Whether just in the back yard, or worse yet, in a wilderness survival situation, getting a tiny splinter under your skin can cause you big problems. The pain can be distracting and make necessary tasks difficult or impossible. If left unaddressed the splinter can lead to infection which could, if you are unable to access medical help, lead to death. In order to prevent something so small from causing you big problems get rid of any splinter as soon as you can. Here are 3 ways to get a splinter out easily in different situations.
Fingernail Clippers
If you have access to fingernail clippers this would be my first recommendation. Instead of trying to pull the splinter out by its back, start at the front of the splinter and, using the fingernail clippers, carefully pinch the skin above where the splinter is laying. Continue to pinch the skin and pull it, removing the skin over the splinter starting at the front and moving towards the back until the whole splinter is exposed. This process is surprisingly painless compared to trying to pull it out using tweezers. A similar process can be done by cutting the skin with a sharp blade but there are obvious dangers in that.
Water
If the splinter is in your finger you can submerge your finger in water. This can be done in as little as a cap full of water if water is scarce. Leave your fingertip in the water until the skin on your fingertip has become white and the outer skin cells are water logged and soft. At this point it should be easy enough to remove the skin on top of the splinter with only the fingers on your other hand.
Toothpaste
If the splinter is in a difficult place to reach and no one can help you, you can apply toothpaste to the site before bed. It could be done during the day be movement and sweat will likely reduce its effect. If toothpaste is not available any clean paste that reduces in size when it dries will work like oatmeal.
Something as small as a splinter sounds like it’s no big deal, until its cutting down on your ability to get things done or getting infected and posing a serious threat to your life. Take care of it fast so you can get back to work.
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Comments (18)
Make sure the skin is open on the end where the splinter went in. Place a little mentholatum on the area and cover with bandaid at bedtime. In the morning remove bandaid and splinter if not already out will pop out easily with a little pinch.
This is a “Night-time only” solution:It works with wood, metal, glass, plastic, pimples, black-heads, anything “foreign”. Put a piece of bacon fat on the splinter, put a band-aid over it and go to sleep.The “object” will be laying in the bacon fat in the morning. Painless, hassle free. Works with ANYTHING!
Elmer’s glue works, as does wrapping the splinter with bacon over night. In the first car, let the glue dry and peel it off. The splinter should com off with the glue. In the second case the fat in the bacon softens the splinter an swells it, making it simple to remove. I bet liquid bandaid should work like the glue.
When I was a child,, my dad applied a piece of bacon fat to the splinter site held in place with a strip if tape. It lubricated the splinter and it came out on its own!
I like white glue. Just smear some on, Detroit dry, slowly pull it off and usually the splinter comes with it. Works with cactus spines too.
Another method is to take a card, like a credit card and lay it about 45 degrees against the skin and brush in one directions until the splinter comes out. Be sure to brush in the direction that it seems to be going in for best results.
Put a drop of Glue on top of splinter. Let it dry completely. When the glue is completely dried gently pull up an edge and start pealing glue off. The splinter should come right out. Good Luck and e-mail me if it worked for you.
Duct tape is a multi-use tool around my house! Apply a piece of duct tape to the splinter area. Leave it there a minute or two. Then quickly pull tape off in the opposite direction.
Another way is to cover splinter area with a thin layer of elmer’s school glue. Once dry, peel off in opposite direction.
Have you ever used a straight pen or sewing needle to pull the splinter out?.
Hey I’m a classroom teacher. I teach middle school science. I found that duck tape is great for removing splinters when we’re doing our major Popsicle roller coaster projects at the end of the year after studying Newton’s Three Laws of Motion. I have also found that using honey is a great burn soother from the hot glue guns. Have been switching to low temp glue guns.
“Manly tape” as I call it (actually duct tape) is a wonderful way to remove cactus needles and splinters! Get the real stuff not the generic, I keep it in the kitchen drawer so it’s always handy just tear off a small strip and place on the area of the splinter and pull it off, 95% of the time the splinter is out the first time if not you may have to try it a couple of times but it always works for me. Call me thankful, my eyesight is not what it use to be.
Here are some ideas.
Elmer’s glue. Smear some over the splinter and let it dry. Pull it off in the direction you want the splinter to come out.
A sharp sewing needle. Slide the needle along the splinter as far as you can go, then lift the skin until it splits. This usually exposes enough of the splinter to get under it with the needle and lift it out.
I have always removed splinters painlessly with a knife blade 90 degrees to the skin and used it to simply scrap them out, has never failed make sure knife has a good edge and is clean!
I use DUCT TAPE .A small piece pressed over splinter area and then yanked off. It may take a few times to do the job. Wonderful, especially on bottom of feet where it is impossible to see. Sticker-Burrs ‘track’ into the house; get stuck on rugs and end up on toes.
Ichthymmol ointment on a soft gauze pad will help draw the splinter out over a few hours, and it relieves pain. As a kid this was known as drawing salve.
A good sharp fish hook is an effective instrument to clear the path to extract the splinter. Grandson has done this since he was three years old.
Get a product called PRID. Walmart cheap in the pharmacy. Little orange tin. Lasts forever. Place a very small dab on splinter sight and cover over night. Draws the splinter out to top of skin. This is an old drawing salve and works great. Has pulled out glass splinters from bottom on heal rather than going to er or physician. LOVE THIS STUFF.
Have the same tin for 16 plus years and still works. Black like tar so don’t be afraid of the color.
Opening the skin even more than where the splinter went in originally might not be a good idea. It increases the area exposed to germs and opens more area for a possible infection. If the splinter cannot be pulled out from the entry point, putting an antibiotic on it and covering with a bandaid until you are in a better position to remove the splinter could be something to think about.
References: Former EMT, State and National certifications, 7 years in hospital experience
Another surefire splinter removal method: epsom salts. Put a pinch of epsom salts on the site of the splinter entry, cover it with a band-aid. Within 6 – 8 hour, the splinter will be painlessly pulled out. the epsom salts acts as a poultice and extracts the splinter without any digging.
David
I wouldn’t use toothpaste, because the fluoride is a toxin that doesn’t need to go to an open wound. I have always heard to use baking soda overnight, but other people’s comments on oils, duct tape, and glue sound better.