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
grace
Does this work on a knee? i just went camping and got stabbed with some thorns… i just noticed that needles were in my knee and it hurts so bad to touch it aka did it out.
ASE
1/3 of an inch came then 1/2 an inch more? Don’t exaggerate! That would mean the splinter was .8 inches (20mm) long… You must have some mean bushes around your place!
Sarah
Yes we do! We live in Florida, which explains a lot ;0
Philippa
Thanks, Jade. I thought there was sthg I was more likely to already have than Epsom salts, and this was it. Off to start my splinter removal right now! Oh, wait. I hope you mean what we call Bicarbonate of Soda (“bicarb”) in Australia, which I have, and not Baking Powder (which might be partially bicarb anyway). We don’t call either ‘Baking Soda’ here. Wish me luck…
Catherine
Does this work if the skin has started to grow over the top? My 5 year old daughter has a thorn of some sort in her hand & refuses to let anyone near it. I’ve been using magnesium sulphate since yesterday but not managed to get anything out yet. It’s red around the wound & a small amount of puss keeps building up. We went to see the nurse to try & get it removed but she wouldn’t let her get anywhere near her hand either.
Sarah
It worked for my husband even many weeks after he got the splinter and it was covered over with skin.
Azalea
Does it burn PR sting when you put it on an open wound??
Callum
Does this work on metal splinters?
Sarah
Yes it does!
Kelly F
Thank you for this information! I stuck my index finger on a piece of firewood, I pulled out the piece, and didn’t think much of it, but later it got red and began to swell, I figured there was something still in there, so I tried to dig it out with my pocket knife, but no luck. I came across this article and decided to try it, ( didn’t know to dissolve the granules first), so I just wet them and put on a band aid, and later my finger was pretty red and and moist, so I got a needle and tried to find the piece, no luck, this time I figured out to dissolve the granules, put on some liquid and a new band aid, the wound and skin started to heal, but it was still swollen. I just let it go, and a few days later after a shower, I noticed 2 small slivers, I decided to wait, and finally they either came out unnoticed or dissolved… anyway, I’m pretty sure you saved my finger, all is well now, I will remember this solution and share it. Thank you very much for your help with this. Sincerely Kelly
Jade
Baking soda and a bandaid also works.
Naomi
Thank you for sharing this knowledge.
Jessie
Thank you for sharing !!!! I stepped on a tooth pick and it broke off in my foot I could feel it inside went to urgent care they dug around couldn’t find it and sent me home fast forward about a month and I could still feel it in my foot when I stepped on it and my wound would never heal completely so I decided to give this a try within a few days the broken piece was poking out enough I was sticking out to pull it out !!!!!!