Anyone else have 'the dots'?

[DeusXM]

Something I've noticed about my fingers is where I stab myself with a lancet to get blood for testing, on some areas I seem to get a cluster of little dark dots, dried blood spots underneath the skin. Sometimes I can 'scratch' them out but quite a few seem to be very deep in and I don't really want to scratch away at my fingers as obviously they then look even worse. Just wondering if anyone else gets the dots, and if anyone's got some tips for getting rid of them?

 

[Phil65]

yes, I get these too, not usually painful though. ......just about to add another one!🙂

 

[Northerner]

Yes, I get them, although not so bad. I have seen some people at Meets that have a lot though, generally people who have been diagnosed much longer than me so I always thought it was just a hazard of being diabetic. I find it interesting sometimes when I prick my finger and blood comes out of four or five different holes! 😱 No tips for getting rid of them I'm afraid - it had never occurred to me to try!

 

[Redkite]

Yes my son gets these, and in fact since he insists on using the same couple of fingers over and over there is sometimes a build up of black scar tissue where all the dots have merged. He is supposed to use the sides of the finger, and can choose the middle, ring and little finger on each hand, so in theory he has 12 sites to use, but he keeps going for the same two fingers! When I can convince him to spread the load among the other fingers, the dots do improve. Some people recommend Bio Oil, but we haven't tried that.

 

[Cleo]

Yea.....I get this as well....however I tend to find its worse when I dont change the sites I prick myself in. Because I am right handed I tend to automatically prick the ring finger and middle finger on my left hand but I have started using my left hand (takes a bit of getting used) and pricking the fingers on my right hand which I think works better....I think its a bit like the need of having to rotate the injection sites 😉. Oh and ofcourse using a new lancet each time is also very important and helps ALOT .

 

[mum2westiesGill]

Yes I've got them. I tend to always use the middle & ring fingers on the left hand because it's easier for me to do. If I struggle to use the fingers on my right hand for a day or so then the dots on my left hand clear up. I've been D for 21 yrs.

. I find it interesting sometimes when I prick my finger and blood comes out of four or five different holes!

That's happened to me sometimes 😱

Oh and ofcourse using a new lancet each time is also very important .

That's something we learned on my Insulin X-Pert course plus also a new needle for a new injection

 

[AlisonM]

Yes, I have a few, I'm usually very good at changing fingers each time, but I still get them. I've even started changing lancets more often, but it doesn't seem to make much difference. I don't know how you might prevent or get rid of them.

 

[novorapidboi26]

Surprisingly I don't........

I always remember my brother having them but I don't seem to get them.....

I have had some before but only on a few occasions......

I test 5 - 10 times a day too...

🙂

 

[spiritfree]

I get them also. I use a pumice stone VERY GENTLY. This removes them. Also a good exfoliator can do the job if they are not to bad. I am not recommending these methods, they are just what I do.

 

[robofski]

I have them but they are getting less frequent since I started switching fingers more frequently. I tended to stick to just a couple of digits but am now using more of them and I seem to be seeing fewer "dots" (appears it's now time to move off left pinky!)

 

[Ivy]

I find it interesting sometimes when I prick my finger and blood comes out of four or five different holes! 😱 No tips for getting rid of them I'm afraid - it had never occurred to me to try!

I've had it happen where blood oozes out of one hole and shoots out of another and squirts me in the face LOL

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Yup I get those - especially on the sides of the fingers I use most, where the callouses are beginning to build up.

The only way I know to get rid of them is to scrupulously avoid that finger for a good few weeks. A bit like the gnarly ends of fingers on your fretting hand if you've ever palyed guitar. The turnaround of skin on the fingers seems relatively rapid and if left along for a month or two they seem to wear off.

Oh and +1 for getting random blood seepage/squirting. Particularly if I'm in a hurry and wearing a pale coloured/white shirt! 🙄

 

[mcdonagh47]

). Oh and ofcourse using a new lancet each time is also very important and helps ALOT .

St. Swithun's Day is two months off (15th July) - the day for the annual change of lancet for many dmers.

I get the pincushion effect on the little finger of the right hand but test on all the fingers without many dots on the others.

 

[PattiEvans]

I had em on nearly all my fingers, then I got psoriasis on my hands and had to use a steroid cream for a while. The dots went with the psoriasis and I don't seem to have them now, but I do scrupulously moisturise my hands.

 

[sacol4940]

Yep I've got them on all fingers - I try to change fingers each time I test, but it doesnt seem to help

I've also had a fair few random squirty ones in time lol. It's never good when it happens at my desk and my paperwork gets covered in blood 😱

 

[Lauren]

I have those too, and they don't look great, but no one's ever noticed them thankfully. No tips for getting rid of them though I'm afraid

 

[newbs]

Yep, me too! The only way I can get rid of them is by avoiding that finger for a while too, have never thought to try anything else though. I also get the blood coming out of holes other than the one just pricked, always found that quite odd! Glad I'm not alone on that one!

 

[rossi_mac]

I tend to attack one hand more than the other and have usual fingers, but when I start seeing lots of these dots I change fingers, and then make an effort to give that hand a good rest, I even bought some of that bio oil but not sure about that!