How to remove a deep splinter from your skin

A splinter piercing the skin can be a nuisance for both children and adults. It often causes pain, discomfort, and sometimes infection. The most common types of splinters are wood, glass, or metal. In some cases, splinters can be removed at home with basic tools or a combination of them, but deeper splinters may require more complex techniques or medical assistance.

Try using tweezers. If part of the splinter is sticking out of the skin's surface, try using tweezers to pull it out. Choose tweezers with serrated tips. Grip the splinter firmly and gently pull it out.

• Disinfect the tweezers before use. Wipe them with alcohol or vinegar, boil them in water for a few minutes, or heat them over a flame for about a minute.
• Wash your hands before attempting to remove the splinter.

Use nail clippers to handle large splinters. If the splinter is thick and hard to break, you can replace tweezers with sanitized nail clippers. If the splinter is embedded in a thick area of skin or at an awkward angle, you can trim a small layer of outer skin to better access and remove the splinter – you shouldn't feel pain if it's in a less sensitive, thicker area of skin, such as your heel.

• Cut along the direction of the splinter.
• Be careful not to cut too deep to avoid bleeding. Deep cuts can increase the risk of infection.
• When using nail clippers or tweezers, it's best to use your dominant hand (unless the splinter is in your dominant hand) for better control and precision.

Use a needle to lift the splinter. If the splinter is deeply embedded in the skin, you can use a sanitized needle or pin to gently lift part of it to the surface. Make a small hole in the skin directly above the splinter, where it's closest to the surface. Try to use the needle tip to lift the splinter, so you can then grab it with tweezers or nail clippers.

• Don’t attempt to use the needle to extract the entire splinter – this can cause further damage and increase the risk of the splinter breaking.

Consider using an ointment. Ointments are antiseptics that help remove deep splinters by softening the skin and allowing them to “slide” out. Apply the ointment to the wound and wait about a day for the splinter to be pushed out. During this time, you should cover the wound. Patience is key while the ointment works.

• A common brand is Ichthammol (black ointment), available at pharmacies without a prescription.
• The ointment is greasy and sometimes has a strong smell.
• In most cases, the ointment will only bring the splinter closer to the surface – you'll still need to use tweezers to fully remove it.

Try using baking soda to treat the wound. Baking soda is not only a good antiseptic, but it also helps slow blood flow and draws the splinter to the surface of the skin. If the splinter is made of glass, metal, or plastic, soak the wound in warm water with a few teaspoons of baking soda for about an hour. For wood splinters, mix baking soda with a bit of water to make a paste and apply it to the wound. Cover it with a bandage and leave it overnight.

• You will still need to use tweezers or nail clippers to remove the splinter from your skin.

Stop the bleeding. If the wound continues to bleed after removing the splinter, apply cotton wool to the injury. Hold it in place for a few minutes or until the bleeding stops.

Disinfect the wound. After removing the splinter, it's important to clean the small puncture wounds. Wash with warm water and soap, then gently dry with a clean towel and wipe with alcohol-soaked cotton. Alcohol is an excellent disinfectant, but white vinegar, iodine, and hydrogen peroxide are also effective.

• If you don't have alcohol-soaked cotton, you can use a clean cotton swab dipped in alcohol to clean the wound.
• You may feel a sting when applying alcohol, but the sensation will fade quickly.

Apply antibiotic ointment. Antibiotic ointments like Neosporin help prevent infection. Apply a small amount of ointment to the cleaned wound. You can buy antibiotic creams or ointments at any nearby pharmacy.

Cover the wound. After washing and disinfecting, let the wound dry completely. Use a bandage to protect the area from irritation and dirt. You can remove the bandage after one or two days.

Avoid squeezing the splinter. This may be your first instinct, but don't press around the edges of the wound in an attempt to force the splinter out. This is rarely effective, and you could end up breaking the splinter or causing additional damage.

Keep the wooden splinter dry. If it's a wooden splinter, ensure that it remains dry. Wood splinters can crumble when pulled out, leaving behind smaller fragments deep in the skin.

Wash your hands before removing the splinter. Don't risk infecting the small wound. Just like disinfecting tools, you should thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water before touching the injury. Rub antibacterial soap for at least 30 seconds and rinse well.

Remove the splinter intact. Make sure to avoid breaking or leaving any pieces behind in the skin, as this could increase the risk of infection. Remember to pull the splinter out along the angle it entered to minimize the risk of it snapping. Splinters rarely pierce the skin at a 90-degree angle.

Watch for signs of infection. Infection can occur with any type of splinter, in any area of the skin, and at any depth, so monitor the wound for a few days after removal. Common signs of infection include swelling, redness, pain, pus, numbness, and a tingling sensation around the wound.

• More severe signs of infection that affect the whole body include fever, nausea, night sweats, muscle aches, headaches, and delirium. In such cases, seek immediate medical attention.

Seek medical care if home remedies fail. If you're unable to remove the splinter despite trying home treatments, you should visit a doctor within a few days for assistance in extracting it. Don't let the splinter remain embedded in your skin.

• If the splinter is broken or shattered, you will need a doctor to remove the fragments.

Seek medical attention for deep wounds or excessive bleeding. If the splinter causes the wound to bleed continuously even after 5 minutes of pressure, you should see a doctor. In this case, specialized tools may be required to extract the splinter.

• If surgery is needed to remove the splinter, the doctor will numb the area with a local anesthetic before proceeding.
• Larger wounds may require stitches to close after the splinter has been removed.

Visit a doctor for splinters under the nails. If a splinter is deeply embedded under a fingernail or toenail, you may not be able to remove it yourself. Attempting to do so could cause further injury. A doctor can safely trim a portion of your nail to extract the splinter.

• Your nail will grow back normally afterward.

Call emergency services if the splinter enters the eye or is near the eye. If something enters the eye, cover the affected eye and call emergency services immediately. Do not attempt to remove the object yourself – you could cause further damage to the eye and impair vision. Try to keep both eyes closed until help arrives to minimize movement of the injured eye.