Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Removing the needles from the skin
• Method 2 of 3: Removing needles from clothing
• Method 3 of 3: Removing hair needles

Whether you're growing thorny plants in your home or roaming pristine wilderness, cactus needles can ruin a wonderful day. Fortunately, there are many different ways to remove cactus needles from your skin, hair, and clothing, and thereby get rid of the discomfort they cause.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Removing the needles from the skin

1. 1 Use tweezers to remove regular cactus needles. If the needle is clearly visible, grab the end of it with tweezers and pull it out of the skin. To prevent the needle from breaking, try to pull it out in one straight motion.
   • If the needle is deeply embedded in the skin, look at the tip farthest from the wound and gently pull the needle out.
   SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Maggie moran

   
   
   Home and garden specialist Maggie Moran is a professional gardener from Pennsylvania.

   Maggie moran
   Home and garden specialist

   If the needle gets into your face or mouth, go to the nearest emergency room. Professional gardener Maggie Moran explains: “A needle in the mouth, face or neck requires professional medical attention. You do not need to try to remove these needles yourself. Please contact the nearest admission office. "

2. 2 Brush off small needles with a nylon stocking. Cacti also have thin hair-thick needles that are less long and durable than large thorns. To remove these needles, wear protective garden gloves and crumple up a pair of nylon stockings. Rub your stockings over your skin, and small needles will fall out of it.
   • When removing small needles, nylon acts as an adhesive tape, but unlike it does not irritate the skin.
3. 3 Remove the small, deep-seated needles with rubber glue. Apply a generous amount of rubber glue to the affected area using a cotton swab, medical spatula, or other small enough device. Wait for the glue to dry, then slowly and gently pull on the edges. Repeat this several times until you have removed as many needles as possible.
   • The time it takes for the glue to dry depends on its brand.
   • You may feel mild pain as the glue dries. To prevent this, take a standard dose of an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as paracetamol.
4. 4 After removing the needles, tie up the damaged area. After you pull out the cactus needles, rinse the damaged area under running water for 5-10 minutes and try to rinse off as much dirt and debris as possible. Then apply an antibacterial cream to the wound and bandage the damaged area with a bandage.
   • Before washing the wound, wash your hands with antibacterial soap to prevent infection.
   • If small needles remain in the damaged area, pull them out with tweezers. Before doing this, sterilize the tweezers with antibacterial soap.
   • Until the wound heals, change the dressing once a day or as soon as it gets dirty or wet.
5. 5 If you are unable to remove the needles, seek medical attention. See your doctor if you are unable to remove the needles from your hand, leg, or other sensitive body part. If cactus needles are stuck in your neck, throat, or other sensitive area and you cannot easily remove them yourself, go to the emergency room as soon as possible.
   • Do not leave cactus needles in your skin for long periods of time, as this can lead to infection.

Method 2 of 3: Removing needles from clothing

1. 1 Remove the small needles with tape. Small cactus needles can be deeply and firmly embedded in tissue. However, bOMost of them can usually be removed with tape or other equally adhesive tape. To do this, stick a strip of tape on the corresponding area, and then tear it off. For best results, repeat this several times.
   • Do not use this method to remove the needles from the skin, as this may cause additional damage.
2. 2 Pull out large cactus needles with a comb. Unlike small needles, large needles and rounded spines can be easily removed from clothing. Take a fine-toothed comb and place it over the needles, then run it over your clothing. As a result, the needles will fall off.
   • After you have removed most of the needles, pull out the remaining ones with tape or tweezers.
   • When using a comb, keep your hand as far away from the needles as possible.
3. 3 Machine wash your clothes to remove leftover needles. After you remove bOmost of the needles, load the garment into the washing machine and start the normal wash cycle. This way you will get rid of the remaining needles that you could not remove manually.
   • Do not wash damaged clothes together with other things, otherwise cactus needles may simply migrate from one thing to another.

Method 3 of 3: Removing hair needles

1. 1 Remove large needles with tweezers. If large and easily distinguishable cactus needles are tangled in your hair, grab them with tweezers and pull them out of your hair. These needles can be accompanied by small needles that are very difficult to see, so wear gardening gloves to protect your hands.
   • If some needles pierce your scalp, have someone check for signs of damage. If you find these signs, see your doctor immediately.
2. 2 Use a comb to remove the small needles stuck in your hair. Wear gardening gloves to avoid injuring your hands. Then take a fine-toothed comb and go through your hair. This way, you can remove small, hard-to-see cactus needles entangled in your hair.
   • If you find it difficult to remove all the needles, try soaking your hair in warm water for about 10 minutes. This will unravel the hair and make it easier to pull out the cactus needles.
3. 3 If you are unable to remove the needles, trim your hair. If you are unable to pull the cactus needles out of your hair, you may need to trim your hair in an appropriate area with scissors or shave it off with a razor. While this may seem frustrating, leaving the needle in your hair can cause severe discomfort. In addition, if the needle pierces the scalp over time, it can lead to a serious infection.