A frantic search in your old wooden cabinet, walking barefoot on the grass, and moving your old furniture are simple tasks that are part of your everyday life.
These can be accompanied by a small sliver of glass or wood penetrating and lodging itself underneath your skin. Refusing to budge out from your skin, splinters can annoy you and inflict a surprising amount of pain in some cases.
Splinters are small fragments of foreign bodies such as wood, metal, or glass that can pierce and get lodged in the subcutaneous tissue of your skin.
Besides being painful, splinters are foreign bodies that can pave the way for microbial intrusion, which can result in inflammation and infection characterized by redness and swelling in the affected area.
To avoid further damage, splinters should be removed carefully as soon as possible. While inorganic matter such as plastic, glass, and metal can be removed in a less limited time frame, organic vegetative matter such as wood, plant and animal spines, cactus, and rose thorns need to be dealt with immediately.
Outlined below is a list of easy-to-do methods to remove a splinter safely without any pain.
Epsom salt
Magnesium sulfate aka Epsom salt helps push the splinter to the surface without causing any pain or swelling. Put a pinch of the salt on the adhesive side of a bandage and wrap it around your finger. Remove the bandage after three-four hours. Sterilize a pair of tweezers with alcohol and use them to carefully remove the splinter.
Baking Soda
In case of small or deeply inserted splinters, baking soda will lead to the swelling of the finger, forcing the splinter to the surface. Mix together equal amounts of water and baking soda to make a paste. Apply directly to the affected area and cover with a bandage. After three hours, use a pair of tweezers to pull out the splinter.
Banana peel
If the splinter is visible, you can use the peels of a ripe banana to easily pullout a splinter. The peel helps soften the skin, enabling the splinter to move to the surface without causing pain or discomfort.
Place the inner side of the peel on the affected area and secure it using tape or a piece of cloth. After about three-four hours, remove the peel; if the splinter hasn’t come out on its own, you can take the help of tweezers.
Eggshells
The eggshell membrane easily penetrates into the skin, enabling the splinter to come out easily. After breaking open an egg, keep aside the contents. Place the shell with the thin white membrane facing the splinter and leave overnight. You can secure the shell with a bandage. In the morning, the splinter will rise to the surface and come out easily.
Raw potato
When the splinter is partially visible, you can use a potato slice to carefully remove it. Gently press the slice over the splinter so as to entrap it. Remove the slice along with the splinter.