Skin healing from needle pricks

[Rowlandtype1]

Hi All, I'm a new diabetic, and already can see alot of skin damage, does anyone know of any way to help heal the skin quickly

 

[Thebearcametoo]

Where on your finger are you pricking and which fingers? And which finger pricker do you have? Some are more gentle than others. If you don’t already know pricking to the side of the pad not directly on the pad is better and gives you two sides of each finger to use. Generally it’s advisable to avoid thumbs and index fingers as we tend to use them more day to day but some people still choose to use them. But even just using 3 fingers on each hand it gives you 12 sites to rotate so there should be time for healing in between. If you aren’t using an adjustable pricker it can be a deeper wound though. If it’s a bad problem for you then ask about getting a sensor prescribed. You may still need to do some finger pricks but it will reduce the load.

Otherwise general handcare with some massage and moisturise can help your skin be in the best condition it can be but that won’t necessarily make it heal any quicker.

 

[Rowlandtype1]

Sorry I wasn't clear this is injection needle pricks

 

[Thebearcametoo]

Oh sorry. Similar applies. Where are you injecting and are you rotating sites each time. There will be a delay in injection sites healing completely but that can be helpful in knowing where to avoid for the next injection. Which needles do you use? Do you have a reaction to the needles (some people are allergic to some of the coating on some needles)? Again having well moistures skin (although not immediately before an injection) can help in part because of the massage as you rub lotion in. And when you say damage what does that look like? Is it just that the prick is still visible a fews days later or is there redness, bruising or lumps? Do you pinch the skin or just inject directly? Sometimes pinching up the skin can mean you get more of the fatty tissue and are less likely to kit muscles etc. There will always be times where you hit a blood vessel or get bruising. My kid’s cannulas are more obvious than the needles so we can still see evidence of them a week or so after insertion but needle holes tend to heal within a couple of days max. He is 12 and heals faster than I would though.

 

[helli]

Hi @Rowlandtype1
What kind of skin damage are you seeing?
In over 12 years of injecting up to 10 times a day, the only reaction I ever saw was some bruising. So if you are seeing skin reactions to the injections I would be concerned you are reacting to the insulin or the needles and would suggestion you talk to your diabetes team (this is probably the DSN but may depend upon who you see). In the meantime, as @Thebearcametoo says, definitely avoid these areas.

 

[Inka]

Hi All, I'm a new diabetic, and already can see alot of skin damage, does anyone know of any way to help heal the skin quickly

What kind of damage @Rowlandtype1 ? Do you mean bleeding? Bruises? Red lumps? A rash?

You shouldn’t really see anything. Sometimes on in injections I used to look to see where my last injection had been exactly so I could avoid the area and I couldn’t tell because there was nothing to see.

Whereabouts in your body are you injecting?

 

[nonethewiser]

Sorry I wasn't clear this is injection needle pricks

Not in recent times, but when needles were longer & sites sometimes got sore a warm bath worked wonders, despite what anyone says using a new needle each time, or at least not overusing it to many times will help prevent any potential damage.

 

[trophywench]

Not in recent times, but when needles were longer & sites sometimes got sore a warm bath worked wonders, despite what anyone says using a new needle each time, or at least not overusing it to many times will help prevent any potential damage.

I agree completely with this and know I suffered from this in the past and may have also done more recently but now, no visible damage to identify where exactly will now no longer absorb insulin properly.