Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Using tools to remove deep splinters
• Method 2 of 4: Provide aftercare
• Method 3 of 4: Take precautions
• Method 4 of 4: Know when to seek medical attention
• Tips

Splinters are a common and annoying problem for both children and adults. They can be painful, irritate the skin and cause infections. Splinters are usually made of wood, glass or metal. Some splinters can be removed at home with a few simple tools and materials, but deeper splinters require special techniques or medical attention.

To step

Method 1 of 4: Using tools to remove deep splinters

1. Try to use tweezers. If any part of the splinter is above the surface of the skin, try removing it with tweezers. Use tweezers with a serrated inner edge. Grasp the end of the splinter firmly and slowly pull it out of your skin.
   • Sterilize the tweezers before using. Wipe the tweezers with rubbing alcohol or vinegar, boil the tweezers in water for a few minutes, or hold the tweezers over a flame for about a minute.
   • Wash your hands before attempting to remove the splinter.
2. If it is a thick splinter, use nail clippers. If the splinter is thick and will not break off quickly, a sturdy, sterilized nail clipper is a good alternative to tweezers. If the splinter is at an awkward angle in an area of ​​thick skin, cut some of the skin around it so that you can better see and remove the splinter. This shouldn't hurt on insensitive, thick-skinned areas like your heel.
   • Cut your skin parallel to the splinter.
   • Do not cut so deeply that your skin will bleed. A deeper wound is more likely to become infected.
   • If possible, use your dominant hand when using nail clippers or tweezers (this will not work if the splinter is in your dominant hand). You have more control over your dominant hand and are more comfortable with it.
3. Use a needle to pry the splinter off. If the splinter is deeper and below the surface of the skin, use a sterilized needle or pin and try to push part of the splinter above the surface of the skin. Make a small hole in your skin above the end of the splinter closest to the skin's surface. Try to push the splinter up with the tip of a needle so that you can grasp the splinter with tweezers or nail clippers.
   • Do not try to completely remove the deep splinter with the needle. You will damage your skin even more and run the risk of the splinter breaking off.
4. Consider using a drawing ointment. Pull ointment is a type of antiseptic that helps loosen deeper splinters by lubricating them and letting them slide out of your skin. Apply the pull ointment to the wound and wait about a day for the splinter to come off. Cover the wound with a bandage or bandage in between. It may take some patience to wait for the drawing ointment to work.
   • This product can be purchased at pharmacies or drugstores without a prescription under the names Trekzalf and Ichtyol.
   • Drawing ointment is greasy and can smell unpleasant.
   • In most cases, the ointment will only cause the splinter to reach the surface of the skin. You will still have to pull the splinter out with tweezers.
5. Try sprinkling some baking soda on the wound. In addition to being a good antiseptic, baking soda can stop bleeding and help bring a deep splinter closer to the skin's surface. If the splinter is made of glass, metal, or plastic, soak the area in a bowl of warm water and a few teaspoons of baking soda for up to an hour. If the splinter is made of wood, make a thick paste of baking soda and a little water, and apply the paste to the wound. Cover the wound with a bandage or bandage at night.
   • You will need to use tweezers or nail clippers to pull the splinter from the surface of the skin.

Method 2 of 4: Provide aftercare

1. Stop the bleeding. If the wound bleeds after removing the splinter, apply pressure to it with a clean cotton ball. Hold the cotton ball in place for several minutes until the bleeding stops.
2. Disinfect the wound. After you have removed the splinter, clean the small open wound. Wash the area with warm water and soap, then dry the wound with a clean towel. Wipe the area with an alcohol swab. Alcohol is an excellent disinfectant, but white vinegar, iodine, and hydrogen peroxide also work well.
   • If you don't have alcohol wipes at home, use a cotton ball or cotton swab dipped in a little rubbing alcohol.
   • These products can sting when you apply them, but it only lasts for a short time.
3. Apply an antibiotic ointment. An antibiotic ointment can help prevent infection. Spread a small amount of ointment on the clean wound. You can buy an antibiotic ointment at the drugstore or pharmacy.
4. Cover the wound. After you have cleaned and disinfected the wound, let it air dry completely. Put a small band-aid on it to protect the wound from dirt and irritation. You can take the patch off after a day or two.

Method 3 of 4: Take precautions

1. Do not try to squeeze the splinter from your skin. Your first hunch may be to squeeze the edges of the wound with your fingers to try to push the splinter out of the skin, but this is not a good idea. It rarely works and you run the risk of the splinter breaking off and causing even more damage.
2. Keep wood splinters dry. Don't get your splinter wet if it is made of wood. The splinter can then fall apart when you pull it, so that smaller pieces of wood remain deep in your skin.
3. Remove splinters with clean hands. Try not to infect the small wound. Just as you sterilize all your devices beforehand, it is also important to wash your hands with soap and water before touching the wound. Rub your hands well with antibacterial soap for at least 30 seconds and rinse thoroughly.
4. Take out the whole splinter in one go. Make sure that splinter does not break off and that no pieces of material remain in your skin. This increases the likelihood that the area will become infected. Pull the splinter out at the same angle that it entered your skin so that it is less likely to break. Splinters rarely end up in the skin at a 90-degree angle.
5. Watch for signs of an infection. Any kind of splinter can cause an infection. It does not matter where and how deep the splinter was in your skin. So keep an eye on the area for several days after removing the splinter. Common signs of infection include swelling, redness, tenderness, pus, and numbness and tingling around the wound.
   • More serious signs that the infection is spreading through your body include fever, nausea, night sweats, body aches, headaches, and delirium. Get immediate medical attention.

Method 4 of 4: Know when to seek medical attention

1. If you are unable to remove the splinter yourself, seek medical attention. If you've tried some methods at home and can't get the splinter out of your skin, see your doctor within a few days to have the splinter removed. Don't let splinters get into your skin.
   • If a deep splinter breaks or shatters under your skin, see your doctor to have the pieces removed.
2. Get medical attention for deep wounds and heavy bleeding. If there is a significant wound from the splinter that does not stop bleeding after applying pressure for 5 minutes, see your doctor. The splinter may need to be removed with special tools.
   • If the doctor has to cut the splinter out of your skin with a scalpel, he or she will numb the area first.
   • A large wound may need to be sutured after the splinter has been removed in order to grow closed.
3. See your doctor if you have a splinter under your nail. If you have a deep splinter under your fingernail or toenail, you probably won't be able to remove it yourself. You can damage your skin and nail by trying. Your doctor can safely remove part of your nail and remove the splinter.
   • Your nail will just grow back afterwards.
4. Call 112 if the splinter is in or around your eye. If something sticks in your eye, cover your injured eye and call 911 immediately. Do not try to remove the splinter as this could damage your eye and reduce your vision. Try to keep both eyes closed until the ambulance arrives so that you move your injured eye as little as possible.

Tips

• Splinters of wood, thorns, spines and other plant materials cause more irritation and inflammation than splinters of glass, metal and plastic.
• If the splinter is very small and you can barely see it, use a magnifying glass. If you can't, ask a friend or family member to hold the magnifying glass for you.