1. Get the supplies you'll need: insulin bottle syringe alcohol swabs container for the used syringe 2. Wash your hands. 3. Check the insulin bottle to make sure it hasn't expired. 4. Remove the lid from the insulin bottle. 5. Wipe the rubber top of the bottle with an alcohol swab. 6. Remove the cap from the syringe. Pull air into the syringe by pulling back on the plunger until its black tip is even with the line showing the dose you'll need. Note: This information is for educational purposes only. For specific guidance on giving an insulin injection, talk with your doctor. Push the needle through the rubber top of the bottle. Push the plunger so that the air goes from the syringe into the bottle. Note: This information is for educational purposes only. For specific guidance on giving an insulin injection, talk with your doctor. Turn the insulin bottle and syringe upside down. To pull insulin into the syringe, slowly pull back on the plunger until the top of its black tip is even with the line showing your dose. The most common places to inject insulin are the abdomen (belly), the back of the upper arms, the upper buttocks, and the outer thighs. Choose a place to make the injection, and wipe the skin with an alcohol swab. Note: This information is for educational purposes only. For specific guidance on giving an insulin injection, talk with your doctor. Gently pinch the skin. Hold the syringe at a 90-degree angle to the skin, and push the needle all the way in. Let go of the pinched skin, and slowly push the plunger to inject all of the insulin. Wait about 5 seconds before pulling out the needle. Don't just put the used syringe in the trash. Instead, put it in a plastic or metal container with a tight lid. When the container is full, be sure the lid is closed and put it in the trash. Note: This information is for educational purposes only. For specific guidance on giving an insulin injection, talk with your doctor. Back to Articles Related Articles Diabetes Center Our Diabetes Center provides information and advice for teens about treating and living with diabetes. Read More Medicines for Diabetes Taking medicines is a major part of staying healthy if you have diabetes because they help you keep your blood sugar levels under control. Read More Blood Glucose Record If you have diabetes, you can use this printable sheet to record your blood glucose levels. Read More What Problems Can Diabetes Cause? Thinking about your diabetes a little bit now — and taking some steps to prevent problems — can make things easier down the road. Read More Keeping Track of Your Blood Sugar To keep your diabetes under control, stay healthy, and prevent future problems, you need to keep blood sugar levels in a healthy range. To do that, check and track those levels regularly. Read More When Blood Sugar Is Too High For people with diabetes, controlling blood sugar levels is important. Having a blood sugar level that's too high can make you feel lousy, and having high blood sugar levels a lot can be unhealthy. Read More When Blood Sugar Is Too Low When blood glucose levels drop too low, it's called hypoglycemia. Very low blood sugar levels can cause severe symptoms that need to be treated right away. Read More Diabetes Control: Why It's Important People who have diabetes may hear or read a lot about controlling, or managing, the condition. But what is diabetes control and why is it so important? Read More Can Diabetes Be Prevented? The things you do now could help prevent diabetes later, depending on the type of diabetes. Here's the scoop on diabetes prevention. Read More Type 1 Diabetes: What Is It? Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body uses glucose, a sugar that is the body's main source of fuel. In type 1 diabetes, glucose can't get into the body's cells where it's needed. Read More Type 2 Diabetes: What Is It? Teens with type 2 diabetes have to pay close attention to what they eat and do. Read More Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor. © 1995-2021 KidsHealth®. All rights reserved. Images provided by The Nemours Foundation, iStock, Getty Images, Veer, Shutterstock, and Clipart.com.