How do you remove a splinter?

When cleaning, practicing a hobby or playing outside, a splinter can easily accumulate. Small pieces of wood, glass or metal that penetrate the skin. Thorns can also viciously pierce the skin.

Splinter Tweezers

It is because of these inconveniences that a good first aid kit always includes splinter tweezers, also known as pointed tweezers. These tweezers have a pointed tip, which makes it extra easy to get hold of such a small splinter. Such pointed tweezers are also suitable for removing ingrown hairs or for performing other detailed work. Other useful tools for removing a splinter are a good lamp and possibly a magnifying glass and a needle.

Disinfecting tweezers and needle

Wash your hands well before you start. This reduces the chance of spreading bacteria that can cause an infection. Then gently pat the skin dry. Do not rub, because that can irritate even more. Also disinfect the tweezers and the needle, if you want to use the latter as well. You can use rubbing alcohol (96 percent) for this, but also a disinfectant product. You can also disinfect the tweezers by holding them in the blue part of a flame and then letting them cool or by boiling them in a pan of boiling water.

Remove the splinter

As mentioned, you can use a magnifying glass when removing the splinter. Remove the splinter in good light anyway. Then you can see it well and there is less chance that you will damage the skin further. Sometimes you can barely tell that there is a splinter, but you notice it by rubbing the skin. If you rub the splinter, it gives the same unpleasant feeling as when it pierced the skin. Once you’ve exposed the end of the splinter, grab it with your tweezers. Pull the splinter out of your skin at the same angle it entered your skin. Once the splinter is all the way under the skin, you can use the sterile needle to pick something out. If necessary, soak the skin first in a bath of lukewarm water, which makes it easier to pick the splinter out.

Disinfecting not necessary

After you have removed the splinter, you can still squeeze it gently. If a few drops of blood are released, the wound will clean itself of any bacteria. Disinfection of small wounds is no longer recommended; the body takes care of healing itself. You can wash the wound again with soap and water. Finally, you can cover the wound with a bandage.

If the splinter won’t come out

If you are unable to remove the splinter, you can soak the area in warm, soapy water or soda water for 15 to 30 minutes. Repeat this about three times a day for several days. Usually the splinter will then work itself out or be easier to remove. Also rubbing with ichthammol (pulling ointment) sometimes helps. If you are still unable to remove the splinter, then go to your doctor.

When to go to the doctor with a splinter?

• If you have to insert the tweezers deep into your skin to get to the splinter.
• If the end of the splinter breaks off and you can’t grab it again.
• With (deep) glass or metal splinters. Do not try to take it out yourself as you could cut yourself.
• If the area around the wound is red, swollen and warm to the touch. This means that the wound has become infected.
• If pus or fluid comes out of the wound.
• In case of fever.
• If a child has a splinter and his last tetanus shot was more than five years ago. When road grime or mud has adhered to the splinter, tetanus bacteria can penetrate the skin. This also applies to adults with very dirty splinters.
• With a splinter in the eye.

Grandma’s home remedies

Many home remedies are also known for removing splinters. Thin, brittle splinters, originating from plants or glass fiber reinforced plastic, can be removed, for example, using adhesive tape. Peel off the tape in the same direction that the splinter entered the skin. Some people (carefully) use sandpaper for this.

Other tips from grandma: pre-cooling with an ice cube makes it less painful to remove the splinter. It is also recommended to put butter, chewed bread, bacon, onion or leek on the affected area to ‘crawl out’ the splinter. The latter methods have not been proven to work.