How to remove a splinter safely, and when to leave it to a doctor

Most splinters can come out at home in a few minutes with clean tweezers. The trick is to grip the end close to the skin and pull along the line it went in, so it comes out whole. Below, one example runs from finding the splinter to checking it a few days later, with a drawing for every step.

Leave it in and get help if

See your GP practice, a minor injuries unit or an urgent treatment centre, or call 111, if:

• it is deep or large, or you can't see the end
• it is in or near the eye. Don't try to remove it; get help straight away
• it is under a fingernail or toenail and you can't reach the end
• the area is bleeding heavily
• it breaks and pieces stay in (SickKids)
• you have tried for 10 to 15 minutes without success (SickKids)
• the skin is already red, hot, swollen or has pus

Tetanus. Splinters from soil, gardens, fences or farms carry a small tetanus risk. The NHS says to ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if dirt is still in the wound after cleaning, or if you are not sure you are fully vaccinated. Full protection in the UK means 5 doses.

Part 1: Get ready

1. Look closely first.

   

   In our story: At the kitchen table, Amira holds a magnifying glass over the pad of Zoya's left index finger, her other hand resting flat on the towel beside Zoya's. The splinter is short and shallow, slanting in from the palm side towards the fingertip, with a tiny end sticking out. It can come out at home.

   In good light, check how big the splinter is, which way it went in and whether an end sticks out. A magnifying glass helps with small ones. If it matches anything in Leave it in and get help if, stop here.

2. Wash your hands and the skin.

   

   In our story: At the kitchen sink, Amira and Zoya wash their hands together with soap and warm water, then pat them dry on the green towel.

   Use soap and warm water, then pat dry (St John Ambulance, KidsHealth).

3. Clean the tools.

   

   In our story: Amira wipes the tips of her pointed tweezers with a cotton pad dampened with rubbing alcohol. A needle lies ready on a second pad, just in case.

   Wipe the tweezer tips and the needle with rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad (MedlinePlus, SickKids). If you have no alcohol, KidsHealth suggests dipping the tips in boiling water and wiping them with a clean cotton pad. Let them cool.

4. Help a child keep still and calm.

   

   In our story: Zoya sits at the table with her left hand resting palm up on a folded tea towel. She holds her picture book open in her other hand while Amira chats to her.

   Sit them at a table with the hand resting flat and still. If another adult is home, the child can sit on their lap. Stay calm; children tend to follow your lead. A video, a song or a story helps (KidsHealth, SickKids).

Part 2: Take it out

1. Grip the end close to the skin.

   

   In our story: Amira closes the tweezer tips on the end of the splinter, right where it leaves Zoya's skin.

   If an end sticks out, close the tweezers on it as near to the skin as you can, and grip firmly (St John Ambulance).

2. Pull slowly, along the same line it went in.

   

   In our story: The splinter went in slanting towards Zoya's fingertip, so Amira pulls it slowly back the same way, towards her palm, and it slides out whole.

   Don't pull straight up if it went in at a slant; follow its angle (St John Ambulance, SickKids). You should feel it slide out in one piece.

3. Check it is all out.

   

   In our story: The whole splinter lies on a white tissue next to Zoya's finger. Amira checks with the magnifier: the skin is clear, with only a tiny pale mark.

   The splinter should have a clean, unbroken end. Look at the skin again with the magnifier and run a clean fingertip lightly over the spot: you shouldn't feel anything sharp. If a piece has broken off and stays in, see Leave it in and get help if.

Part 3: Afterwards

1. Wash it.

   

   In our story: Amira pumps a little soap onto Zoya's fingertip, and Zoya rinses it under the warm tap. Then Amira pats it dry.

   St John Ambulance suggests gently squeezing the wound to let it bleed a little, which helps wash out dirt. Then wash the area with soap and water and pat it dry.

2. Cover it.

   

   In our story: Amira wraps a small fabric plaster round the tip of Zoya's left index finger, and Zoya is smiling again.

   Put on a plaster, especially if the spot will get dirty (St John Ambulance).

3. Watch it for a few days.

   

   In our story: Two days later, by the kitchen window, Amira checks Zoya's finger with the plaster off. The skin is smooth and healed, with no redness or swelling.

   Look for redness, swelling, warmth, increasing pain or pus. If you see these, contact your GP practice or call 111 (NHS Healthier Together, KidsHealth).

Very tiny splinters that don't hurt and are near the surface can be left alone. They usually come out on their own in a few days; keep the area clean and watch for infection (KidsHealth).

If yours is different

1. If the end is buried, lift it with a needle, or get help.

   

   In our story: What if Zoya's splinter had no end showing? The drawing shows a clean needle tip lifting the end of a splinter lying just under the surface, with the tweezers ready to grip it.

   UK and North American sources disagree on this step (see Needle or no needle?). If you aren't confident, or a child won't keep still, stop and get it removed at a minor injuries unit or your GP practice. If you go ahead: gently break the very top layer of skin over the end with the needle tip, then lift or nudge the end up until you can grip it with the tweezers, and go back to Pull slowly (MedlinePlus, SickKids). It shouldn't bleed or really hurt. If it does, stop and get help.

2. For lots of tiny spines, use tape.

   

   In our story: What if it had been tiny cactus spines? Amira would press a strip of clear packing tape on the spot and peel it off, taking the spines with it.

   Cactus spines, nettle hairs and fibreglass are often too small for tweezers. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests pressing packing tape or duct tape onto the skin and peeling it off. Any bits left usually work their way out.

3. If it's deep, near the eye, under a nail or won't come out, get help.

   

   In our story: What if it had been deep? Amira would take Zoya to a minor injuries unit, where a nurse would look at her finger.

   Stop after 10 to 15 minutes at most (SickKids). See Leave it in and get help if.

Needle or no needle?

• MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine) and SickKids describe using a cleaned needle to break the top layer of skin and lift a buried end.
• St John Ambulance's splinter page only describes tweezers and says a deep splinter should be left in place and medical help sought.

Our advice for UK readers: use tweezers when an end is showing. Only use a needle for an end you can clearly see lying just under the surface, with clean tools, and stop at once if it hurts or bleeds.

If something goes wrong

If you'd rather not take it out

For a small, shallow splinter that doesn't hurt, you can wash the area, cover it and leave it. It often works its way out within a few days (KidsHealth). Keep it clean and dry and check it every day for redness or swelling. This is a good choice for a child who won't keep still.

Related: How to clean and dress a small cut or graze, Bee or wasp sting and How to check your pet for ticks.