A splinter in the skin can cause pain, but it can be worse to remove it; in some cases, the pain is so intense that some people find it advisable to seek medical attention. Instead of teasing and tormenting the skin to extract the annoying fragment or going to the doctor, with what it takes in terms of time and cost, you can use home products to proceed.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: with Homemade Products
Step 1. Examine the splinter
Use a magnifying glass to observe it; check the depth it has reached. Run running water and hold the area under the tap, then dab with a clean cloth to dry it.
Step 2. Use duct tape to gently peel it off
This method is most effective for those splinters that protrude from the skin; take a piece of common adhesive tape or canvas and place it on the epidermis to be treated.
- He then tears the tape in the opposite direction to that of the fragment; for example, if this is slanted to the right, you have to pull the ribbon to the left.
- Make sure the surrounding skin is dry and the tape is clean; if the latter is old and covered with dust or dirt, it could cause an infection.
Step 3. Test the glue
Apply some vinyl glue to the foreign body and surrounding skin; wait for it to dry and harden. When it's dry, take it off slowly; the splinter should stick to the adhesive and come out without the need for painful teasing.
Make sure you use a non-toxic and very light glue, such as school glue, and not super glue or wood glue, which could cause even more damage to the skin when you try to remove it along with the splinter
Step 4. Apply baking soda
Mix it with water to create a paste; start with about a tablespoon of bicarbonate and 60 ml of water or in any case an amount sufficient to form a thick paste; then apply the mixture to the area to be treated and cover it with a plaster. Leave the patch and baking soda in place for about 24 hours. after this period, remove them and look for the fragment that you can extract with tweezers.
The bicarbonate slurry makes it easier to locate the foreign element and makes it easier to remove
Step 5. Use ichthyol ointment
You can find it in pharmacies or drugstores and it acts more or less like baking soda; spread it on the skin around the fragment, cover it with a plaster and leave it on for 24 hours. When finished, remove the patch, you should notice that the element has come out spontaneously.
- When using this ointment, you don't have to pull out the splinter with tweezers; it is the ichthyol itself that favors its expulsion, making it rise towards the surface.
- Instead of ichthyol you can use hydrogen peroxide.
Step 6. Apply Epsom salt
Pour some on the gauze of a patch and wrap it on the foreign object; the salt should slowly facilitate its exit from the skin. Repeat the procedure every day until you get rid of it.
Method 2 of 2: with Natural Products
Step 1. Try a mixture of warm bread and milk
You can try to remove the splinter using natural products you find in the kitchen, such as these two foods.
- To start, put the milk in a small kettle and place it on the stove until it becomes hot, but make sure that the temperature is suitable for applying to the skin; then pour it into a heat-resistant bowl.
- Put a few pieces of bread in the bowl and wait for them to completely absorb the milk for a few minutes; once wet, place them on the area to be treated, fixing them with a plaster or a piece of gauze.
- Leave them on the skin for as long as possible and finally remove them; it is hoped that at this point the fragment has escaped thanks to the action of the hot milk and bread.
Step 2. Soak the affected area in white vinegar
This is an acidic substance that can shrink the skin around the splinter, thus making it easier to escape. You can use either white or apple vinegar for this method.
- Pour 120ml of vinegar into a bowl and soak the affected area. Check if the fragment comes out after 10 or 15 minutes; the vinegar may take a little longer to work and you may have to wait up to half an hour. If this remedy doesn't work on the first try, soak your skin in warm water and try again.
- Be aware that vinegar can cause a stinging sensation if the foreign body has generated an open wound; proceed with caution when using this liquid around cuts or skin wounds.
Step 3. Remove the splinter with the banana peel
For this method you need the inside of the peel of the fruit; the moisture present in it helps to extract the foreign element.
- Cut a square piece of banana peel and place it on the area to be treated, covering it with a plaster.
- Leave the peel on the skin overnight; it should bring the fragment to the surface of the epidermis and most of the time it sticks to the peel itself.
Step 4. Use an egg
You can eliminate the foreign object with the paper-like membrane covering the inside of the shell.
- To proceed break an egg and remove the yolk, you should see that the inside of the shell has a paper-like membrane.
- Put a small piece of this film on the splinter blocking it with a plaster and keep it in place overnight; the egg membrane should enter the fragment and facilitate its expulsion from the skin. The next morning you can remove the patch, at which point the foreign element should have come out.
Step 5. Apply potato slices
This method uses the natural humidity of the vegetable to help expel the splinter. Make sure the potato is fresh and mold-free, as you need to place it directly on the skin.
- Cut it into small pieces or slices and apply them to the affected area by blocking them with gauze or a band-aid to hold them in place.
- Leave the pieces of the vegetable on the skin for at least an hour, checking the situation regularly. If the fragment is deeper and larger, it may be necessary to wait all night to be able to remove it completely. Remove the vegetable the next morning and you should be able to easily remove the foreign body.
