How to Get a Splinter Out: 9 Methods to Try at Home

Key takeaways:

A splinter is a small, foreign object (like a sliver of wood) that gets partly or completely embedded in your skin.
It’s a good idea to remove a splinter the day you find it. This helps prevent infection.
Getting a splinter out can be straightforward. You can use tools you have at home, like tweezers, baking soda, or even duct tape.

Getting a splinter is a literal pain. Who knew something so small could hurt so much? Your body knows something isn’t right and keeps sending pain signals until you get that splinter out.

Any foreign object that gets lodged into your skin can be considered a splinter. Most splinters are small pieces of wood. But you can also get one from glass, plastic, or metal.

The good news is that getting a splinter out can be done at home. With simple tools and the right techniques, you’ll be ready the next time you accidentally get a splinter.

What should you do after you get a splinter?

If you get a splinter, the first thing to do is wash your skin with soap and water. This will help get rid of bacteria and lower the risk of infection.

Next, take a close look at the splinter. A magnifying glass or the magnifier app on your phone can help.

Take note of:

Depth: Check if any part of the splinter is sticking out of your skin. That’s the part you’ll want to grab when it’s time to get the splinter out. If nothing is sticking out, check if it’s close to your skin’s surface. If it is, or if you can easily feel it, then you’ll have good luck getting it out at home.
Direction: Check the direction of your splinter. Is it lying flat or going straight into your skin? See if you can tell the angle at which it entered your skin. When you pull your splinter out, you want to move in the same direction.

Finally, find help if you can. Getting a splinter out by yourself isn’t always easy — especially if it’s in the finger of your dominant hand. Having help can make the job faster and easier.

Once you’re ready, here are nine things that can help you remove a splinter.

1. Tweezers

A pair of tweezers is all you need to remove a superficial splinter — especially if part of it is sticking out of your skin. Here’s how to use them:

Step 1: Sterilize your tweezers by cleaning them with 70% rubbing alcohol. Let the tweezers dry completely before using.
Step 2: Grasp the end of the splinter with your tweezers (use a magnifying glass if it’s hard to see). Gently pull the splinter out in the same direction it entered your skin. Try not to squeeze the splinter or the skin around it. This could break the splinter into smaller pieces and make it harder to remove.

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2. Needles

If the splinter is completely embedded in your skin, you can use a small needle to help remove it. Here’s how to use it:

Step 1: Sterilize your needle by dipping it in 70% rubbing alcohol. Let the needle dry completely before using it.
Step 2: Pierce your skin right underneath one end of the splinter. Slowly coax that end out of your skin.
Step 3: Once part of the splinter is sticking out, use tweezers to pull it all the way out.

3. Duct tape

If you don’t have anyone to help, or if tweezers and needles make you a bit nervous, you can try duct tape to remove your splinter:

Step 1: Take a piece of duct tape and cover your splinter.
Step 2: Leave the tape on for 30 minutes. Then slowly peel it off in the opposite direction the splinter entered your skin.

4. Baking soda paste

If your splinter is embedded a bit deeper (but you can still feel it), you might have trouble reaching it with a needle. You’ll want to bring it closer to the surface before you try to get it out. Baking soda paste may help:

Step 1: Mix 1 tbsp of baking soda and 1 tbsp of water to make a paste.
Step 2: Apply the paste to your skin where the splinter is. Cover it with a bandage and leave it on for 24 hours.
Step 3: After 24 hours, check the area. If the splinter is closer to the surface, try removing it with a needle or tweezers.

5. Epsom salts

Epsom salts can be great for sore muscle relief — but did you know they might also help with splinters? Like baking soda, Epsom salts may bring a splinter closer to the surface of your skin:

Step 1: Dissolve 1 cup of Epsom salt into a warm bath and soak your skin for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Dry off, then use your needle or tweezers to pull the splinter out.

6. Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is another common household product that can help bring a splinter to your skin’s surface. Here’s how to use this common medicine cabinet staple for splinters:

Step 1: Mix one part hydrogen peroxide with one part water.
Step 2: Pour the mixture over your splinter. Within a few minutes, the splinter may come closer to the surface of your skin.
Step 3: Use a needle or tweezers to remove the splinter.

Some people have good luck using a white vinegar solution, which you can make the same way as a hydrogen peroxide solution. Both may cause stinging or skin irritation.

7. Wax strips

At-home wax strips can help with getting a splinter out. It’s best to use this option for plant splinters, like tiny cactus needles, or for very thin splinters that have one end sticking out of your skin:

Step 1: Follow the product directions to get the wax strip ready.
Step 2: Lay the strip so you’ll pull it off in the opposite direction that the splinter entered your skin.
Step 3: Follow the package instructions for how long to wait before removing the strip. Then, pull it off in the opposite direction that the splinter entered the skin.

8. Glue

If you don’t have wax strips at home, white glue — like Elmer’s glue — can be a good alternative. It works best for splinters that are already partially sticking out of your skin a little:

Step 1: Apply a thin layer of glue over your splinter.
Step 2: Allow the glue to dry completely.
Step 3: Pull the glue off in the opposite direction that the splinter entered your skin. Try to pull off all the glue in one movement so it all comes off in one piece.

9. Potatoes and banana peels

While there’s no data to support this, the theory is that the enzymes in potato and banana peels can make your skin softer. This makes it easier to get a splinter out using a needle or tweezers.

But you have to keep the peel on for several hours, which can be tough to do since peels are pretty slippery. There’s also a risk these peels can carry bacteria and increase the risk of infection.

How to draw out a deep splinter you can’t see

Don’t try to draw out a deep splinter that you can’t see at home. Poking randomly into your skin with needles and tweezers will damage healthy tissue and may lead to injury or long-term scars. Every poke also increases your risk for developing infection.

Get help if you feel a splinter but can’t see it. Your primary care provider or a local urgent care center can help remove the unseen splinter or connect you with a surgeon. They can also get an X-ray or ultrasound to locate your splinter.

Do splinters come out on their own?

Splinters can come out on their own. But this doesn’t always happen. A foreign object (like a splinter) will trigger an immune response. Immune cells will travel to the area where the splinter lodged. This reaction can push the splinter out.

But it’s important not to leave certain items in your skin and wait for your immune system to do the work. Natural materials like wood and plant material need to come out right away. They can lead to infection.

What happens to splinters that don’t come out?

A very small, thin splinter may eventually work its way to the surface of your skin. This can take several days or even weeks. Once it’s close to the surface, you may be able to pull it out.

But your body won’t naturally “push out” anything bigger. Instead, your immune system attacks the splinter. This leads to inflammation, which can damage healthy tissue and cause pain. Eventually your immune system will try to wall off the splinter. This can create a bump that you may be able to feel under your skin.

A bump and pain might not sound like a big deal, but the bigger problem is infection. Splinters can introduce bacteria or fungus into your body. Your skin naturally protects you from these bugs, but a splinter literally pierces these defenses.

Splinters from wood, plant needles, and thorns are more likely to cause infections. There’s even cases of people getting tetanus from thorn splinters. That’s why it’s important to remove splinters from natural materials as soon as possible.

When to seek medical care for a splinter

Splinters aren’t usually a big deal, but sometimes they can be more serious. Depending on the type and location of your splinter, you may need urgent medical attention to avoid problems and serious infection.

You should see a healthcare professional if your splinter is:

Large: A splinter is a very small piece of material. If something bigger is stuck in your skin, it’s not a splinter, and it definitely needs medical attention.
Deep: If the splinter is embedded so deep in your skin that you can’t get it out at home, see a healthcare professional. They can safely take it out so it doesn’t get infected.
Hard to see: If you can’t see your splinter (like if it’s glass or plastic), don’t try to dig it out on your own. You could cause more damage to your skin or introduce bacteria and cause infection.
Near or in your eye: A splinter that’s in or near your eye can lead to permanent vision loss. If you feel like there’s something stuck in your eye, always see an eye doctor right away.
Under a nail: If your splinter is underneath a fingernail or toenail, see a healthcare professional. Don’t try to dig it out yourself. It’s difficult and painful, and you may cause permanent damage to your nail bed.
Bleeding: If the splinter site won’t stop bleeding, get medical help. It might have hit a blood vessel.
Infected: Skin infections can happen around a splinter, especially if you can’t get it out right away. If your splinter site is red, swollen, hot, or painful — you may need treatment for an infection.

You should also touch base with your healthcare professional if you have a splinter and you’re overdue for a tetanus shot.

Frequently asked questions

Neosporin and Vaseline won’t draw out a splinter. But they can make it easier to get a splinter out. Ointments that contain petroleum jelly, like Vaseline or Neosporin, keep moisture in your skin. This makes skin softer, making it easier to get a splinter out with tweezers.

Once your splinter is out, clean the area again with soap and water. You can put antibiotic ointment on your wound and cover it with a bandage. Change your bandage anytime it gets wet or dirty.

Infected splinters need to be treated with antibiotics and splinter removal. If an abscess forms (a pocket of pus), you may also need an incision and drainage (I&D). Get medical care right away if you think you have an infected splinter.

The bottom line

Splinters are tiny, foreign bodies — like pieces of wood — that are partially or completely embedded in your skin. Removing them quickly can prevent infection. If a splinter is sticking out, use tweezers. If it’s fully under your skin, a needle may help. You can also try other home remedies to soften your skin first or help push the splinter out. But if the splinter is too deep, looks infected, or is in a difficult location, see a healthcare professional for help.

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Written by:

Shiv Sudhakar, MD

Shiv Sudhakar, MD, is a fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America and works as a physician in California. He has co-authored over 10 peer-reviewed research articles and given 20 scientific presentations.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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