Guide 03 · Injection day
Your First Injection
A calm walkthrough of day one: what is in the box, how the pen works, and every step in order. Ten quiet minutes is all it takes.
Watch
The whole routine, in four minutes
Every step of injection day, from reading your pen's label to putting the needle away safely. Easy to come back to at deer.supply/video.
Before you start
It is easier than you are imagining
If the word injection is the thing standing between you and starting, you are in good company. Here is the honest picture: it is one small injection, once a week, with a pen designed for people who have never done this. The needle is finer than a sewing pin, and the whole thing is over in about ten seconds.
These medications are subcutaneous, which just means they go into the layer of fat right under the skin. Not into muscle, not into a vein. There is nothing to find and nothing to aim for; anywhere on the approved sites works.
Ask almost anyone who has done it and they will tell you the same thing: the anticipation was the hard part. The second week feels routine. By the fourth, it is just part of the calendar.
Unboxing
What comes in the box
Deer orders include the supplies you need to get started, so there is no separate pharmacy run before day one. Four things matter:
The pen
The device that holds your medication and dials out each dose. It arrives ready to use, like a name-brand pen: nothing to mix or reconstitute. You will use the same pen week after week; only the needle tip changes.
Pen needle tips
Small single-use tips that twist onto the end of the pen. Each one is used once and then disposed of. The needle itself is finer than a sewing pin.
Alcohol swabs
For cleaning the patch of skin before you inject. One swab per injection is all it takes.
Instructions
The printed instructions for your pen, including how to attach a needle tip and how to prime it before the first use.
The walkthrough
Eight steps, in order
Set aside ten unhurried minutes the first time and go slowly. There is no step here that rewards speed.
- 01
Wash your hands
Plain soap and water. This is the whole prep for you; the pen does the rest.
- 02
Check this week's dose
Open your product page and find the dosing schedule. Every protocol steps up gradually, so the right dose depends on which week you are in. Confirm it before you dial anything.
- 03
Attach a fresh needle tip
Twist a new tip onto the pen. A fresh tip every time keeps the needle sharp and the injection close to painless.
- 04
Prime a new pen, once
On a brand new pen only: point the needle up, dial 1 unit and press the button until a drop appears. Priming clears any air and confirms the pen is dispensing. Prime each pen once; priming it again only wastes medication.
- 05
Swab a spot
Pick a patch of skin on your stomach, at least 8 cm (about 3 inches) from the navel, or on the front of your thigh. Wipe it with an alcohol swab and let it dry for a few seconds.
- 06
Pinch, insert, and hold
Pinch the skin gently, insert the needle straight in at 90 degrees, and press the button all the way down. Push firmly; it can take more force than you expect. Hold it there while you count slowly to 6. The count makes sure the full dose goes in.
- 07
Dispose of the tip
Twist the used tip off and drop it into a sharps container. Any pharmacy will give you one for free, and takes it back for a new one when it is full. Until you have one, a sturdy, clear container with a lid that locks will do. Never into the regular trash, and never reuse a tip.
- 08
Rotate sites next week
Same routine every week, different spot. Move around the stomach or alternate thighs so no single patch of skin gets used twice in a row.
After day one
What the first weeks feel like
The injection itself is the easy part. The adjustment happens in your digestive system: nausea, constipation, or an unsettled stomach are the common early side effects. They tend to be most noticeable in the days after a dose increase and usually ease as your body adapts, which is exactly why every protocol starts low and steps up slowly.
If something feels wrong, or a side effect is severe or simply not easing, do not push through it alone: talk to a licensed healthcare professional. This guide is general research context, not medical advice, and it is no substitute for someone who knows your health history.
Next up: Titration, Explained, on why every protocol starts low and steps up.