How to Remove a Splinter

It feels good to set your feet free of shoes and walk barefoot on the porch or deck, particularly in warm the summer months. Unfortunately, there can be a drawback to all of that foot freedom in the form of painful splinters. A splinter lodged in the foot can quickly put a damper on the day unless you can extract it quickly and return to enjoying your activities. With a few simple tools, you can do just that. Heres how to remove a splinter successfully.

What tools do you need to remove a splinter?

To remove a splinter thats superficial, all youll need is a pair of tweezers, some gauze or cotton pads, and some rubbing alcohol. Youll also need access to a good light so you can visualize the splinter.

How to remove a splinter:

First, use the rubbing alcohol and gauze to thoroughly clean the tweezers youll be using to extract the splinter. Apply a small amount of alcohol to a gauze or cotton pad and pat it lightly around the splinter. Dont rub because you could push the splinter further under the skin making it more difficult to extract. Under a good light, visualize the splinter. Once you can clearly see the splinter, grasp it firmly with the tweezers and pull the splinter out. Once the splinter is removed, clean the area thoroughly with rubbing alcohol on a gauze pad.

What if the splinter is too deep to grasp?

As long as you can visualize the splinter and its just beneath the surface of the skin, you can use a clean, sterilized needle to lightly scrape off the superficial layer of skin covering the splinter. Its important not to go too deep. If youre unable to grasp the splinter after scraping off the superficial skin layers, leave the splinter alone. If you can grasp it, use tweezers cleaned with rubbing alcohol to pull the splinter out. Wash the area thoroughly the soap and water.

What if you cant reach the splinter despite the above?

If the splinter is painful and is interfering with your ability to walk, see your doctor for removal. If the splinter is small, itll probably work its way out of the foot over time, but youll need to watch for signs of redness and swelling which could indicate an infection that needs immediate medical attention.

A final precaution

After you remove a splinter, its important to verify that youre up-to-date on your tetanus vaccine. If theres any doubt, make an appointment with your doctor for an update.