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Back of arm injection hack!

27 replies15 peopleSep 20, 2026☆ Follow
Summary

How can someone self-inject into the back of the arm without help, and does injection site affect results for GLP-1 or peptide shots?

Users share a clothespin method to pinch skin on the back of the arm for subcutaneous injections with short needles, noting it creates a small temporary bump. Alternatives like hair clips or finger pinching are mentioned, along with other sites such as thighs, abdomen, and glutes. Studies and personal reports indicate absorption speed varies slightly by site but overall effectiveness stays similar, though side effects may differ.

What this discussion establishesWhere people disagree

Whether slower absorption in sites like glutes or thighs reduces effectiveness compared to abdomen, or if it only changes timing.

Still open

How well the clothespin method works for pens versus syringes or for different compounds.

Nothing here is advice.

27 replies · 15 people
NorthBramble68archiveopening postSep 20

Hello everyone. I wanted to pass along a simple trick I found for reaching the back of the arm, a spot I could rarely hit on my own. Grab a clothespin to hold a fold of skin there. Make sure both the pin and skin are cleaned first. Then put the needle right into the triangle of pinched skin so it runs parallel to the muscle and stays in the fat layer. I use 30-gauge fixed 1/4-inch syringes. Once done, take the pin off and you will notice a little lump under the skin that fades fast. This has only been tested with gray-market tirzepatide and syringes so far, but pens or other peptides might work too. Try it and share your results.

WarmMeadow92archiveSep 20

Ouch. Clothespins where I am are quite strong and could easily bruise or hurt. Kink fans might enjoy it though. Hair clips get mentioned more often because they grip lighter and grab more fat. I still have enough fat in easier spots so I have not needed this, but thanks for posting. Some people notice different results from different sites even if the science does not strongly support chasing those differences.

NorthBramble68archiveSep 20
↳ replying to @WarmMeadow92

I looked up back-of-arm shots and never came across the hair-clip idea, though it sounds clever. My clothespin has a broad grip and does not hurt or leave marks. I am fairly lean in the triceps area so the pin works well for me. I have not noticed any change in how the medication feels from that spot. I just like to use every available site and keep rotating.

ClearQuill84archiveSep 20
↳ replying to @NorthBramble68 (opening post)

Interesting idea. My belly is heavily tattooed so I avoid injecting through the ink and only have a small usable patch left. I recently switched to thighs but the skin is tight and muscular there, and it stays sore afterward. The clothespin trick on the back of the arm might solve that for me. I will test it soon.

AmberCinder18archiveSep 20

I have seen this trick since I started on a GLP-1 but never tried it because it feels awkward. No matter what tool you use, it ends up like a contortion act. Pinching with two fingers is simpler almost anywhere else for me.

SharpCinder28archiveSep 20

I just go into the front of the upper arm, either straight in with a 6 mm needle or at an angle with an 8 mm one. I use bigger alcohol wipes so I can be sure I covered the right spot.

NorthBramble68archiveSep 20
↳ replying to @AmberCinder18

Stomach and thighs are easy, but the back of the arm becomes useful once you are stacking several compounds and need more rotation options.

LevelTimber64archiveSep 20

I have seen the recommended spots marked out. I use the side of the butt for copper peptides but not for GLP-1 or GIP compounds.

ClearQuill84archiveSep 20
↳ replying to @LevelTimber64

Why avoid GLP-1 shots there but allow other peptides? That is what worries me. I used buttocks for a couple of other compounds but the standard instructions for these meds skip the glutes, which makes me wonder if they work less well.

RustTimber85archiveSep 20
↳ replying to @ClearQuill84

Glutes simply were not studied in the original GLP-1 trials so they are left off the label. Other work on subcutaneous absorption shows the rate is a bit slower but the difference is not meaningful. The stomach has the richest blood supply and therefore the quickest uptake.

SharpCinder28archiveSep 20
↳ replying to @RustTimber85

Instant weight loss if you go intramuscular, right?

QuietAnchor73archiveSep 20

There is always the scrotum unless that is off-limits.

ClearQuill84archiveSep 20
↳ replying to @RustTimber85

So the question is really speed of uptake rather than final strength of effect? NAD+ for example is slower by subcutaneous route than intramuscular yet still works just as well overall?

LevelTimber64archiveSep 20
↳ replying to @SharpCinder28

Yeah, just to be clear to anyone new, that was a joke. Ouch, that comment made me wince.

PatientHarbour28archiveSep 20
↳ replying to @QuietAnchor73

I just noticed some natural folds on my backside so the clothespin might not even be needed back there. On a serious note, rotating sites is still smart.

IronKettle44archiveSep 20
↳ replying to @WarmMeadow92

What kind of damage are we doing to that arm wing?

SharpCinder28archiveSep 20

A study on injection sites showed the abdomen gave slightly higher total exposure than arm or thigh, with a higher peak level as well. Side effects were also more common with abdominal shots, especially nausea and vomiting.

RustTimber85archiveSep 20
↳ replying to @SharpCinder28

The key point is that everything still gets absorbed. The abdomen just delivers it faster so you see a higher reading at the measurement time and more immediate side effects.

RustTimber85archiveSep 20
↳ replying to @ClearQuill84

I cannot speak to intramuscular, but that matches what I have seen for subcutaneous shots. Faster uptake can make something feel stronger at first without changing overall effectiveness.

LevelTimber64archiveSep 20
↳ replying to @SharpCinder28

This is useful information, especially for anyone who has trouble with side effects.

BrightMeadow15archiveSep 21

You were right there when it happened, correct?

SteadyQuill55archiveSep 21

Skip the back of the arm for that particular compound unless you are experimenting. At higher volumes I got pain, bruising, and bleeding even with very fine short needles. Three of us tried the same schedule and only I reacted that way.

IronLantern24archiveSep 21
↳ replying to @SharpCinder28

Those wipes are great for glute shots too.

ClearQuill84archiveSep 21
↳ replying to @BrightMeadow15

I have had them so long I do not even notice anymore.

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