How to remove a splinter without making it worse
Pull along the angle it went in. Digging around at right angles is what turns a splinter into an infection.
Most splinters can be dealt with at home. The mistakes are digging blindly and leaving fragments behind.
Method
- Wash your hands and clean the skin around the splinter.
- Sterilise tweezers with an alcohol wipe.
- Grip the exposed end and pull steadily along the same angle it entered. Do not twist.
- If nothing protrudes, a sterilised needle can ease the skin open over the tip — gently, and only for a shallow splinter.
- Clean, dry and cover with a small dressing.
Leave it to a professional if
- It is deep, or under a nail.
- It is glass or metal and you cannot see the end.
- It is anywhere near the eye — never attempt that yourself.
- It breaks up as you pull.
Afterwards
Watch for redness spreading over the next couple of days. Puncture wounds carry a higher infection risk than their size suggests, and it is worth checking your tetanus cover is current after a dirty splinter.
See a pharmacist, GP or urgent care if a wound will not stop bleeding after ten minutes of firm pressure, is deep or gaping, was caused by something dirty or rusty, contains anything you cannot flush out, or shows spreading redness, heat, swelling, pus or a fever. Get help urgently for animal or human bites, wounds over a joint, and any wound in someone with diabetes or poor circulation.
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FitMedix products are CE-marked medical devices intended for the care of minor wounds. This site does not provide medical advice — seek professional help for deep, dirty or non-healing wounds, or if signs of infection appear. Always read the instructions on the pack.