fundamentals and Basic Setup
Aseptic Technique & Required Supplies
Before doing anything, make sure you’ve got a clean setup and all the necessary supplies ready. This section covers the basic aseptic principles and what you’ll need before getting started, so you’re not scrambling for things halfway through the process.
Aseptic Technique
Aseptic technique is basically about keeping things clean and minimizing the chance of bacteria, fungi, or other microorganisms getting into the solution or where they shouldn’t be. Before getting into the actual process, these are the main things I’d keep in mind when preparing for peptides injection:
Never touch sterile parts: the needle, needle shaft, the cleaned rubber stopper of the vial, or the syringe plunger tip. Only handle the syringe barrel and the thumb rest at the end of the plunger.
Vial rubber stopper: Wipe the rubber stopper with an alcohol swab using one direction or a circular motion for 5 to10 seconds. Let it air dry for 10,15 seconds (alcohol works most effectively as it evaporates, so don’t blow or fan it dry).
Injection site: Wipe from the center outward in a spiral motion. Don’t go back over the already cleaned skin with the same swab.
Proper Needle Use: Use each needle only once. Never reuse a needle for another draw or injection, even if it’s for yourself. If the needle tip accidentally touches any surface like the table, your finger, clothing, etc, discard it immediately and replace it with a new needle. Clean and disinfect your work surface with an appropriate disinfectant or 70% alcohol before placing any supplies on it. Keep windows closed and turn off any fan blowing directly over the work area to minimize dust and airborne contaminants settling on your supplies.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap under running water or use hand sanitizer and let them air dry before handling any supplies.
Require Supplies
Insulin syringe: I use U-100, 29G and 30G, 8 mm insulin syringes
Reconstitution syringe: I use a 3 mL syringe with a 23G needle (imo 25G is noticeably slower to draw)
70% alcohol swabs: For disinfecting the vial’s rubber stopper and the injection site
Medical gloves: I use Nitrile gloves
You can use a medical tray to organize your supplies before each injection and clean it beforehand. If you don’t have one then a flat ceramic or glass dish can also work, disinfect the surface with an 70% alcohol swab.
Only unwrap the syringe immediately before use. Once unwrapped, never let the needle or plunger come into contact with any surface, including the disinfected surface of the dish.
Aseptic Technique & Required Supplies
Before doing anything, make sure you’ve got a clean setup and all the necessary supplies ready. This section covers the basic aseptic principles and what you’ll need before getting started, so you’re not scrambling for things halfway through the process.
Aseptic Technique
Aseptic technique is basically about keeping things clean and minimizing the chance of bacteria, fungi, or other microorganisms getting into the solution or where they shouldn’t be. Before getting into the actual process, these are the main things I’d keep in mind when preparing for peptides injection:
Never touch sterile parts: the needle, needle shaft, the cleaned rubber stopper of the vial, or the syringe plunger tip. Only handle the syringe barrel and the thumb rest at the end of the plunger.
Vial rubber stopper: Wipe the rubber stopper with an alcohol swab using one direction or a circular motion for 5 to10 seconds. Let it air dry for 10,15 seconds (alcohol works most effectively as it evaporates, so don’t blow or fan it dry).
Injection site: Wipe from the center outward in a spiral motion. Don’t go back over the already cleaned skin with the same swab.
Proper Needle Use: Use each needle only once. Never reuse a needle for another draw or injection, even if it’s for yourself. If the needle tip accidentally touches any surface like the table, your finger, clothing, etc, discard it immediately and replace it with a new needle. Clean and disinfect your work surface with an appropriate disinfectant or 70% alcohol before placing any supplies on it. Keep windows closed and turn off any fan blowing directly over the work area to minimize dust and airborne contaminants settling on your supplies.
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap under running water or use hand sanitizer and let them air dry before handling any supplies.
Require Supplies
Insulin syringe: I use U-100, 29G and 30G, 8 mm insulin syringes
Reconstitution syringe: I use a 3 mL syringe with a 23G needle (imo 25G is noticeably slower to draw)
70% alcohol swabs: For disinfecting the vial’s rubber stopper and the injection site
Medical gloves: I use Nitrile gloves
You can use a medical tray to organize your supplies before each injection and clean it beforehand. If you don’t have one then a flat ceramic or glass dish can also work, disinfect the surface with an 70% alcohol swab.
Only unwrap the syringe immediately before use. Once unwrapped, never let the needle or plunger come into contact with any surface, including the disinfected surface of the dish.
II. Dosage Calculation & Rule for Accurate Dosing
This part might be a little confusing since it’s basically all nerdy stuff. I’ll try to keep the explanations as short and simple as possible. But don't skip this part cause getting the correct dose and drawing up the correct number of units is really important.Calculate the total concentration of the solution: Divide the total amount of peptide in the vial (mg) by the volume of bacteriostatic water added (ml). For example, if I have a 50 mg vial of GHK-CU and I usually use 2 ml of bac water, I’d take the 50 mg and divide it by the 2 mL of bac water.
Calculate the volume required for a prescribed dose (ml): Now, take the dose you need to inject (mg) and divide it by the concentration you just calculated. Using the example above, if you want to inject 2.5 mg of GHK-CU, divide 2.5 mg by the concentration calculated above, which gives you a volume of 0.1 ml to draw up.
Convert to syringe markings (Units) on a U-100 Insulin syringe: Take the volume you calculated earlier and multiply it by 100 to get the number of units on the syringe. So 0.1 ml × 100 = 10, meaning you would draw the peptide up to the 10 unit mark.
Before anyone asks why I didn’t just drop a dosage chart right away, I did below although It’s not completely comprehensive. This part will help you calculate the exact units to pull for any peptide so you hit the right mark on your syringe without accidentally under or over dosing, whether you're using a 5mg, 10mg, 20mg, or 50mg vial.
In the example above I was using GHK-CU. But if you’re running something like Reta, the units you need to pull are completely different. For instance, if you reconstitution a 10mg Reta vial with 2ml of BAC water and pull up to 10 units, you are not getting 2.5mg. You’re actually only pulling 0.5mg, literally 1/5 of what you need. And if you under dose that badly, the stuff just isn't going to work for sure.
I learned this the hard way, which is why I wanted to share my method here. It might feel a bit tedious at first, but in my opinion it’s super useful and a good learning exercise anyway. Since every peptide has a different dosing protocol, figuring out syringe units can be tricky unless you’ve been doing this for a long time, especially whenever you need to titrate your dose up or down.
Calculate the volume required for a prescribed dose (ml): Now, take the dose you need to inject (mg) and divide it by the concentration you just calculated. Using the example above, if you want to inject 2.5 mg of GHK-CU, divide 2.5 mg by the concentration calculated above, which gives you a volume of 0.1 ml to draw up.
Convert to syringe markings (Units) on a U-100 Insulin syringe: Take the volume you calculated earlier and multiply it by 100 to get the number of units on the syringe. So 0.1 ml × 100 = 10, meaning you would draw the peptide up to the 10 unit mark.
Before anyone asks why I didn’t just drop a dosage chart right away, I did below although It’s not completely comprehensive. This part will help you calculate the exact units to pull for any peptide so you hit the right mark on your syringe without accidentally under or over dosing, whether you're using a 5mg, 10mg, 20mg, or 50mg vial.
In the example above I was using GHK-CU. But if you’re running something like Reta, the units you need to pull are completely different. For instance, if you reconstitution a 10mg Reta vial with 2ml of BAC water and pull up to 10 units, you are not getting 2.5mg. You’re actually only pulling 0.5mg, literally 1/5 of what you need. And if you under dose that badly, the stuff just isn't going to work for sure.
I learned this the hard way, which is why I wanted to share my method here. It might feel a bit tedious at first, but in my opinion it’s super useful and a good learning exercise anyway. Since every peptide has a different dosing protocol, figuring out syringe units can be tricky unless you’ve been doing this for a long time, especially whenever you need to titrate your dose up or down.
1 ml = 100 units (on a U-100 insulin syringe)
1 unit = 0.01 ml
0.1ml = 10 units
1 mg = 1,000 mcg (make sure you don’t mix up milligrams and micrograms).
1 unit = 0.01 ml
0.1ml = 10 units
1 mg = 1,000 mcg (make sure you don’t mix up milligrams and micrograms).
Since I usually use 2 ml of bac water, I’ll be using 2 ml as the default for each peptide listed below the chart. The doses will vary depending on the peptide, especially when starting out. Since I already covered GHK-Cu above, it won’t be included in the chart below.
RETATRUTIDE: Starting dose is 2mg, so that’s 40 units on the syringe.
BPC-157: Starting dose is 0.5mg, so that’s 10 units on the syringe.
TIRZEPATIDE: Starting dose is 2.5mg, so that’s 50 units on the syringe.
MT1/MT2: Starting dose is 0.25mg, so that’s 5 units on the syringe.
Just for reference since dosing varies depending on the peptide. For example, reta is usually titrated up gradually week by week, so you wouldn’t necessarily stay at 2 mg forever.
RETATRUTIDE: Starting dose is 2mg, so that’s 40 units on the syringe.
BPC-157: Starting dose is 0.5mg, so that’s 10 units on the syringe.
TIRZEPATIDE: Starting dose is 2.5mg, so that’s 50 units on the syringe.
MT1/MT2: Starting dose is 0.25mg, so that’s 5 units on the syringe.
Just for reference since dosing varies depending on the peptide. For example, reta is usually titrated up gradually week by week, so you wouldn’t necessarily stay at 2 mg forever.
II. Step by Step Process
Prep your supplies and Sterilization
1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap for at least 20 seconds, then put on medical gloves.Prep your supplies and Sterilization
2. Wipe the rubber stoppers of both the peptide vial and the bac water vial with a 70% alcohol swab. Let them air dry for 10 to 15 seconds, don’t blow on them.
3. Clean and disinfect the work surface and the area where you’ll prepare your injection supplies, and turn off any fans.
Reconstitution
1. Draw an amount of air equal to the amount of bac water you need (2 ml of air if you’re withdrawing 2 ml of bac water). Use a reconstitution syringe to drawing up the bac water, not the one you’ll use for injection.2. Push the plunger down to inject all the air you just drew into the bac water vial.
3. Then you flip the vial upside down. The pressure inside the vial will help push the water back into the syringe smoothly, slowly draw up 2 ml of bac water (or the amount required for your specific peptide).
4. Insert the needle of the syringe containing the bac water through the peptide vial’s rubber stopper.
5. Tilt the peptide vial to about a 45° angle. Slowly add the bac water so it runs down the inside wall of the vial. Avoid directing the stream straight onto the powder at the bottom.
6. Remove the syringe. Gently roll the peptide vial between your palms or swirl it lightly on the surface until the powder has fully dissolved into a clear solution. DO NOT SHAKE it vigorously, as this may damage the peptide.
7. If the rubber stopper feels tight or the plunger pushes back on its own, insert an empty needle (from a syringe with no liquid, with a small amount of air drawn in) into the peptide vial’s stopper, then remove it to help equalize the pressure inside the vial.
8. Then use a new sterile needle and draw up the amount of peptide you need.
Even though you’re drawing in air from outside, the needle tip must remain completely sterile. Don’t touch it with your hands or let it come into contact with any surface, such as the table, clothing, or your fingers. Once you remove the protective cap, immediately pull the plunger and insert the needle into the vial.
Injection sites
90° insertion: For short insulin needles (8 mm) or areas with a relatively thicker layer of subcutaneous fat.
45° insertion: For people with a thinner layer of subcutaneous fat. I usually do this insertion angle.
4. Keep holding the pinched skin fold (or gently release it).
5. Use your thumb to slowly and steadily push the plunger down until all the peptides has been injected (to the 0 mark).
After pushing in the full dose, keep the needle in place for 5 to 10 seconds before pulling it out to help prevent the peptide from leaking back out through the needle track.
III. Pro tips
The basic steps are pretty straightforward, but there are a bunch of tiny things that can make the process cleaner, easier, and way less frustrating. So here's the stuff that's easy to miss but useful to know before you start. (Honestly, it’s just because I’ve made a few dumb mistakes with some of the things below)
The basic steps are pretty straightforward, but there are a bunch of tiny things that can make the process cleaner, easier, and way less frustrating. So here's the stuff that's easy to miss but useful to know before you start. (Honestly, it’s just because I’ve made a few dumb mistakes with some of the things below)
If you are taking more than one peptide, such as a Glow Stack, you can draw them into one syringe and administer them in a single injection.
You should never inject into your skin and then insert that same needle into another peptide vial. A fresh syringe is used for every injection. When drawing multiple peptides into one syringe, always pull one peptide at a time. Hold the plunger firmly while inserting the needle into the next vial. Vials are vacuum sealed and can easily pull liquid out of the syringe if you let go. If air builds up in the syringe, push it out before moving on to the next vial.
Draw GHK-CU last so it spends as little time as possible in contact with other peptides.
You should never inject into your skin and then insert that same needle into another peptide vial. A fresh syringe is used for every injection. When drawing multiple peptides into one syringe, always pull one peptide at a time. Hold the plunger firmly while inserting the needle into the next vial. Vials are vacuum sealed and can easily pull liquid out of the syringe if you let go. If air builds up in the syringe, push it out before moving on to the next vial.
Draw GHK-CU last so it spends as little time as possible in contact with other peptides.
Peptide vials are often under vacuum. When you insert a syringe containing bac water, the water can get pulled in very forcefully directly onto the peptide powder, which may disrupt the peptide. Remember to hold the syringe plunger firmly, then tilt the vial at a 45° angle so the needle tip rests against the glass wall. Slowly release the plunger, allowing the water to flow gently down the side of the vial.
Before injecting bac water into the peptide vial, withdraw an equivalent amount of air from the vial first to prevent excessive pressure buildup. If the pressure gets too high, the solution may spray back out when you remove the needle
Do not shake the vial. Gently roll it between the palms of your hands or slowly swirl it on a flat surface until the solution becomes clear. If it has not fully dissolved, do not rush and wait until everything has completely dissolved before injecting. If you still see particles or undissolved powder, place the vial in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes and let it dissolve on its own. There’s no need to force it.
Store your peptide in the refrigerator, not in the freezer.
Before injecting bac water into the peptide vial, withdraw an equivalent amount of air from the vial first to prevent excessive pressure buildup. If the pressure gets too high, the solution may spray back out when you remove the needle
Do not shake the vial. Gently roll it between the palms of your hands or slowly swirl it on a flat surface until the solution becomes clear. If it has not fully dissolved, do not rush and wait until everything has completely dissolved before injecting. If you still see particles or undissolved powder, place the vial in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes and let it dissolve on its own. There’s no need to force it.
Store your peptide in the refrigerator, not in the freezer.
To remove air bubbles, hold the syringe upright with the needle pointing upward and gently pull the plunger back slightly. This helps collect the smaller air bubbles into one larger bubble near the top. Keep the syringe upright at eye level and gently flick the barrel a few times to help dislodge any bubbles. Slowly push the plunger forward to expel the air. Check that the plunger seal is aligned with the intended dose marking. If any liquid was lost while removing the air, draw up a little more bac water.
Don’t push too hard or you may waste some of the liquid or create more bubbles. Make sure there are no large bubbles before injecting, tiny bubbles are generally not a concern with SubQ injections.
When inserting the needle through the rubber stopper to draw the solution, keep the beveled side of the needle facing upward. This helps the needle pass through the stopper more smoothly and reduces the chance of breaking off tiny pieces of rubber that could fall into the solution.
Don’t push too hard or you may waste some of the liquid or create more bubbles. Make sure there are no large bubbles before injecting, tiny bubbles are generally not a concern with SubQ injections.
When inserting the needle through the rubber stopper to draw the solution, keep the beveled side of the needle facing upward. This helps the needle pass through the stopper more smoothly and reduces the chance of breaking off tiny pieces of rubber that could fall into the solution.
Before the injection, you can apply an ice pack to the injection site.
Pinch the skin gently and move it slightly back and forth, then insert the needle quickly (inserting it slowly can cause more pain, I've played these games before). When injecting the peptide, push the plunger slowly and avoid injecting too quickly. Remove the needle just as quickly as you inserted it.
If the peptide has just been taken out of the refrigerator and drawn into the syringe, let it warm up first, or gently roll the barrel of the syringe between your palms for about 30 seconds to prevent the injection from feeling too cold and causing blood vessels to constrict.
Always keep the beveled side (the opening) of the needle facing upward.
Pinch the skin gently and move it slightly back and forth, then insert the needle quickly (inserting it slowly can cause more pain, I've played these games before). When injecting the peptide, push the plunger slowly and avoid injecting too quickly. Remove the needle just as quickly as you inserted it.
If the peptide has just been taken out of the refrigerator and drawn into the syringe, let it warm up first, or gently roll the barrel of the syringe between your palms for about 30 seconds to prevent the injection from feeling too cold and causing blood vessels to constrict.
Always keep the beveled side (the opening) of the needle facing upward.
Don’t keep hitting the exact same spot over and over. Repeated injections in one area can cause lipodystrophy or hardened fatty tissue, which can make future injections less effective.
A simple way to rotate sites is to divide the area around your belly button (staying about 5 cm away from it) into four sections: upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right. Rotate between them each day, and keep each new injection site at least 2 cm away from the previous one.
Personally, I usually switch to a completely different injection site instead. I’ll rotate to my thigh or upper butt.
A simple way to rotate sites is to divide the area around your belly button (staying about 5 cm away from it) into four sections: upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right. Rotate between them each day, and keep each new injection site at least 2 cm away from the previous one.
Personally, I usually switch to a completely different injection site instead. I’ll rotate to my thigh or upper butt.
When the peptide vial is nearly empty like 1/3 left, the negative pressure inside the vial can become quite strong, making it harder to draw the solution and more likely to create air bubbles.
You can add a small amount of air to the vial before drawing the solution. The amount of air added should match the volume of solution you’re about to draw.
If the vial is clear, wrap it in a layer of aluminum foil or store it in a dark colored container before placing it in the refrigerator to help maintain maximum chemical stability.
A lot of people have a habit of storing their peptide vials in the refrigerator door compartment. (I’m guilty of this too heh) since the door is constantly being opened and closed, the temperature fluctuates more frequently, which can reduce the peptide’s shelf life. Store them deeper inside the refrigerator
You can add a small amount of air to the vial before drawing the solution. The amount of air added should match the volume of solution you’re about to draw.
If the vial is clear, wrap it in a layer of aluminum foil or store it in a dark colored container before placing it in the refrigerator to help maintain maximum chemical stability.
A lot of people have a habit of storing their peptide vials in the refrigerator door compartment. (I’m guilty of this too heh) since the door is constantly being opened and closed, the temperature fluctuates more frequently, which can reduce the peptide’s shelf life. Store them deeper inside the refrigerator
My first guide, must read worthy?
@plasty @zennn @copevictim @Paradise @tomokoisliterallyme @rcamg @yyoloo @TonyDr @rand anon @klyro @Nobodyreallycares @Blemish @limo8 @makoto @giga.mia @Splankу @Noah Olivier Smith @DEAN 2.0 @whore @True Spaniard @Dearpleasehelpme @dontcallthemfoidsbro @Br4va @Recai @foidslayer @vamp @Luffy @Aryy @northka
