Slivers and splinters piercing the skin are quite a common occurrence in almost any household. This kind of an injury is probably the most common household accident and can be caused due to a tiny sliver of glass, a splinter of wood, or a slender bit of plastic or metal penetrating and entering under the skin. It then gets lodged beneath the skin and causes a great deal of irritation and discomfort. Splinters entering the skin can also be quite painful, but they can in most situations be removed easily without any medical assistance. If removed properly there will be no infection. Apart from the pain due to the penetration through the skin you would also notice some amount of swelling and redness.
Here are some tips to help you treat and get rid of an embedded splinter, at home itself.
- First of all you should make it a point to wash and cleanse the area around the sliver thoroughly. You can simply use hot water and an anti bacterial soap.
- If the sliver is protruding above the surface of your skin and is clearly visible you can remove it using a pair of sterilized, fine tipped tweezers.
- In case you’re dealing with a tiny splinter, white glue can come quite handy. Just dab on a small amount of the glue onto the splinter and allow it to dry. Once it has dried completely you can just peel it off, and the splinter should come out with it. Sticky tape can also be used over the area and works just like glue.
- If there is not enough of the sliver visible over the surface for you to get a grip of it you may have to break a little of the skin to expose the rest of it and extract it. Make sure you only use a sterilized infection, as an infection will just make matters worse.
- If the sliver is visible beneath the surface but there isn’t enough protruding to get a good grip, you can apply pressure with a sewing needle to gently nudge the sliver out. The pressure will gradually expose enough of the sliver for you to extract it with tweezers. IF you are not sure about what you’re doing however it would be best not to attempt this as you may end up embedding it further.
- If the splinter is deeply embedded it would be advisable to visit your doctor.
- Always sterilize the area with an antiseptic after removing the sliver.
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