There is always a lot of questions on this topic so the below will help all the newbies and maybe even those of us who have done a cycle or two. I know it's a little long winded but it does cover everything (I think! )
1. Wash your hands (with a disinfectant/anti-bacterial soap).
2. Lay out your vial of steroid, needle(s) and/or syringe, alcohol wipes, and tissue on a clean surface (e.g. a clean towel, paper towel, etc).
3. Sit down and get comfy.
4. Secure the lure-lock on the fit on the syringe.
5. Unseat/loosen the cap from the needle--leave the cap on loose until ready to draw the steroid. Remember to never touch the needle!
6. Wipe off the nipple on the top of the vial with an alcohol wipe.
7. Remove the cap of the needle without touching the needle or the needle touching anything. Draw 1cc of air into the syringe by pulling back on the plunger.
8. Up-end the steroid vial.
9. Insert the needle through the center of the neoprene nipple.
10. With the needle tip immersed IN the fluid, slowly depress the plunger, pushing all of the air into the oil (you will see the bubbles).
11. After all the air is out of the syringe, slowly pull back on the plunger until the proper amount of steroid is drawn into the syringe.
12. You may need to pump the plunger to get a complete fill. As long as you don't remove the needle, you can let the fluid go in and out as much as needed.
13. When you have the correct amount in the syringe, gently pull the needle out of the vial.
14. Draw a small amount of air into the syringe--one very small bubble.
15. Slip the needle back into the cap if you want to take a break before injecting. (It is really important not to touch the needle itself at any point.)
16. Pick an injection site on your thigh or glutes. You'll want to alternate sites, so remember which site you last injected. For your thigh, target the spot by placing one hand just about/at your knee and the other at your hip - -the area in between is pretty much fair game. The best area is the outer part of the quad, so stay to the outside of the midline of your thigh, but not too far to the outside/underside. The glutes is slightly more tricky - both to reach and to isolate the exact spot but is favored by most.
17. Cleanse the injection site with an alcohol wipe. Wipe in a circular motion, to a circumference of about 2 inches surrounding the injection site. Allow the skin to dry to prevent the alcohol from being introduced into the muscle as the needle is inserted, causing pain or burning. Remember not to touch the area just cleansed with the alcohol wipe.
18. Uncap the needle -- remember not to touch the needle or the swabbed area on your thigh. The air bubble should be near the plunger end of the syringe.
19. Go to it and stick it in! Fast, slow - it doesn't matter. Pierce the skin at a 90 degree angle. It must go through the subcutaneous tissue/fatty tissue and deep into the muscle.
20. If using a 1" needle, stop about 1/8" from the base; if using a 1.5" needle, stop about 1/4" from the base. (This is true for averaged sized bodies dependant upon bodyfat.)
21. After the needle has been inserted, aspirate by holding the barrel of the syringe steady with your nondominant hand and by pulling back on the plunger with your dominant hand. You'll see some air bubbles in the steroid. If there's just air/clear fluid--no blood--then it's ok to proceed. If there is blood either push the needle in or pull back a little and pull back on the plunger again, or pull the needle out and start over.
22. Holding the syringe steady, inject the steroid steadily and slowly by depressing the plunger until all of the steroid is injected. The air bubble in the syringe should follow the steroid and will "pack" the steroid down into your muscle. There will be a slight a "pop" as the bubble leaves the syringe.
23. Pull the needle out -- again, slow or fast depending upon your preference. (I think it's usually best to pull out slow--sounds dirty, doesn't it?!) Sometimes the injection site may bleed a little when you withdraw the needle, just be prepared to apply some gentle pressure with some clean tissue.
24. Slide the needle back into the cap. (Remember DO NOT reseat the cap by pressing the tip of the cap towards the needle's point.)
25. Dispose of your needles properly in a sharps container.
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