Subcutaneous Injection Sites: Map + Rotation Chart

The quick answer

Patient instructions list three main areas for subcutaneous shots: the belly, the upper thighs, and the back of the upper arms. Insulin guidance adds the buttocks. The labels for semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) list the abdomen, thigh, and upper arm, and they all say not to use the same spot every time.

Each area, in plain terms

Area	Where it is	On GLP-1 labels?
Belly (abdomen)	Below the ribs and above the hip bones, at least 2 inches (5 cm) away from the belly button.	Listed on all four GLP-1 labels. Several of their instructions repeat the 2-inch distance from the belly button.
Thighs	The upper thigh. MedlinePlus describes the outer side; the Wegovy pen instructions say the front of the thigh.	Listed on all four GLP-1 labels.
Back of the upper arms	At least 3 inches (7.6 cm) below the shoulder and 3 inches above the elbow, on the side or back of the arm.	Listed on all four GLP-1 labels. Mounjaro, Zepbound, and the Ozempic and Wegovy prefilled syringes say another person should give the shot here.
Buttocks	Listed as a site in insulin guidance. It is not one of the sites on the Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound labels.	Not listed on any of the four GLP-1 labels.

Locations are from MedlinePlus, the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s patient site. Label notes are from the FDA-approved prescribing information and instructions for use.

Skin to skip

Across MedlinePlus and the label instructions, the same few things come up:

Red, swollen, scarred, or bruised skin (source)
Scars and stretch marks (source)
Spots that are tender, lumpy, firm, or numb (source)
The ring within 2 inches (5 cm) of the belly button (source)

The Zepbound vial instructions add one more: don’t use the same site you use for other medicines.

Why rotation matters

Using the exact same patch of skin again and again is linked to lipohypertrophy: lumpy or thickened tissue under the skin. Most of the research comes from insulin, where an international expert consensus found it common and found that it distorts absorption, and named correct site rotation as the way to prevent it.

The GLP-1 labels don’t use that word, but they land in the same place. The Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound prescribing information say to rotate injection sites with each dose. The Mounjaro and Zepbound vial instructions say to rotate within the area you choose to reduce the risk of skin changes. Several labels also say you can stay in the same body area, as long as you pick a different spot in it.

What the GLP-1 labels say

Medication	Sites	Upper arm	Rotation
Ozempic® semaglutide	Abdomen, thigh, or upper arm	Listed in the Prescribing Information. Prefilled syringe instructions: back of upper arm “only with help from someone else.”	Use a different site when injecting in the same body region. The Medication Guide: “Do not use the same site for each injection.”
Wegovy® semaglutide	Abdomen, thigh, or upper arm	Pen, HD pen, and FlexTouch: listed, no helper mentioned. Prefilled syringe: “only with help from someone else.”	“Rotate injection sites with each dose.” Same body area is fine, not the same spot.
Mounjaro® tirzepatide	Abdomen or thigh, or back of the upper arm	“Have another person inject … in the back of the upper arm.”	“Rotate injection sites with each dose.” Same area is fine, but choose a different site in that area.
Zepbound® tirzepatide	Abdomen or thigh, or back of the upper arm	“Another person should inject in the back of the upper arm.”	“Rotate injection sites with each dose.” The Medication Guide: “Do not use the same site for each injection.”

One difference worth knowing: the helper rule for the upper arm isn’t the same everywhere. Mounjaro and Zepbound say another person should give the shot there; the Wegovy pens list the upper arm with no helper. Go by the instructions in your own box. Product-by-product detail is on the semaglutide and tirzepatide pages.

What about peptides?

People ask where to inject peptides more than almost anything else, and the honest answer is short. Research peptides don’t come with an FDA label, so there is no official list of sites for them. If a clinician prescribes one, their instructions are the ones to follow. The general subcutaneous areas above are what patient guidance describes for subcutaneous injections in general. Any page that names a single “best” spot for a peptide is guessing.

Keeping track of where you went last

Rotation only works if you can answer “where was the last one?” A few weeks in, most people can’t, not reliably. MedlinePlus’s own advice is simple: keep a chart of the places you’ve used. Three ways to do that:

Paper. Our free printable rotation chart (PDF) has ten zones and an 8-week grid. Tape it inside a cabinet door near your supplies.
A spreadsheet. The peptide tracker spreadsheet has a column for the site on every entry.
An app. StackLogR saves the site in the same tap as the log and shows which spot has had the longest break. It keeps track of the spots you’ve used. It doesn’t choose your medication’s sites for you.

More on the habit side in injection site rotation, explained.

FAQ

Where are the subcutaneous injection sites?

The areas patient instructions list most often are the belly (below the ribs, above the hip bones, at least 2 inches from the belly button), the upper thighs, and the back of the upper arms. Insulin guidance also lists the buttocks. Your medication’s own instructions say which of these apply to it.

Which injection site is best?

No public source names one best site for everyone. Labels list the areas that are allowed for that medication, and the choice within them is between you and your prescriber. What the sources do agree on is rotating: not using the same spot every time.

How far apart should injection spots be?

MedlinePlus suggests changing your injection site from one injection to the next, at least 1 inch apart. Several GLP-1 labels say you can stay in the same body area as long as you use a different spot in it.

Why do you need to rotate injection sites?

Injecting the same small spot over and over is linked to lumpy or thickened skin under the surface (lipohypertrophy). In insulin research that can change how a medication is absorbed, and rotation is the standard way to prevent it. The Mounjaro and Zepbound vial instructions say to rotate to reduce the risk of skin changes.

Where do people inject peptides?

Research peptides do not come with an FDA label that lists sites. If a clinician prescribes one, follow their instructions. The general subcutaneous areas on this page (belly, thighs, back of the upper arms) are what patient guidance describes for subcutaneous injections in general.

Is there a printable injection site rotation chart?

Yes. StackLogR’s chart is a free, letter-size PDF with ten zones and an 8-week grid, so you can note the date and zone each time.

Subcutaneous injection sites, mapped.