Filler injections are a cosmetic treatment used to smooth wrinkles or pitted scars in the skin, usually on the face. They are also used to make the lips fuller. When injected under the skin, a filler raises or puffs up that area. This usually goes away over time. There are many kinds of injectable fillers, including...

A corticosteroid or steroid injection is used to reduce inflammation. It is often used to treat conditions such as arthritis, tendinitis, bursitis, and more specific conditions such as de Quervain's tenosynovitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. The procedure is done by injecting corticosteroid directly into the affected...

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an assisted reproductive technology (ART) used to treat certain infertility problems, such as sperm-related infertility. ICSI is used to enhance the fertilization phase of in vitro fertilization (IVF) by injecting a single sperm into a mature egg. The fertilized egg is then...

If you need to give yourself injections, or shots, at home, you may have some questions or concerns. You might need to inject medicine under the skin (subcutaneous). Or you might inject it into a muscle (intramuscular). Either way, these tips may help address your concerns.

Clean the injection site. Make sure the area of skin where you will give the shot is clean. If you use alcohol to clean the skin before you give the injection, let it dry. Remove the cap from the syringe. Pinch up the skin. Using your knee, push up the back of your arm to create a "pinched-up" area of skin. Push the...

There are several areas of the body where insulin may be injected: The belly, at least 2 in. (5.1 cm) from the belly button. The belly is the best place to inject insulin. This is because the belly area can absorb insulin most consistently. The front of the thighs. Insulin usually is absorbed more slowly from this site...

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an assisted reproductive technology used to treat certain infertility problems, such as sperm-related infertility. In the laboratory, a single sperm is injected into an egg; after 2 to 5 days, one or several of the fertilized embryos are transferred to the uterus or fallopian...

Puncture wounds caused by the injection of a substance under high pressure into the skin are serious injuries. High-pressure equipment may be used for paint, paint thinner, grease, oil, fuel, or other liquid solvents. Most high-pressure injection injuries affect the hands and fingers. These injuries are at high risk for...

Prolotherapy involves injecting a substance in or near the joint. The injection is intended to cause inflammation. The body responds to the inflammation by increasing blood flow to the area and stimulating repair in the area. This may reduce pain. Usually a person has a series of treatments. Prolotherapy injections...

Clean the injection site on the belly. If you use alcohol to clean the skin, let it dry. Pinch the skin. Slightly pinch a fold of skin between your fingers and thumb of one hand. Insert the needle. Push the needle all the way into the pinched-up area of the skin. Push the plunger in. Let go of the pinched-up area, and...

Spinal anesthesia is the injection of medicine near the spinal cord and the nerves around it in the lower back. It is used to numb the body below and sometimes above the site of injection. This may be used for some surgeries in the belly, legs, groin, and genitals. First, the area is numbed. Then the spinal medicine is...

The injection of botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox, has become very popular for reducing wrinkles and rejuvenating the aging face. The effects are only temporary, but the injections can be done quickly, require no recovery time, and are not as complicated as many other cosmetic procedures for the face. Botulinum...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). It is not used to treat dry AMD. Photodynamic therapy may be recommended if you can't have injections of medicines to treat your AMD or if these injections don't work. In photodynamic therapy, a light-sensitive medicine called...

Urethral bulking to treat stress urinary incontinence involves injecting material around the urethra. This may be done to build up the thickness of the wall of the urethra so it seals tightly when you hold back urine. Most bulking materials are...

Shots, or injections, for arthritis knee pain can help you cope with the pain and be more active. The most common shot for arthritis knee pain is a steroid shot. It's also called a cortisone or corticosteroid shot. Arthritis pain is caused by inflamed tissue, and the steroid shot can help reduce the inflammation...

To relieve pain during the second (pushing) stage of labor, an injection called a pudendal block can be given through the vaginal wall. It goes into the pudendal nerve in the pelvis. This numbs the area between the vagina and anus. It doesn't relieve the pain of contractions. A pudendal block works fast. It's easy to...

Allergy shots are a type of immunotherapy treatment. Small doses of substances to which you are allergic ( allergens ) are injected under your skin. Over time, your body may become less responsive to the allergens. This means that you may have fewer symptoms. Allergy shots are given after careful skin testing for an...

A bone scan is a test that can find damage to the bones, find cancer that has spread to the bones, and watch problems such as infection and trauma to the bones. A bone scan can often find a problem days to months earlier than a regular X-ray test. During a bone scan, a radioactive substance called a tracer is injected...

The main treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) is injections of medicines into the eye. But in some cases, doctors recommend laser surgery. Retinal laser photocoagulation is a type of laser surgery that uses an intense beam of light to burn small areas of the retina. The burns form scar tissue...

A cardiac blood pool scan shows how well your heart is pumping blood to the rest of your body. During this test, a small amount of a radioactive substance called a tracer is injected into a vein. A gamma camera detects the radioactive material as it flows through the heart and lungs. The percentage of blood pumped out...

Hemophilia can be treated by replacing missing blood clotting factors. This is called clotting factor replacement therapy. Clotting factors are replaced by injecting (infusing) a clotting factor concentrate into a vein. Infusions of clotting factors help blood to clot normally. Clotting factor replacement therapy can...

Electrocautery removes genital warts on the penis, vulva, or around the anus by burning them with a low-voltage electrified probe. Electrocautery is usually done in a doctor's office or a clinic. The injection of a numbing medicine ( local anesthetic) is usually used for pain control. Medicine that causes...

Heroin is an illegal, highly addictive type of opioid. It is a white or brown powder or a black, sticky substance (black tar heroin). It can be sniffed, snorted, smoked, or injected into a muscle or vein. Other names for heroin are smack, junk, H, dope, and ska. Heroin is often used along with other drugs, especially...

A gallium scan is a nuclear medicine test that can check for problem areas in certain tissues in your body. A radioactive tracer (tracer) called gallium citrate is injected into a vein in your arm. It moves through your bloodstream and into certain tissues. These tissues include your bones, liver, and intestine, and...