Techniques & Tips for Gentle and Safe Injections

Check out recommended solutions to common injection problems.

Make managing diabetes, and injecting, more comfortable, more precise and easier with the helpful information about safety and care you'll find here!

Select Injection Sites

For your health, diabetes management and injection safety, it's important that insulin is injected into the proper areas of the body. Your diabetes health professional will determine the best needle injection site for you. Generally, recommended injection sites include the abdomen, parts of the buttocks and thigh areas. (Note: Keep at least two fingers width (3 cm) away from the navel when injecting.)

Inject to the Right Depth

Your body absorbs insulin differently depending on how it's injected. Insulin is best absorbed when it's injected into the fat layer (subcutaneous tissue) found between the skin (dermis) and your muscle. The depth of subcutaneous tissue differs between individuals and injection sites. Determine with your diabetes health professional the subcutaneous injection technique that will provide safety and make your insulin therapy the most effective for you. These tips can guide you:

To Pinch or Not to Pinch

Most people inject with a skin fold to reduce the risk of injecting too deeply into muscle tissue. This technique is especially helpful when using 8mm or 12mm needles. Use the thumb, index and middle finger of your hand not holding the pen to correctly lift the skin into a fold. Do not pull up the muscle as well. If you are using an extra short needle (6mm), a lifted skin fold may not be necessary.

Inject Straight-In or at an Angle

Injecting at a 90° angle (vertically) is the most common needle injection technique. Some people who inject with longer needles insert them at an angle to help avoid injecting in the muscle tissue and assure a subcutaneous injection. Your diabetes health professional will recommend the injection angle that's the most appropriate for you.

Rotate Injection Sites

In order to avoid damaging tissue or a build up of scar tissue, alternate your injection sites with each injection. Sites should be at least two inches apart.

Repeated needle injections into the same site can create hardened tissue or fatty deposits called lipohypertrophy (see below).

Check Insulin Flow and Injection Safety

Before you inject, check that your medication is flowing by priming your pen. To prime your pen: Use the dial at the end of your pen, dial 2 units. Hold the pen with the needle pointing upwards and slowly press down on the injection button. A drop of insulin should appear. If not, repeat this step until a drop appears. Priming avoids getting an incorrect amount of medication due to air in the pen's cartridge or a blocked needle. Next, after priming, use the dial to set your proper dose, and complete your injection. After each injection, remove and safely dispose of the needle just used.

Tips for More Comfortable Injections

Clickfine pen needles are thin and silicone coated for maximum comfort. Here are steps you can take to ensure injection comfort even more:

• Change the injection site regularly in accordance with your physician's advice
• Inject medication at room temperature. Cold medication may sting as it penetrates your body
• Look to see that no air bubbles are in the pen before injecting
• Wait until topical alcohol (if used) has evaporated completely before injection
• Keep muscles in the injection area relaxed when injecting
• Penetrate the skin quickly
• Do not change direction of the needle during insertion or withdrawal from the skin
• Use pen needles only once

Common Injection Problems and Safety

Check out recommended solutions to common injection problems.

For more info about pen needle safety issues, please download our Instructions and Tips booklet.