Why rotate injection sites? I found a good spot that doesn’t hurt to inject.
There is good reason to rotate your injection sites. Lipohypertrophy is a build-up of fatty lumps (or scar tissue) that occur when medication is repeatedly injected into the same site. This scar tissue does not absorb your medication in the same way as healthy tissue, and can lead to variable blood glucose levels and/or increased medication dose requirements.
And there is a decreased amount of nerve endings in scar tissue which is why it is painless to inject there.
Avoid injecting into lipohypertrophy
Tips
Use a new site every time; you will reduce the risk of developing scar tissue and give your skin a chance to heal.
Inject at least one finger-width away from your previous injection site.
Use a new needle for every injection
Common injection areas
- Abdomen (at least 5cm away from the belly button)
- Thighs (upper outer part of the thighs)
- Buttocks (upper external part of the buttocks)
Avoid the following areas
- Scars (surgical or otherwise)
- Moles
- Tattoos
- Existing lipohypertrophy
Reference
The importance of injection site rotation
Middle East and North Africa Insulin Delivery Recommendations for Children and Young Adults