Choosing the lancet point in the middle of the finger is very painful. It's generally recommended to choose a point on the side of the finger, where there are fewer nerve endings and less pain. However, avoid lancets too close to the nail edge, as this makes disinfection difficult and makes blood extraction harder. Pulse points can be chosen on all ten fingers in rotation, with most people choosing the eight fingers excluding the thumb. Before lancet collection, wash your hands with warm water and let your arm hang down to increase blood flow and facilitate collection. After pricking the finger with the lancet, gently squeeze from the base of the finger towards the lancet tip (the lancet point). Do not squeeze too hard, otherwise, a large proportion of the extracted blood will be plasma or tissue fluid, affecting accuracy.
What if you can't get any blood or only a small amount? This may be due to the following reasons:
① Poor peripheral (finger) circulation. Try washing your hands with warm water and letting your arm hang down.
② Insufficient lancet depth. Lancets have different graduations; find the appropriate graduation before lancet collection.
③ Lack of proper lancet extraction technique. In addition to applying "light pressure" as mentioned above, the pressure should be applied at least 0.5 cm away from the bleeding point. When squeezing, you should see skin congestion at the bleeding point. If you squeeze too close to the bleeding point, the blood vessels will be "flattened," and no blood will come out.
