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What you need.

This is for your first peptide shot. A shot means a small injection under your skin. You need five things first. They cost about $40-60 for all of them. You can buy them at any big online store. We name no brands and take no money from any seller. We just show you what to look for.

On this page · 5 sections

Your starter kit · 5 things, ~$50.

Here is the whole shopping list. It costs about $40-60, based on how much you buy. You can get it all at any big online store. It can ship the next day.

  1. 1.
    Bacteriostatic water
    This is special clean water for mixing. It has a tiny germ-stopper in it, called 0.9% benzyl alcohol. It comes in a small glass bottle. That bottle is called a vial. One vial holds 30mL, and you can use it many times. Buy 2-3.
    Cost: $8-12 for 3 vials
    What to look for: Look for 30mL and 0.9% benzyl alcohol on the label. It should have a rubber top that is still sealed. The brand does not matter much. Make sure the seal is not broken.
  2. 2.
    U-100 insulin syringes
    U-100 just means the syringe is marked in insulin units. A syringe is a small plastic tube with a thin needle on the end. You use it to pull up your liquid and give the shot. Buy a box of 100.
    Cost: $15-20 per 100
    What to look for: The syringe has tiny marks on the side called units. Most peptides fit a small syringe: 0.5mL, which holds 50 units. The big weight-loss peptides need more liquid. If your dose fills more than half the small syringe, get the bigger 1mL one (it holds 100 units). The needle should be 31-gauge and ½-inch. Gauge is just how thin the needle is. A bigger gauge number means a thinner needle.
  3. 3.
    Alcohol swabs
    Small wipes soaked in 70% isopropyl alcohol. They clean germs off. Buy a box of 200.
    Cost: $5
    What to look for: Each wipe comes wrapped and clean. Use one to wipe the rubber top of the vial and your skin before a shot. Use a fresh wipe each time. Do not reuse one.
  4. 4.
    Sharps container
    A hard bin that a needle cannot poke through. You drop used needles in it so no one gets stuck. A 1-quart size lasts months.
    Cost: $8-12
    What to look for: Get one marked FDA-approved (the FDA is the US safety agency), or at least one labeled ‘sharps’ with a one-way lid. When it is full, most pharmacies will take it and throw it away the safe way. Do not put loose needles in your trash.
  5. 5.
    A marker + index cards
    A marker and some cards. You use them to write your mixing numbers down.
    Cost: $3
    What to look for: Write your numbers down once, while you are awake and clear-headed. Do not try to do the math late at night. The calculator does the math for you, so you just copy the number it gives you.

Where to get supplies.

Bac water, alcohol swabs, sharps containers, and markersare on any big online store. Type the plain name in the search box. Pick the seller with the most sales. You do not need a doctor’s note for these.

Insulin syringesare a little different. On paper, most US states say you need a doctor’s note. In real life, most big pharmacies sell them without one. Big online stores have them too. If you get stuck, every state lets you buy syringes at the pharmacy counter with no note. Just ask the person at the counter.

The peptide itself is not on this list. Where you buy it is its own big topic. There are a few different ways to buy, and each one has its own price and its own risk. Read the sourcing guide →

Your first injection.

Three steps. About five minutes. It is not a big deal. The shot itself is faster than mixing the vial.

  1. 1. Mix the vial. Your peptide is a tiny pile of dry powder in the vial. You cannot inject dry powder, so first you turn it into a liquid. Add bac water to the powder. Do not shake it. Shaking can break the peptide. Roll it slowly until the powder is gone. Full guide →
  2. 2. Let the calculator do the math. How much water to add, and how far to fill the syringe, is the only math part. You do not do it yourself. The calculator asks you a few easy things, like how much peptide is in your vial. That number is printed on the vial or the box. Then it gives you the one number to fill your syringe to. Use the calculator →
  3. 3. Give the shot under your skin. This is called subq. It just means into the soft fat under your skin, not deep into muscle. Pinch a roll of fat between your fingers. Good spots are your belly, your outer thigh, or the back of your upper arm. Wipe the spot with an alcohol swab. Push the needle in at 45 degrees if you are lean, or 90 degrees if you have more fat. Press the plunger slowly. Pull the needle straight out. Drop it in the sharps bin. Full guide →

People with diabetes do this many times a day, for their whole life. It is a smaller deal than the internet makes it sound.

Storage.

Dry powder vials (the kind you have not mixed yet) keep at room temperature for 12-24 months. To keep them longer, put them in the fridge at 2-8°C. Keep them away from heat above 25°C. Keep them out of the sun.

Mixed vials (the ones you already added water to) go in the fridge at 2-8°C. Use them within 30 days. After 30 days, the bac water can no longer keep germs out, so throw it away and start a fresh one. Storage deep dive →

Then what.

You have your kit now. Here is what to read next.

Reminder: we are not your doctor. We do not sell peptides. Before you fill your syringe, check your dose against what the studies used.