Diabetes Lancets & Lancing Devices

Lancets are small, single-use sterile needles designed to prick the skin, usually on a fingertip, to draw a tiny blood sample. They fit into a lancing device, which controls how deep the needle goes, and the resulting drop of blood is applied to a test strip and read by a glucometer. Most lancets are designed to work with a range of lancing device brands and are suitable for nearly all skin types.

Wash and dry your hands first, then load a new lancet into your lancing device following the manufacturer's instructions. Set the depth dial to suit your skin, deeper for calloused fingertips and shallower for more sensitive skin, then press the device against the side of your fingertip and trigger it. Gently massage the finger to encourage a blood drop, apply it to your test strip, and dispose of the used lancet safely in a sharps bin straight away.

A lancet sits inside a spring-loaded lancing device. When triggered, the spring drives the needle briefly through the skin to a set depth before automatically retracting it, so the device doesn't stay in contact with the skin. This gives a controlled, consistent puncture each time, helping to keep discomfort to a minimum while still producing enough blood for an accurate reading.

Most people feel only a brief, mild sting rather than significant pain, particularly when using a fine gauge lancet and pricking the side of the fingertip rather than the more sensitive pad. Rotating between fingers and adjusting the depth setting on your lancing device can also help reduce discomfort over repeated use. If testing consistently feels painful, trying a shallower depth setting or a finer gauge lancet is usually worth doing first.

No. Lancets are designed for single use only and should be discarded immediately after each test. Reusing a lancet blunts the tip, which makes the next puncture more painful, and increases the risk of skin irritation or infection, since the needle is no longer sterile once it has been used.

Used lancets should go straight into a puncture-proof sharps bin rather than the household bin or recycling, as they're classed as clinical waste. Sharps bins are available from your GP surgery or pharmacy, and many local councils run a collection service for full containers, sometimes via your GP surgery. Check with your local council or pharmacist for the disposal options in your area.

Lancets don't go into the glucometer itself. Instead, they fit into a separate lancing device that punctures the skin, and the blood sample is then read by the glucometer via a test strip. Most universal lancets are compatible with a wide range of lancing devices, including Accu-Chek FastClix and GlucoRx devices, though it's worth checking your specific model's instructions to confirm compatibility.