Remove splinters quickly and safely
It happens so quickly: you just run your hand over a wooden bench and the next thing you know you've got a splinter in your finger. If these tiny pieces of wood get stubbornly lodged under the skin, they can be very painful and even cause inflammation. This health tip explains how to get them out easily.
2 minutes reading time04. June 2025
Most splinters are no big deal and can easily be removed with tweezers. Then you just have to thoroughly disinfect the area to prevent inflammation and you can carry on with your day. But it can be tricky if the whole of the splinter goes beneath the skin and there's nothing for the tweezers to get hold of. If that's the case, you can try these tips:
- Soak the affected area in soapy water. This softens the skin and makes it easier to pull the splinter out. But always remember to sterilise the tweezers first, wash the affected area well before removal and disinfect it afterwards.
- Rub olive oil into the affected area and leave it on for a little while. The splinter should then be easier to remove.
- Loosen the skin over the splinter with a sharp, sterilised needle
- This final method might sound a bit strange but it's very effective: Mix baking powder with a little water, apply the paste to the affected area and cover with a plaster. After just a few hours the splinter should have worked its way to the surface and be easier to remove.
Don't ignore splinters
Depending on where it has gone in, a splinter might not cause any pain. But that doesn't mean you should ignore it. The bacteria on the splinter can lead to inflammation and more bacteria could get under the skin through the wound. As well as being painful and restricting the movement of the affected area, in the worst case inflammation can even develop into blood poisoning. So it's better to take immediate action.
What not to do
- Press on the affected area, as this might cause the splinter to go even deeper into the skin
- Poke around in the skin with unsterilised implements
- Apply drawing ointment to an open wound
