[bigrosiegreenbaum]

Does anyone have any tips on how to heal your finger callouses? I'm running out of fingers to draw blood from!

 

[Shanny]

If you've been using alcohol swabs every time you test, stop doing that. It isn't necessary & alcohol toughens your skin. Just wash with very warmy soapy water & dry on a clean towel.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

If you've been using alcohol swabs every time you test, stop doing that. It isn't necessary & alcohol toughens your skin. Just wash with very warmy soapy water & dry on a clean towel.

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Nope, no alcohol. I think the callouses are from testing in the same place a lot. I was told to test on the side of the finger just under the nail and now the skin is so tough I'm not getting any blood at all.

 

[deafmack]

_____________________________

Nope, no alcohol. I think the callouses are from testing in the same place a lot. I was told to test on the side of the finger just under the nail and now the skin is so tough I'm not getting any blood at all.

Well, I don't know who told you to test just under the nail but that is a new one to me. I was told to test on the side of the finger tip and not on the middle of the tip itself. Also I rotate fingers so I use the same finger for the day and then move to the next finger until I have used all 10 fingers and then start again. That way I only use each finger once every 10 days. I also use Bag Balm on my fingers to keep them soft and supple. It works for me. I have been testing for years now and testing at least 6 to 8 times a day and still don't have callouses due to doing this way. If you are using the same 2 or 3 fingers all the time then you will develop callouses over time and will need to move to another set of fingers to give your usual fingers time to rest and a chance for the callouses to go away.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

Well, I don't know who told you to test just under the nail but that is a new one to me. I was told to test on the side of the finger tip and not on the middle of the tip itself. Also I rotate fingers so I use the same finger for the day and then move to the next finger until I have used all 10 fingers and then start again. That way I only use each finger once every 10 days. I also use Bag Balm on my fingers to keep them soft and supple. It works for me. I have been testing for years now and testing at least 6 to 8 times a day and still don't have callouses due to doing this way. If you are using the same 2 or 3 fingers all the time then you will develop callouses over time and will need to move to another set of fingers to give your usual fingers time to rest and a chance for the callouses to go away.

That's what I meant - on the side under the nail, I guess I didn't clarify that. I have recently found that the best place to get a nice blood bubble is the inside of my thumb on the side - never fails.

After talking with my doctor yesterday, she's convinced me to go down to testing 5 times a day instead of my usual 8. Now that I have a pretty routine eating pattern, I'm going to take that advice.

 

[Adjitater]

If you use bag balm as a hand moisturiser it will help them heal up faster.

 

[Joshua Shorter]

You should be rotating the testing location. We all have different methods. I personally test on the underside of my left hand fingers one day, the topside of my left hand fingers the next, the underside of my right the next and finish on top of my right. I have been contemplating adding my thumbs in there for an extra day of rest with each finger. I have used alcohol every time I tested and they haven't dried out or calloused yet. Maybe I should stop doing that...

 

[ConnieB525]

Here's my 2 cents. I use both sides of the fingers on my left hand, except my pinkie. I actually cried the one time I tried it; I vowed never again. I do use my thumb. When you don't use alcohol, how do you clean up the excess blood on your finger? When I test at work, I do it in my office and I don't have a sink near by. I use hand sanitizers a lot, so I'm guessing the alcohol swabs aren't really drying me out much more than that.

 

[bigrosiegreenbaum]

Here's my 2 cents. I use both sides of the fingers on my left hand, except my pinkie. I actually cried the one time I tried it; I vowed never again. I do use my thumb. When you don't use alcohol, how do you clean up the excess blood on your finger? When I test at work, I do it in my office and I don't have a sink near by. I use hand sanitizers a lot, so I'm guessing the alcohol swabs aren't really drying me out much more than that.

My diabetes educator stressed not using hand sanitizer, especially if you're not ready immediately to test because hand sanitizer works for only two minutes, then you're hands are filthy again. As for excess blood, I just hold a tissue to it for a few seconds. The pinkie definitely does hurt, I've been using my thumb lately, it doesn't hurt much at all, my guess because it's so much more padded.

 

[ConnieB525]

My diabetes educator stressed not using hand sanitizer, especially if you're not ready immediately to test because hand sanitizer works for only two minutes, then you're hands are filthy again. As for excess blood, I just hold a tissue to it for a few seconds. The pinkie definitely does hurt, I've been using my thumb lately, it doesn't hurt much at all, my guess because it's so much more padded.

My thumb is my favorite finger to use. Thanks for the info on the sanitizer. If I use hand sanitizer to clean my hands before I test, I test almost immediately. I didn't really specify what I meant, though. I'm allergic to a lot of handsoaps, so I use hand sanitizers in public.