Have trouble getting a good blood sample for self-testing? These tips may help.

Warm your hands. Rinsing your hands in warm water and rubbing them dry can improve circulation for a better sample.

Shake it up. Shake your hands up and down before lancing to get the circulation going.

Stay soft. Keep your hands and fingers soft with regular moisturizing to make lancing easier.

Stick the sides. Lance the side of the fingertip rather than the top. It's less painful and if you gently push on the fingerpad so that the sides push out, you can get a better sample.

Reviewed by Francine Kaufman, MD. 4/08