How to Safely and Painlessly Get Rid of Pesky Splinters

As featured at The Best Years in Life

How to Safely and Painlessly Get Rid of Pesky Splinters

by Tony Isaacs

Most of us are familiar with the pain and aggravation that can come from splinters, which are usually small slivers of wood, metal or glass.  Splinters can be difficult to remove and sometimes painful as well. If the splinter is not removed and removed cleanly, infection can result and sometimes the infection can become a serious one. The next time you get a splinter, try one or more of these tips to get it out as painlessly and safely as possible:

* Hydrogen Peroxide. Cover the area where the splinter is with hydrogen peroxide. Often the splinter will come out within minutes.

* Make a paste of baking soda and water and apply it on top of the splinter area. Cover it with a bandaid or other bandage and leave on overnight. You can also use a homemade paste of flour and water with a pinch of salt, making sure that the mixture is gooey and not runny.

* Take a whole egg and crack it (emptying the contents) so that only the shell remains. Place the inside (wet side) of the shell onto the splinter for a few minutes and the splinter should work its way far enough out till you can pick it right out.

* Place a piece of duct tape over the splinter and leave on for a half hour. Then slowly peel away. The splinter should come off with the tape.

* Put a piece of bread over the splinter and wrap a band-aid around it, the let it set overnight and the splinter may be drawn out and attached to the band-aid by morning. Another version of this remedy is to put a bit of milk on the bread.

* Before going to bed at night, place a very small piece of bacon fat on top of the splinter and cover with a bandaid. In the morning the splinter will usually have risen to the top where it can easily be removed.

* For thorns, use a piece of pantyhose to snag and pull them out. Works great for small thorns like those of cactus [needles].

* Onion or tomato. Apply a slice of fresh onion or tomato to draw the splinter to the surface of the skin.

* Honey is also effective to help the splinter be drawn to the surface. Apply honey to the area where the splinter is and see if it helps draw the splinter to the surface.

* When none of the above tips work to completely remove the splinter, you may need to resort to ice and tweezers. Apply ice to the area to numb the nerves and use a sterilized (by flame and/or rubbing alcohol) tweezers.

Two splinter remedies that are not exactly natural but are reported to work well are:

* Tide powdered laundry soap. Make a paste with water and tide and rub where the splinter is (be careful not to rub too hard and drive the splinter in further). Let set for a few minutes. Something in the soap draws the splinter to the surface.

* Elmer’s Glue. Apply some glue on top of the splinter and surrounding skin area and let it dry. When you peel it off, the splinter should come out.

Once the splinter has been removed, be sure to disinfect the area with hydrogen peroxide and then apply something with good antiseptic properties to prevent infection. A combination of colloidal silver and aloe works very well, as does tea tree oil. You can also cover the area with raw organic honey, which has superior antiseptic and healing properties. The best of all honeys is manuka honey. Raw organic honey, tea tree oil and colloidal silver are all very good items to keep around the house for natural health and healing.