Melanotan and Melanotan 2 is most effective when given via subcutaneous injection (SubQ). Below are some guidelines to administering a SubQ injection
Make sure your skin is clean and wash your hands before proceeding.
You will need]* a 29 guage insulin syringe (marked 0 - 100 with each 10 marking = 0.1 ml)
* sterile alcohol swabs
* reconstituted vial (ie MT2 in liquid form)
Preferred injection sites]* abdomen below and to either side of belly button
* thigh
* upper arm
Procedure]* have alcohol swab and syringe ready
* take MT2 out of fridge
* unwrap syringe
* open alcohol swab and wipe the top of MT2 vial (do not touch the rubber top after you have wiped it)
* wipe the site of the injection
* uncap syringe and pull back plunger equal to the amount you will inject
* push needle through the top of the vial
* push the plunger down (this will create a small amount of pressure inside the vial)
* draw out the required dose
* remove needle from vial and place vial back on ice pack (to keep it cold)
* pinch the skin with your non dominant hand
* push the needle into the pinched skin at a 30 to 45 degree angle with the other hand (the needle doesn't need to go all the way in but it should be at least half way)
* pull back the plunger a little bit to check for blood. If you see blood in the solution, do not inject. Pull the needle out and choose a new site (this is very rare and means you have hit a blood vessel. It is not harmful)
* gently push the plunger down all the way (a small bubble may appear under the skin as you do this)
* remove the needle and recap the syringe
* if any blood appears after the injection, wipe gently with an alcohol swab. It should stop very quickly. Blood from SubQ injections is rare
* dispose of used syringe in an approved sharps container
The injection site may itch for a few minutes after the injection but this will subside. DO NOT rub or scratch at it!
Make sure you rotate sites. Don't use the same site twice in a row.
The harm you can cause yourself by reusing a needle is much greater than any convenience or cost savings. The tips of needles may become damaged after just one injection. Even though you can't see this damage with the naked eye, it's still there - and it may become worse each time you reuse. There are a lot of good reasons not to reuse syringe or pen needles]*
The tip of a reused needle can be weakened to the point where it breaks off and gets stuck under your skin.*
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A reused needle doesn't inject as easily or as cleanly as a new one and can cause pain, bleeding, and bruising.*
*
Studies have shown that there's a link between needle reuse and the appearance of lumps of fatty tissue that can form at an injection site (lipodystrophy).*
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Thin, fine, high quality needles are designed to be used one time only.*
Subcutaneous Injections
The information in the link below is from the US National Institute of Health (NIH). To get a really good visual of how to perform a sub-Q injection, goto Epitan's website and download their high-definition video. In it, you'll see a doctor using this procedure to administer Melanotan to a person in the injection trials.
Here is the sub-Q website from NIH][
Here's another good site]
By the way, here's an interesting observation as to why sub-Q may have been chosen as the delivery method for Melanotan.*
"These injections are given because there is little blood flow to fatty tissue, and the injected medication is generally absorbed more slowly, sometimes over 24 hours."
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