The present invention refers to a lancing actuator (114) for driving a lancing element for sampling a body fluid which comprises a drive element (118) adapted for driving the lancing element to perform a lancing motion, the drive element (118) being guided within a housing (112) of the lancing actuator (114), a combined compression and torsion element (120) which, by a relaxing movement of the combined compression and torsion element (120), is adapted to drive the lancing motion, a combined triggering and driving device (122) having an actuating element (124) and a locking device (126), wherein the actuating element (124) has an initial state and an actuated state and is accessible from the outside of the housing (112), wherein, in the initial state, the drive element (118) is locked in the locking device (126) under a torsional stress exerted by the combined compression and torsion element (120), wherein the combined triggering and driving device (122) is configured in a manner that, when the actuating element (124) makes a movement along an actuation path from the initial state into the actuated state, a torque is exerted on the drive element (118) which prevails the torsional stress exerted by the combined compression and torsion element (120) in a manner that the drive element (118) is released from the locking device (126), which results in a triggering of the lancing motion. The present invention further refers to a lancing device, comprising the lancing actuator (114), as well as to a method for performing a lancing motion by operating the lancing actuator (114).
