Gardening without gloves or walking barefoot in the woods can put you in a difficult situation. The good news is that if you get a thorn in your skin, there are tons of home remedies you can use to remove it, from baking baking soda to using paint glue to vinegar. The important thing is that you remember to clean the area before and after removing the thorn, to avoid getting an infection.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Prepare the Area
Step 1. Clean well with soap and water
Before trying any method of pulling out the plug, it is important to cleanse the area where it has entered the skin. Use a mild soap and wash with warm water before starting the removal operation.
- Don't rub the area or you may push the plug even deeper.
- Pat dry with a clean cloth.
Step 2. Don't try to squeeze it out
It may be tempting to tease and press the area around the plug to pop it out. However, you risk pushing it even deeper or breaking it into pieces, finding yourself with a problem that is more difficult to solve. Don't goad it and try better ways to get it out.
Step 3. Look closely
Check the angle and depth of the plug to understand how to pull it out. There are several methods, depending on the angle and depth. Check how close it is to the surface and if a layer of skin has grown on it.
- If the final tip is on the outside, you may be able to remove it with tweezers or tape.
- If it is deeply rooted, it will be necessary to dig a little to get it out.
- If it is covered with a new layer of skin, you may need to use a needle or razor.
Step 4. Know when to see a doctor
If the plug has been in your skin for a couple of days and you notice signs of infection, see a doctor to get it out. If this is the case, you shouldn't try to take it off yourself, as you could further injure yourself. Your doctor will be able to safely remove it and dress the wound to treat the infection.
- If pus or blood is leaking, see your doctor.
- If you feel itchy, the area is red and swollen, see your doctor.
Part 2 of 3: Remove Shallow Thorns
Step 1. Test with tweezers
This is the simplest and quickest method if part of the plug is left on the outside. Make sure the tweezers are clean, grasp them firmly and close the tips around the top of the spine, then pull it out by pulling in the opposite direction to how it entered the skin.
- Make sure you are able to grasp the plug firmly with tweezers to pull it out completely. If you're worried you won't be able to, consider using a different method.
- Don't scratch the skin too much with tweezers if the plug has gone deep, as this could damage the area. Instead, use another method.
Step 2. Use tape
Another great way to get the plug out if part of the tip sticks out is to use a piece of duct tape. Just place a small piece over the area. Press lightly on the tip of the plug, then lift the tape.
- Don't push too hard, or you risk the thorn going deeper into the skin.
- Scotch tape or painter's tape is fine, but avoid products that could leave residue and make things worse.
Step 3. Use a drainage conditioner
If the tip of the thorn is under the skin, use a drainage ointment to try to pull it out enough to expose the tip. When the tip is exposed, you can remove the plug with tweezers. This technique takes a little longer than the others, but is effective if new skin has not yet grown over the entry point.
- Put ichthyol on the area and then cover it with a band-aid. You can also use some Epsom salts.
- Leave it on overnight. In the morning, remove the patch and rinse. Extract the plug by taking it from the tip with tweezers.
Step 4. Use baking soda
If you don't have ichthyol on hand, this method is also effective. Make a thick paste with baking soda and water and apply it to the area. Put a patch on top and leave it overnight. In the morning, remove the patch and rinse. The mixture allows the plug to drain a little so that it can be removed with tweezers.
Step 5. Try a raw potato
The contents of the raw potato act in the same way as a draining ointment, stimulating the thorn to rise to the surface of the skin. Open a fresh raw potato and cut a small slice. Place it over the affected area and hold it in place with a band-aid. Leave it on overnight. In the morning, remove the patch and rinse, then pull the plug out with tweezers.
Step 6. Get the vinegar
Put white vinegar in a bowl and wet the area. After about 20 minutes the plug should emerge a little, enough to be able to pull it out of the tip. This is a good method for fingers or toes which can be dipped in a small bowl.
Step 7. Use white vinyl glue
Put some of this glue on the area and let it dry. As it dries, it draws moisture from the finger, stimulating the spine to move towards the surface. When you remove the dry glue, the plug will come out as well.
- Do not use any other type of glue. Super potent glues like attak could make extraction more difficult.
- This method works best when the plug is already close to the surface.
Part 3 of 3: Removing Deeper Thorns
Step 1. Use a needle to pull it out
If the thorn is just under a thin layer of soft skin that has begun to form, this method works well. However, it is important to follow the right technique, so as not to introduce bacteria and risk an infection. Here's how to do it.
- Make sure the area the plug entered is clean and dry.
- Sterilize a sewing needle with denatured alcohol.
- Press the needle onto the tip of the thorn and gently loosen the new layer of skin that is growing by moving the needle under the skin. Loosen the skin around the spine.
- When you notice that the plug is sufficiently exposed, you can pull it out with tweezers.
- Clean the area with warm, soapy water. Put on a band-aid if necessary.
Step 2. Use a razor if the plug is under a thick layer of skin
Thorns deeply rooted in thick, callused skin can be removed with a razor. Use this method only on your heels or other calloused areas, not where the skin is at its thinnest, as you could easily cut yourself deep. If you want to follow this method, be very careful when handling the razor.
- Make sure the area the plug went in is clean and dry.
- Sterilize the razor with denatured alcohol.
- Very carefully make a cut above the thorn to expose it. In callused skin, this shouldn't cause bleeding.
- Use tweezers to remove the exposed plug.
- Clean the area and put on a bandage if necessary.
Step 3. Go to the doctor
If the plug has gone too deep to remove it on your own, or if it is close to a delicate area such as an eye, go to your doctor for a quick and clean extraction. The doctor has the right tools to remove the plug easily with a low risk of infection.
Advice
- Spines are usually easier to remove than splinters, which can cause more pain.
- When gardening, wear thick gloves to prevent stings and thorns.
- Be very careful.
