How to Get Super Glue Off Your Skin Easily and Without Pain

I was reminded this week about the safe way of getting super glue off your skin when my friend managed to stick three of her fingers together. She'd used super glue to stick the head back on a porcelain pig then realized, when she attempted to screw the top back on the super glue tube, she couldn't move her fingers. Removing super glue from your skin can not only be painful but downright dangerous if you don't do it off correctly. That's why getting super glue off your skin without causing damage or pain is a skill everyone should know.

Don't Try To Force Affected Area Apart - One of the biggest mistakes people who have super glue on their skin make is try to pull the affected areas apart. Once the super glue has dried, not only will that not work, it'll likely rip off the skin on one part of your body, leaving a gaping bloody wound, and that skin still attached to the super glue still stuck on the other body part. The worst thing you can do is try to force the skin apart. Leave it, and move on to the next step.

Soak The Affected Area In Warm Soapy Water - The first correct step to getting super glue off your skin is to soak the affected area in warm soapy water. Often, the affected area is your hand or several fingers. Place them in a bowl of warm soapy water and soak for at least 15 minutes. Areas that are larger will sometimes require up to an hour before the super glue begins to break down and the skin can be carefully pulled apart and that might involve sitting in a warm soapy bath. Do it.

Rub With Olive Oil - Olive Oil is wonderful for many purposes and getting super glue off skin is one of them. Pour a small amount of olive oil in a bowl and dip the affected area in the olive oil if it's small enough. If you've got super glue over a larger area of skin, you'll have to dip a cloth into the olive oil and use that. Rub the affected skin with olive oil for 15-30 minutes. During that time, you should feel the super glue begin to loosen and, eventually, you'll be able to pull the two areas of skin away from each other.

Use Nail Polish Remover - If, after soaking the affected skin in warm water for at least an hour, and it's still stuck together, you're going to have to move onto more drastic measures. Dampen a tissue or q-tips with nail polish remover and slowly begin to rub the affected area. The nail polish remover should begin to break down the bond, and eventually you'll be able to pull the affected skin apart. Just make sure the nail polish remover has acetone listed as one of the ingredients as, if it doesn't, it won't work.

See A Doctor - If you get super glue on a large area of skin and it's not loosening, or you get it in your eyes, your nose, or your ears, if you can't immediately treat the area effectively, head to the emergency room and see a doctor. Super glue can be dangerous if not dealt with correctly, so let someone who's trained take a look.