Walking barefoot on grass, with your sandals hanging, is a beautiful experience till a splinter lodge itself in your foot for home remedies. Moving old wooden furniture or a frantic search for something in an old wooden chest can result in a sliver of glass or wood penetrating itself underneath your skin. In all these simple activities, the experience can become a harrowing one. The constant irritation and throbbing can be overwhelming and annoying.
Besides, the splinters are small pieces of glass, wood, or metal that can pierce the subcutaneous tissue of your skin. To prevent further damage, splinters need to be removed carefully as soon as possible.
If needles and tweezers give you a scary feeling, here are some of the home remedies on how to get a splinter out quickly and safely without any pain.
Contents
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt has been used for removing deeply embedded splinters for ages. It softens the splinter and helps pull it out. Additionally, it also reduces inflammation. Epsom salt shrinks the skin cells by drawing water out of the skin cells, due to which the lodged splinter comes up to the surface, ensuring a painless removal.
- Just put a pinch of Epsom salt on a bandage and apply it over the affected area.
- You must ensure that the salt is in contact with the area where the splinter is lodged.
- Leave the bandage on the affected area for 24 hours.
- When you open the bandage, you will see that that splinter has been drawn out.
- Remove the splinter easily with a tweezer.
2. Using Duct Tape
Removal of a splinter party sticking out of the skin using duct tape is one of the most conventional methods.
- The affected area must be washed with lukewarm water and soap and should be left for drying.
- Gently, put a piece of duct tape over the splinter area and rub over the top of the tape using your fingertip.
- Leave it to dry for about ten minutes, and then remove the tape in just one smooth motion. The splinter will come out along with the duct tape.
3. Using White Vinegar
The acidic nature of white vinegar causes the splinter to break through the skin’s surface, enabling easy splinter removal.
- Take some white vinegar in a small bowl and soak the affected area in it for half an hour.
- Check regularly whether the splinter has risen sufficiently out of the skin’s surface. If it has risen out, pull it out using a sterilized tweezer, else continue soaking it until the splinter rises to the surface.
4. Using Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a disinfecting agent, and its application can cause swelling and allow the splinter to come out to the surface.
- Soak a cotton ball in 3% hydrogen peroxide.
- Apply the cotton ball on the affected area, secure it in place with a bandage, and leave it on for a few hours.
- Remove the cotton ball and pull out the splinter with a pair of clean tweezers.
5. Using Baking Soda Paste
Baking soda has been proven to be an excellent remedy for both superficial splinters and splinters embedded in the skin. Moreover, it is commonly available in every home. Baking soda causes the skin to swell, which pushes the splinter out to the surface and makes it easy to pull it out with a pair of sterilized tweezers.
- Mix a tablespoon of baking soda with a small amount of water to form a thick paste.
- Smear the affected area with this baking soda paste. Place an adhesive bandage on the site for 24 hours and remove it.
- If the splinter is visible, remove it with a sterilized tweezer. If it is not visible, repeat the procedure with fresh baking soda paste and another adhesive bandage.
6. Using a Banana Peel
Banana peel contains enzymes that soften the skin and push the splinter to the surface. Additionally, the moisturizing and antimicrobial properties of the banana peel prevent any further infection.
- Cut a small piece of the banana peel and place it with the white side down on the affected area.
- Secure it in place with tape and leave it overnight.
- Remove the splinter the following day with a pair of tweezers.
7. Using Lavender Essential Oil
If you’re thinking about the side effects of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, you can use essential oil to remove splinters. Lavender essential oil is loaded with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Additionally, it helps in the prevention of infection and helps in quick skin recovery.
- Apply a few drops of lavender oil on the affected area and leave it on for a couple of hours.
- Once you notice that the splinter has moved up, pull it out carefully using a pair of tweezers.
The Bottom Line
Once the splinter is out, use a magnifying glass to examine any broken part that might still be inside. If there are no more splinters or any fractured part of it, then you need to clean the affected area properly with an antiseptic solution and leave it to dry. Once dry, then cover it adequately with an adhesive bandage to prevent the risk of infection. If the splinter was metallic, you could take a tetanus injection.