I’ve spent some time digging through the forums to see what the consensus is on needle sizes, but I’d love to get a more direct pulse from you guys.
I started out on TRT and I'm just now starting to branch out into other gear. My clinic originally taught me to pin IM using a 25 gauge 1" needle, which is what I’ve been using ever since. However, a buddy was visiting recently and needed to borrow some test, but when he saw my needles he looked at me like I was crazy lol. He told me he only uses 29 gauge 1/2" needles.
I always thought those tiny needles were strictly for SubQ, not for hitting the muscle. Now I’m starting to worry about long-term scar tissue from using a thicker needle so frequently. Right now I’m just rotating between my delts, though I know I need to add more spots soon. I guess I'm just wondering what gauge and length you guys prefer for IM? Is there a specific "standard" the community uses to keep the injection footprint small and avoid issues down the road, or am I overthinking the whole thing?
Thanks for any input!
once i switched to 27g or 29g slin pins i never went back lol. the 25g is like a harpoon compared to those tiny ones. if your lean enough 1/2 inch definitely hits the muscle in the delts no problem and it saves you so much scar tissue over the long run.
honestly man your friend is right. i used 23g and 25g for years and my quads are basically made of leather now because of the scar tissue. i use 27g 1/2" now for everything- even glutes if im lean- and its so much better. it just takes a bit longer to push the oil through.
25g 1" is pretty standard clinic advice but yeah its overkill for delts. i use 29g 1/2 inch slin pins for my daily shots and i barely feel it. just warm the oil up a bit under your armpit or some warm water first and it flows way easier through the tiny needle.
lol your not overthinking it scar tissue is a real bitch after a few years of pinning. i rotate between delts, ventroglutes and lats all with 27g 1/2" needles. definitely add more spots to your rotation though even if you keep the 25g.
i still use 25g for glutes cuz i got a bit of extra cushion back there but for delts i always go with the 29g. your buddy isnt crazy it legit feels like nothing. just be patient when drawing the oil out of the vial it takes forever with those small ones.
the "standard" usually depends on how much oil your moving. if your doing a full cc or more the 25g is fine but if your just doing trt doses or small frequent pins definitely drop down to a 27 or 29. your shoulders will thank you in ten years.
wait until you try 30g lol its like a mosquito bite. only downside is it takes like 2 minutes to push the oil in if its thick. i usually stick to 27g as a middle ground- it’s the sweet spot for me between speed and comfort.
definitely get some 27g 1/2 inchers and try them in your delts. you'll laugh at how much easier it is. the 1" ones are really only necessary for deep glute shots if you arent super shredded.
i wish someone told me about slin pins years ago... i have literal knots in my quads from using 23g needles back in the day. definitely switch to the smaller gauge as soon as you can. your buddy did you a huge favor by showing you those.
just remember if your doing like 2ml or something huge the pressure from a tiny needle might be annoying. but for small trt style pins 1/2 inch 29g is the way to go. i даже pin my lats with them and never had an issue hitting the muscle.
