Treating HS With Biologics: Tips for Overcoming Your Fear of Injections

Biologic therapy is a category of medications that come from living sources. These medications are one of the most effective treatments for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). This chronic skin condition is characterized by inflammation in the hair follicles that creates painful nodules under the skin.

Some people like the idea of taking biologics for their HS, but they may get nervous at the thought of injecting themselves with needles, according to Erum Ilyas, MD, Dermatologist in Pennsylvania.

“There are various things that we can do to try to reduce that pain associated with [the injection],” she explains.

What should you know about biologic injections?

Self-injection can be intimidating, especially if you already are nervous about needles. Keep in mind that your care team may provide a training process. This training will help show you how to inject your biologic medication for HS so you will feel more comfortable with the process.

What’s more, these biologics usually come in an injection pen that’s easy to use. Often, they come prefilled, meaning you might not even need to measure the medication.

“It’s a clickable pen that gets the medication administered within seconds,” Ilyas says.

Because the needle only goes into the surface of the skin, rather than deep into the muscle, it won’t be too painful, according to Ilyas. “The pinch on the surface is not as bad as you might think,” she adds.

What are ways to make the injection more comfortable?

There are also a few tips for reducing pain from injecting your drugs. If your medication needs to be refrigerated, take it out about 10 to 20 minutes before injecting to bring it to room temperature. This may lessen the discomfort. Similarly, you can ice your skin before you inject the biologic.

Another idea is to choose a medication that needs to be taken less frequently. Some biologics for HS only need to be taken once a week, every other week, or even every fourth week.

If you’re still concerned about injecting your HS medications, talk to your dermatologist about it. They can help relieve your fears and figure out how to best move forward.