How to Remove Cactus Thorns from Your Skin

Whether you're gardening at home or wandering through the endless desert roads, your day can quickly turn sour if a cactus thorn gets stuck in your skin. Luckily, there are many ways to remove these thorns from your skin, hair, and clothing to ease the discomfort.

Use tweezers to remove the cactus thorn from your skin. If you can clearly see the thorn, grab the tip with tweezers and pull it out. To avoid breaking the thorn, be sure to pull straight out in one smooth motion.

• If the thorn is deeply embedded in the skin, place the tweezers at the farthest point from the wound and gently ease it out.

Use a nylon stocking to remove cactus spines. Cactus spines are fine, hair-like needles, shorter and softer than regular thorns. To remove cactus spines, wear gloves and roll up a nylon stocking, then gently rub it over the area where the cactus spines are embedded in the skin to pull them out.

• The nylon stocking creates a sticky force, similar to tape, without irritating the skin.

Use rubber glue to handle stubborn cactus spines. Take a cotton swab, tongue depressor, or brush to apply a thin layer of rubber glue over the affected area. Let the glue dry, then slowly peel off the edges of the glue layer. Repeat this process multiple times to remove as many cactus spines as possible.

• The drying time will depend on the brand of glue you're using.
• You might feel some discomfort as the glue dries. To alleviate this, you can take an over-the-counter painkiller such as acetaminophen.

Cover the wound after removing the cactus thorn. After removing the cactus thorn, rinse the affected area with clean water for 5-10 minutes. Once you’ve removed dirt and debris as much as possible, apply antibiotic ointment and cover the area with a bandage.

• For safety, wash your hands with antibacterial soap before cleaning the wound.
• If you see cactus spines in the wound, you can use sterilized tweezers to remove them.
• Change the bandage at least once a day, or whenever it becomes dirty or wet, until the wound heals.

Seek medical attention. Visit a doctor if you are unable to remove a cactus thorn from your arm, leg, or any sensitive areas of your body. If a cactus thorn is stuck in the skin on your neck, throat, or any other sensitive location, you should go to the emergency room as soon as possible.

• Leaving a cactus thorn embedded in the skin for a long period of time can lead to infection.

Remove small cactus spines using fabric tape. Cactus spines that have embedded themselves in fabric can be difficult to remove, but typically you can get rid of most of them using fabric tape or another adhesive with similar sticking power. To do this, place a strip of tape on the fabric, then peel it off. Repeat multiple times for the best results.

• Do not use this method to remove cactus spines from your skin, as it may cause additional injury to the affected area.

Remove larger cactus thorns using a comb. Unlike the small spines, large cactus thorns and round cactus pieces that get stuck in clothing are relatively easy to remove. You can use a fine-toothed comb and place it over the thorn, then gently comb through the thorn to lift it off the fabric.

• Once most of the cactus thorn has been removed, you can finish off any remaining stubborn thorns with fabric tape or tweezers.
• When using the comb, make sure to keep your hands as far away from the thorns as possible.

Wash your clothes in the washing machine to remove any remaining thorns. After you’ve removed as many cactus thorns as you can, toss your clothes in the washing machine on a normal cycle. This will help remove any fine cactus spines that couldn’t be picked out by hand.

• Do not wash cactus thorn-affected items with other clothes, as this could result in transferring the spines from one garment to another.

Remove large cactus thorns from your hair using tweezers. If large cactus thorns are clearly tangled in your hair, use tweezers to pull them out. Along with these thorns, there may also be smaller, harder-to-see cactus spines, so it’s a good idea to wear gloves to protect your hands.

• If the cactus thorn is embedded in your scalp, ask a friend or family member to check for any signs of significant injury. If they notice any issues, seek medical attention immediately.

Use a comb to handle small cactus thorns stuck in your hair. To protect your hands, wear gardening gloves and use a fine-toothed comb to gently comb through the area of hair with the thorns. This technique will help remove tiny, hard-to-see cactus spines and any stubborn thorns tangled in your hair.

• If you're finding this tricky, soak your hair in warm water for about 10 minutes to loosen things up and make it easier to remove the cactus spines.

Cut your hair if you can't remove the cactus thorns. If you're unable to get the cactus thorns out of your hair, you might need to use scissors or a razor to cut the hair sections with the thorns. You may be tempted to leave the thorns in your hair, but this can cause significant discomfort, and if the thorns pierce your scalp, they could lead to an infection.