How to quickly draw out even deep splinters without a needle, pain, or trip to the doctor even if they have been embedded for some time. One minute video demonstration included.
A splinter is a fragment of any foreign object that penetrates and becomes lodged inside one’s body. While splinters can come from a variety of materials such as glass, plastic, metal or even the spines of animals, for most people, splinters commonly occur on the fingers and hands from handling some type of plant matter such as a piece of wood.
When one experiences a splinter, pain as the sharp object initially penetrates the skin is usually felt. This is because the object has cut through the cutaneous layer of skin, settling into the subcutaneous layer below. While some splinters stay put at that point, most others will continue to move around, damaging additional tissue in the process.
Splinters that become lodged in the fingers or hand as would happen while doing yard work are usually very easy to remove with a simple needle that has been properly cleaned with alcohol first.
The Problem with Removing Splinters with Needles
The problem with this approach is that children don’t like it as picking at a splinter with a pointy object can sometimes hurt until part of the splinter is exposed and the rest pulled out with a pair of tweezers or a piece of tape.
The second problem with the needle approach is that it doesn’t always work if the splinter is very deep or quite thin and hard to see.
This happened to my husband recently when he got a thorn that was about an inch long deeply lodged in his left index finger while doing some yard work.
No matter how hard he tried to dig that thorn out with the traditional needle approach, he could not even find it let alone remove it.
It was just too deep.
At first, he figured the splinter would naturally work its way out. Splinters sometimes do this – the skin “pushes” them to the surface of the skin where they are easily removed a short time later with tweezers or your fingers.
That didn’t happen with this splinter. Waiting a few days made the situation much worse as the finger got very sore and began to swell.
Going to a Doctor Instead is Expensive
I became very concerned at that point because the finger was obviously infected. I suggested a trip to the doctor, but my husband wasn’t keen on that idea as the (out of network) holistic family doctor we called said it would cost $500 for the office required consultation and subsequent removal of the splinter.
$500 to remove a splinter? Unbelievable!
My husband then had the bright idea to ask his friend who is a veterinarian about the situation.
How to Remove a Splinter at Home with No Needles
The veterinarian said that removing even a deep splinter is easy with magnesium sulfate, better known as Epsom salts. Many people are familiar with an Epsom salt bath for sore muscles or to improve sleep.
This remedy uses Epsom salt in another hugely beneficial way – to draw toxins even a splinter right out of the skin. (1)
The veterinarian said you could either soak the finger a few times a day in a cup of warm water and Epsom salts or make a poultice with it. The poultice is much faster and more effective, however.
Such a method is supported in the scientific literature and very safe as well. (2)
Epsom Salts – How to Draw Out a Splinter
My husband decided to go with the poultice route. He took a small pinch of Epsom salts, placed it on the bandage section of a regular, large band-aid and wrapped the finger with it. He changed the bandage once a day or after it got wet in the shower.
Another option is to put a bit of magnesium sulfate paste (which costs just a few dollars) on the area and cover with a bandage. Magnesium sulfate is the same thing as Epsom salt.
This one minute video demonstrates the easy process. Be sure to clean the area well and use established first aid methods before and after the splinter is out of the skin. (3)
How Long Does it Take?
Within 2 days, it was apparent that the Epsom salts poultice had worked! The end of that thorn was ever so slightly sticking through the skin!
My husband pulled about 1/3″ of thorn out, but he could tell there was still more in there.
He continued to apply the Epsom salts poultice for one more day which caused the rest of the thorn to come to the surface of the skin as well. He used tweezers to pull the rest of the thorn out, which turned out to be about another 1/2″ in length.
Best of all, the swelling and soreness of the finger quickly resolved with the removal of the thorn. It has been a couple of months since this happened and the finger is perfectly fine.
Keep Magnesium Sulfate on Hand
I will be using the Epsom salts or magnesium sulfate paste on a bandage approach to remove all splinters that occur in our household from now on. I’ve purchased a small bottle of the magnesium sulfate paste, and it is now a permanent part of my medicine cabinet.
This approach suggested by our veterinary friend is far easier than using needles or enduring the drama of a doctor’s visit and there is surprisingly no pain at all involved.
One word of caution. If you choose to use the crystals instead of the paste, be sure to buy Epsom salts that are human-grade, rather than agricultural grade.
References
(1) Magnesium Sulfate Paste
(2) Use of Epsom Salts, historically considered
(3) Foreign object in the skin: First aid
I recently got something way under my fingernail. I heard somewhere to put glue over the affected area, let dry and pull it off.
I followed the advice and when I pulled off the dry glue the huge splinter came with it. I was amazed. I had tried tweezers first.
Hi, just wanted to say thank you for sharing this. Wiping down a table this morning I got a piece of wicker basket lodged right down into my nail bed, holy smokes, the throbbing and pain was horrible. I can’t reach enough to pull it out, so I took to the internet to find another solution. So far the epsom salt soaks and wrap has help reduce the pain, I think, I hope that following this protocol it will pop out tomorrow or the next!
My 8 year old son has one right down below his knee do you think it will help. He won’t let me or his father touch it because it hurts.
My son had a half inch reclinata thorn in his palm..I was sure we were going to the emergency room.. talked to my neighbor who had been a nurse for years…she said hot water and epsom salt….worked like a charm and no infection 🙂
I went camping for 2 weeks 8 months ago and collected deadwood for my fire. The wood had old wild rose bush thorns all over it and I did not notice them at the time nor did I feel them go into me. 12 days into the trip I saw a thorn in my big toe. I went to remove it and was shocked to see a huge hole in my skin where it had rotted or been eaten or something like that from infection – and there are thousands of thorns in my hands and feet still. I’ve soaked in Epsom salts at the beginning – but will try again.
I also heard that Kerosene is good to soak in and will draw the thorns out. Has anyone else heard of that or have any other ideas? My hands and feet look like I had hot grease poured on them and feel the same quite often:(
Hopefully you have found the answer since you wrote this but as a gardener and immune compromised I have had to deal with this and have had severe illness to the point I thought I would lose my hand. I got a thorn stuck into the base of my thumb. It will take anti fungal treatment of some sort. I used hydrogen peroxide on a fungal toe. I took a baby wipe and soaked it in peroxide, wrapped the toe and then put plastic wrap over that! it killed it in a couple days. I am still doing it periodically to make sure that sucker is dead. the nail is growing back looking normal (it was a bit painful as the thing died). Things that might work for you. I have seen an oil and garlic wrap Youtube video that showed a gal fixing a bad fungal toe nail. And my athletes foot fungus seriously declined when I sprinkled boric acid powder on it, clean sock or wrap to keep the powder evenly spread.
I have something under the skin on my shin. I got it when I ran over something mowing the lawn about four months ago. It’s infected. I’ve been to the doctor twice and taken antibiotics. He said that he could send me to have x-rays done, to see if there is something under the skin. I feel pretty sure there is. So, I’m trying this. If I can fine this again, I’ll let you know if it brings it out.
Personally, I could have done without this photo. Ouch!!!
Sharing this piece of information,great ideal!!!!
I have used lavender essential oil, works really well also. Using the same technique.
If you read the article it does say her husband tried with a needle first, and it didn’t work bc it was so deep, so this method drew it out. I am going to try this with my 4 year old, she refuses to let me “pick” at one on her finger. With her foot it’s easier bc I can put a pillow in between so she can’t see I’m even using a needle.
I had a very deep one a few months back…tried it all. Was starting to get infected so I put some of my Bentonite Clay on it at night before bed, and wrapped it up (it was on my finger). Washed it off in the a.m. and applied some more paste for a few hours…you could see how much closer it came to the surface, and I was able to get it out. The swelling and redness had even gone down quite a bit the next morning, before I was able to get it out. I swear by this technique now! Try it
Had a hysterical 2 year old with a piece of glass,we didn’t know how long at first…ended up being over a centimeter. Not wanting to see her suffer while waiting for it to come to the surface or go digging in her wound. I saw the duct tape and Elmer’s glue recommendations, and took it a step further and better! The sugar that’s used for hair removal. ( google “sugar hair remover” there’s a few diff ones) apply the sugar to the sterile cloth that it comes with gently set it on the splinter wait 60 seconds and pull away , all done! It was AMAZING!!!
I wonder if this would work on a piece of pencil lead that’s been stuck in my son’s finger for about 6 months now?