How to Properly Remove a Splinter

Having a splinter can sometimes be very painful, while other times you might not even notice. Splinters come in all shapes and sizes and they do not discriminate. You can find them anywhere on your body, but the most painful locations are under the fingernail and bottom of the feet. I have even heard of stories of people getting them in their bottom and face.

If a splinter is not removed properly it can lead to infection. The tiny piece of wood that has lodged itself into your body is loaded with bacteria. This bacteria can mutant fast and can lead to a very nasty infection that would require a trip to the Doctors office or even the Emergency Room. Make sure you have a tetanus shot if you do not you will need to get one. Splinters seem like they are not that big of a deal but with infection and pain they can cause a lot of problems.

If your feet are extremely dry or the splinter is really deep it will be really tough to remove this. If you cannot properly pull it out in one peace it will still cause you pain and infection. One thing to do is to soak your foot for a good 15 to 20 minutes. This will soften the skin allowing you to be able to get it out easier. After soaking the area where the wood splinter is grab a nail kit and tweezers. You might have to use nail clippers to remove some of the skin away so you can grab it with the tweezers.

There might be a little blood and pus from infection after you get this out. Make sure to clean the area out really well you can use hydrogen peroxide to rinse the infected area. Grab a little bit of Neosporin and a band-aid just to be on the safe side. These two things should take care of any infection. In case this does not keep a close eye on this area. If you are experience pain and swelling, pus coming out of the wound, or if it is very red and irritated you will need to go and see your Doctor.

This is the easiest way I have found to remove wood splinters in open areas of your body. If you were unlucky enough to get a splinter under the nail, you can try soaking and using tweezers. If this does not work you can wait for the nail to push it out, but doing this might cause further infection. Your last alternative would be to visit your Doctor.