Insulin is not absorbed at the same speed at all sites
- Abdomen and thighs are the most common injection sites.1
- At least 1 cm distance from the navel for adults. At least 3 cm distance from the navel for children.
- Injection sites on the abdomen allow rapid insulin absorption.
- Injection sites on the thighs and buttocks allow slower insulin absorption for some insulins.
- The effect of analog insulins is less dependent on the injection site.
- Follow the recommendations given by your healthcare professional.
Rotation principle for injection sites – Avoiding lipohypertrophy
- Change the injection site after every injection (rotation principle).
- For adults, the injection sites should be at least 1 cm away from each other to avoid frequent injections into so-called “favourite sites” and thus leading to tissue hardening (lipohypertrophy).
Examples for the rotation principle
Example 1
Example 2
Morning 
Midday 
Evening
Morning Evening
Example 3
1 Upper arms as injection sites: injections into the upper arms should only be performed after training by your healthcare professional. The reason is a higher risk of injecting into the muscle as the subcutaneous fatty tissue is usually thin and injection sites are not easily accessible.
