Best Ways To Remove A Splinter That's Deep In Your Skin

If you walk barefoot on a wood deck or garden without wearing gloves, then you have probably had to pull one or two splinters out of your skin. In many cases, splinters are no more than a quick sharp pain and a mild inconvenience. Unfortunately, sometimes a splinter can end up deep in your skin, making it very hard to remove.

To remove a splinter deep in your skin, soak the area in an Epsom salt bath, in tea tree oil, or vinegar. Pour hydrogen peroxide onto the area, or make a paste with baking soda and water. Use a sterilized needle to wiggle the splinter out, or use quality and precise tweezers to remove it. You can even use duct tape or Elmer’s glue to rip the stubborn splinter out.

If you find yourself with a splinter buried deep in your skin, make sure you address the problem immediately. Splinters do not commonly cause major health problems, but there is always a risk of infection when you get a splinter, especially if it happens outdoors. Neglecting an infection under the skin can have serious consequences, which is why you should try the methods below to remove any splinter buried deep in your skin.

10 Effective Ways To Remove A Splinter Deep In Your Skin

1. Use A Sterilized Needle

One of the most popular and effective ways to remove a splinter that is lodged under your skin is to use a sterilized needle. The most important step in this process is sterilizing the needle. You can either use sterilizing alcohol or boil the needle for at least 20 seconds.

Once the needle is sterilized, use the sharp end to follow the path of the splinter. The goal is to get underneath the splinter and pry or wiggle it out. You don’t need to get the entire splinter out. You simply need to get enough of it above the skin so it is easy to grab with tweezers. This method is best if the skin has closed up over your splinter, as a needle can safely puncture the skin.

2. Try Quality Tweezers

If you have a deep splinter, you may think you can’t use tweezers to remove it. While this is sometimes the case, in other cases as long as you have high quality and pointed tweezers, you may be able to reach this deep splinter.

The key is having splinters that come to a sharp point. Many eyebrow tweezers have this angled point and work well to remove splinters deep under your skin. 

To be safe, you should sterilize the tweezers before attempting to remove the splinter, as you may dig under the skin. This will reduce the risk of infection.

3. Soak Skin In Epsom Salts

A less painful, and more relaxing way to remove a splinter that is stuck deep in your skin is to soak the affected area in Epsom salts. Not only are Epsom salts very soothing, but they also help remove impurities and draw out foreign objects from the body. This is a great way to use some of your leftover Epsom salts.

To try this method, mix a generous portion of Epsom salts in warm water. Soak the area with the splinter for at least ten minutes (twenty minutes for larger or deeper splinters). You should notice the splinter slowly moving towards the surface of your skin. Once there, if enough of the splinter is exposed, use tweezers to extract it.

4. Pour Hydrogen Peroxide On The Affected Area

Another fairly painless way to remove a splinter stuck deep under your skin is to use hydrogen peroxide on the wounded area. If you have ever used hydrogen peroxide on a wound, then you know it has a bubbling or foaming effect.

This foaming effect not only shows you that it is disinfecting the area, but these bubbles can help bring a splinter to the surface of the skin. Soak your splintered region in hydrogen peroxide. 

The splinter may come out on its own. If it doesn't come out completely, use sterilized tweezers to help completely remove the deep splinter.

5. Cover The Affected Area With Tea Tree Oil

You may be surprised to learn that you can use tea tree oil to remove a splinter that is stuck deep under your skin. Tea tree oil has several therapeutic qualities, including the ability to draw out splinters.

If you don’t have tea tree oil, you can also try using lavender essential oil. Lavender is known to have similar abilities to draw out splinters. Once the splinter is removed, wash your skin thoroughly to avoid any negative skin reaction.

6. Try Putting Duct Tape On The Area

There is a saying that duct tape is the solution to every problem. While this might be a slight exaggeration, there is some truth to this saying — at least when it comes to removing splinters. 

If you have tried other methods but can’t get a grip on the splinter, try applying some duct tape.

To make this method work effectively, clean the area around the splinter with alcohol and then dry it. Once dry, apply duct tape. Then rip the duct tape off. Many times, the sticky tape will cling to the splinter and rip it out. Shave the area around the splinter to avoid a painful experience.

7. Make A Baking Soda Paste

Another method to remove deep splinters using items from your home pantry involves baking soda. If you have baking soda or even expired baking soda, you can make a paste that can help draw out a deep splinter.

To make the paste, add one part water to four parts baking soda. Apply this paste to the wounded area, and add a bandage. This method takes a while, as it is best to leave the bandage on for a full 24 hours. After you have waited a full day, check the area and see if the splinter has come to the surface.

8. Use Vinegar To Draw Out The Splinter

If you don’t have essential oils or baking soda, you can try soaking your skin in vinegar to remove your deep splinter. To use vinegar to draw out a deep splinter, soak the area in vinegar (apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar works best) for at least twenty minutes. 

After twenty minutes, check the progress to see if the splinter has begun to peek out from under your skin. If so, use sterilized tweezers to remove it completely.

9. Try Applying Elmer's Glue

If you are crafty or have children, then you probably have at least one tube of Elmer’s glue lying around in your home. You can try using Elmer’s glue (or any white craft glue) to remove a deep splinter.

To try the glue method, apply a dollop of glue to the splinter area. Allow it to dry completely. Once the area has dried, pull off the dry glue. If you are lucky, when you pull the glue off, the splinter will come out with with it.

10. Utilize Tools In Your Manicure Kit

If you have a manicure kit, then you will be happy to know you can use it not only to make your nails look beautiful, but you can also remove deep splinters with it. In your manicure kit, you likely have toenail clippers. 

First, sterilize the clippers to remove any bacteria. Next, trim away any dead skin around the splinter area with the clippers. This is most effective when you have a splinter on your hands or feet, where there is more dead skin. Once you remove the dead skin, you may find it much easier to remove the splinter with tweezers or a needle.

Wrapping Up How To Remove A Splinter Deep In Your Skin

Splinters can be a real pain, literally. This is especially true if your splinter is lodged deep under your skin. It is likely a painful and difficult-to-remove problem. The good news is there are many effective ways to remove a splinter deep in your skin.

First, try using quality sterilized tweezers or a sterilized needle to pry out the splinter. If you want a less painful method, soak the area in Epsom salts, tea tree lavender oil, or vinegar for 20 minutes. You can even try ripping out the splinter with duct tape or Elmer’s glue. Remember to sterilize the area to minimize the risk of infection.

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