Measuring and injecting accurately — and cleanly — is most of doing this safely. This walks through the whole process. None of it is hard, but a few habits (clean stopper, no shaking, never reuse needles) make a real difference.
This is general harm-reduction information on technique and sterility, not medical advice or instruction to use any substance. If you can, have a clinician show you in person the first time.
Insulin syringes (U-100). Common sizes: 0.3 mL (30 units), 0.5 mL (50 units), 1.0 mL (100 units). Smaller barrels are easier to read for small draws. A short, fine needle (29–31 gauge, 5/16"–1/2") is typical for subcutaneous use.
Alcohol swabs (70% isopropyl) — for the vial stopper, the second vial, and your skin.
A sharps container (or a rigid, sealable plastic container) for used needles.
Clean hands and a clean surface.
① Reconstituting (mixing the powder)
Wash your hands. Swab the top of both the peptide vial and the bacteriostatic water vial; let them dry.
Draw your target amount of bacteriostatic water (the calculator tells you how much).
Add the water slowly, letting it run down the inside wall of the vial — don't blast it directly onto the powder.
Do not shake. Swirl gently, or just set it down and let it dissolve. Shaking/foaming can damage these fragile peptides.
If it doesn't fully dissolve in a couple of minutes, swirl again and give it time; gentle warmth from your hand helps. Don't use a cloudy or particle-filled solution.
② Drawing your dose accurately
Swab the stopper again before every draw.
(Optional, makes withdrawal easier) Pull the plunger to draw air equal to your dose volume, insert into the vial, and push that air in — this avoids a vacuum.
Invert the vial (needle up into the liquid) and slowly pull the plunger to your exact unit line — the number the calculator gave you.
Clear air bubbles: with the needle still in the vial, tap the barrel so bubbles rise to the top, then gently push them back into the vial and re-draw to your line. In subcutaneous shots a small bubble isn't dangerous, but it throws off your dose — so remove it for accuracy.
Double-check the plunger sits exactly on your line before withdrawing the needle.
Reading the line is the whole game. "Units" on a U-100 syringe: 100 units = 1 mL, so a 10-unit draw = 0.1 mL. The calculator gives you the unit line to hit.
③ Subcutaneous injection
Most research peptides are injected subcutaneously (into the fat just under the skin), not into muscle or vein.
Pick a site with some fat: lower abdomen (a couple inches from the navel), love handles, or outer thigh. Rotate sites each time to avoid lumps and irritation.
Swab the skin and let it dry (injecting through wet alcohol stings).
Pinch a fold of skin/fat. Insert the short needle at 45–90° in one smooth motion.
Push the plunger slowly and steadily to deliver the dose.
Withdraw the needle at the same angle, release the pinch, and apply light pressure with a clean swab. A tiny bit of bleeding or a small bruise is normal.
Some peptides sting (NAD+ especially). Going slow and rotating sites helps. If a site is red, hot, or sore beyond a day or two, leave it alone and watch for infection.
🛡️ Needle & sharps safety
One needle, one use. Never reuse a needle — it dulls immediately, hurts more, and isn't sterile after one stick.
Never share needles or vials with anyone, ever (bloodborne-disease risk).
Don't bend, break, or hand-recap a needle if you can avoid it. If you must recap, use the one-handed "scoop" method.
Dispose in a sharps container (or a rigid sealable container like a laundry-detergent bottle) — never loose in the trash. Many pharmacies and clinics take full sharps containers.
Keep everything away from kids and pets.
🚑 When to stop and get help
Signs of infection at a site: spreading redness, warmth, swelling, pus, or fever.
Allergic reaction: hives, swelling of lips/face/throat, or trouble breathing — seek emergency care.
Any severe, persistent, or unexpected symptom. When unsure, stop and ask a clinician.
🧮 Get your numbers
The calculator gives you the exact water amount and the unit line to draw to, for your peptide and dose.
See something off, or want a peptide added? If you notice anything wrong, incorrect, or missing — a peptide you'd like
us to add research for, or a feature that isn't working the way it should — please tell us at
info@peptide-dose.com. This is a community harm-reduction tool and we want it to be accurate.