Peptide 101.
What peptides are, how to mix a vial, how to give a shot and how to keep it all safe. Start here.
Education, not medical advice. Only an LYV provider can tell you whether a peptide is right for you, which one and at what dose. Most peptides are not FDA approved to treat, cure or prevent any disease.
What peptides are
Peptides are short chains of amino acids. Your body makes hundreds of them to pass signals between cells, for things like repair, appetite and sleep.
Therapeutic peptides are made to act on one pathway. A few are FDA-approved drugs for specific uses. Many are not approved for any use, and the research in people is thin for some of them.
That is why every peptide at LYV starts with a provider, your history and your labs.
Mixing a vial
Many peptides arrive as a dry powder. If yours came pre-mixed, skip to giving a shot. Always follow your pharmacy's instructions first.
- 01Set out your suppliesThe peptide vial, the diluent your pharmacy sent (usually bacteriostatic water), alcohol swabs and a U-100 insulin syringe.
- 02Clean both topsSwab the rubber stopper on each vial with alcohol. Let it air dry.
- 03Draw the waterPull the amount of water on your instructions into a syringe. Use the dose calculator to see how that amount changes your draw.
- 04Add it slowlyAngle the needle so the water runs down the inside wall of the vial. Never spray it straight onto the powder.
- 05Swirl, don't shakeRoll the vial gently until the powder dissolves. It can take a few minutes. The liquid should be clear.
- 06Label and refrigerateWrite the date you mixed it on the vial and put it in the fridge.
Giving a shot
Most peptides are a subcutaneous shot: a short needle into the fat just under the skin. If it is your first time, ask your provider to show you.
- 01Wash your handsThen swab the vial top and let it dry.
- 02Draw your doseUse a new syringe every time. Draw to the unit mark your provider gave you, then tap out any air bubbles.
- 03Pick a siteMost subcutaneous shots go into the belly, about two inches from the navel, or the outer thigh. Rotate sites each time.
- 04Pinch and injectClean the skin and let it dry. Pinch a fold, insert the needle in one smooth motion and press the plunger slowly.
- 05Finish cleanWithdraw at the same angle, press lightly with gauze and drop the syringe in a sharps container.
Storage
Do
- Keep mixed vials in the fridge, 36 to 46°F.
- Keep unmixed vials cool, dry and out of light.
- Use a new syringe for every dose.
- Follow the use-by date on your pharmacy label.
Don't
- Freeze a mixed vial.
- Shake a vial.
- Use liquid that looks cloudy, colored or has particles.
- Share vials or syringes.
Glossary
- Peptide
- A short chain of amino acids. Your body makes many of them to send signals between cells.
- Lyophilized
- Freeze-dried. Many peptides ship as a powder and must be mixed before use.
- Reconstitution
- Mixing the powder with sterile liquid so it can be injected.
- Bacteriostatic water
- Sterile water with a small amount of benzyl alcohol, which lets one vial be used for more than one dose.
- Subcutaneous (subQ)
- An injection into the fat layer just under the skin.
- U-100 syringe
- An insulin syringe marked so that 100 units equals 1 mL. One unit is 0.01 mL.
- mg and mcg
- Milligrams and micrograms. 1 mg equals 1,000 mcg.
More peptide resources
- Cheat sheet48 peptides: vial, water, reference dose, syringe units and cycle length.Open
- Dose calculatorTurn the dose on your prescription into units on an insulin syringe.Open
- Peptide protocolsThe blends, built one goal at a time: muscle, fat loss, recovery, sleep and focus.Open
- Peptide FAQsPrescriptions, safety, labs, timing and how to start at LYV.Open
Wondering if a peptide fits you?
Book a $199 provider consult. Your provider reviews your history and labs and tells you straight. Join within 30 days and the $199 is credited to your first month.