How to remove a splinter from under a nail? How to remove a splinter from under a nail at home How to remove a thorn from under a nail

A splinter is a “foreign body” that has penetrated the skin. This is usually a small splinter of wood, although there are also metal, glass or plastic splinters. You can usually remove a splinter yourself, but medical attention may be required if the splinter is embedded deep in the skin, especially in a sensitive area. Splinters under fingernails and toenails are especially painful and difficult to remove. However, there are methods that allow you to remove such splinters at home.

Steps

Removing a splinter using tweezers

  1. Determine if you need medical attention. If the splinter has penetrated deep under the nail or has become infected, you may need help from a doctor. If an infection occurs, the pain will not go away after a few days, and the skin around the splinter will become swollen and red.

    • If the splinter causes excessive bleeding, go to an emergency room.
    • If you are unable to reach the splinter on your own, or an infection has entered along with the splinter, consult a doctor. He will remove the splinter and prescribe you antibiotics.
    • Typically, when removing a large splinter, your doctor will give you a local anesthetic to reduce pain during the procedure.
    • Please note that your doctor may remove part of the nail or the entire nail to completely remove the splinter.
  2. Remove the splinter yourself. If you are trying to remove the splinter yourself, you will most likely need tweezers, as the splinter may be too small to grasp with your fingers. If the splinter is deeply embedded and does not protrude from under the nail, a needle may also be needed to remove it.

    • Sterilize all the tools you will use to remove the splinter. Use alcohol or boiling water to sterilize tweezers and needles.
    • Wash your hands before touching sterilized instruments.
    • Before you begin removing the splinter, wash your nail and the skin around it to prevent infection. If you can't use soap and water, wipe your finger with rubbing alcohol.
    • If you have long nails, trim the damaged nail before removing the splinter. This will make it easier for you to access the splinter.
  3. Pull out the splinter using tweezers. Find a place that is lit enough to see the damaged area clearly. Grab the protruding end of the splinter with tweezers. Grasp the edge of the splinter firmly and pull it in the same direction in which it entered the skin.

    • A splinter may consist of several fragments of wood, glass, and the like. It may also break into several pieces when trying to pull it out of the skin. If you are unable to remove the splinter completely, see a doctor who will remove any remnants.
  4. If the splinter does not protrude from the skin, use a needle to reach it. Some splinters penetrate so deeply into the skin that they cannot be caught with tweezers. Although they are difficult to remove on your own, you can try to pry the end of the splinter with a needle and then grab it with tweezers.

    • A small sewing needle is suitable for this. Be sure to sterilize it before use.
    • Push the point of the needle under the nail, bringing it to the end of the splinter, and try to pry that end.
    • If you manage to pry the end of the splinter so that it protrudes from the skin, grab it with tweezers and pull the splinter in the same direction in which it penetrated the skin.
  5. Wash the affected area thoroughly. Once you have removed all or part of the splinter, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water. Follow this with an antibiotic ointment (such as Polysporin) to prevent infection.

    • If the wound is bleeding and to prevent infection, bandage it.

other methods

  1. Soak the injured finger in warm water and baking soda. If the splinter is deeply embedded or so small that it is difficult to grasp with tweezers, you can try to pull it out with a solution of baking soda in warm water.

    • Add a tablespoon of baking soda to warm water and dip your finger in it. For best results, soak your finger twice a day.
    • In order for the splinter to reach the surface of the skin and fall out on its own, or to be able to be removed with tweezers, it may take several days of such procedures.
  2. Use tape. Another way to remove a splinter is to use tape. This method is very simple: stick tape to the area of ​​​​the skin where the splinter is located, and then quickly tear it off.

    • While any type of tape will work, it's best to use clear tape so the splinter can be seen underneath.
    • Again, you may need to trim your nail shorter to gain better access to the splinter.
  3. Use wax to remove hair. A very thin splinter can be difficult to grasp with tweezers. In such cases, you can use depilatory wax to remove the splinter from under the nail. The viscous wax will tightly grip the end of the splinter protruding from the skin.

    • In this case, you may need to trim your nail shorter to gain better access to the splinter.
    • Apply heated wax to the area of ​​skin around the splinter. Make sure to cover the protruding edge of the splinter with wax.
    • Before the wax dries, attach a strip of fabric to it.
    • Firmly grasp the strip of fabric and quickly tear it away from the skin.
  4. Try removing the splinter with ichthyol ointment. This medicinal ointment can also be used to remove splinters from under the nail. Ichthyol ointment can be purchased at a pharmacy or online. This ointment will soften the skin around the splinter, making it easier to remove.

    • You may need to trim the damaged nail to make it easier to reach the splinter.
    • This method is well suited for children as it involves less pain and discomfort.
    • Apply a little ointment to the area of ​​skin with the splinter.
    • Cover or wrap the smeared area with a bandage and wait 24 hours. Ichthyol ointment leaves stains on fabric (clothing and bedding), so wrap the smeared area with a bandage properly to prevent it from leaking out.
    • Remove the bandage after 24 hours and examine the splinter.
    • The goal is to wait for the splinter to fall out on its own. However, if this does not happen after 24 hours, the splinter will likely protrude further from the skin and you may be able to pick it up with tweezers.
  5. Make a baking soda paste. This paste will serve as a replacement for ichthyol ointment. Use this method only if other methods do not work, since the paste can cause swelling, which will make it difficult to remove the splinter.

    • You may need to trim your nail shorter to gain better access to the splinter.
    • Take ¼ teaspoon of baking soda and add water to it until you get a thick paste.
    • Apply the paste to the area of ​​skin with the splinter and wrap it with a bandage.
    • After 24 hours, remove the bandage and examine the splinter.
    • Under the influence of the paste, the splinter may fall out on its own. If this does not happen after 24 hours, repeat the procedure, applying the paste for another 24 hours.
    • If the splinter protrudes enough from the skin, you can remove it with tweezers.

Our life is always filled with force majeure. And often such unforeseen circumstances are unpleasant. This applies to injuries and accidents, including splinters getting into the skin and under the nail. But if it is easier to remove a foreign object from the skin, then from under the nail it is both harder and more painful. Let's find out how to make it easier and less painful.

Causes of splinters

We have all encountered splinters at least once. They happen, as they say, when doing good and necessary deeds. For example, when renovating an apartment or general cleaning, when working in the garden at the dacha. Very often, even when cooking on a wooden board, there is a chance of getting a splinter.

This can happen not only upon contact with a wood surface. It happens that trouble arises when working with fiberglass or metal shavings. Sometimes the cause of a splinter is plants with thorns or a fish bone.

A splinter under the nail is considered the most painful. If it is not removed in time (and this often happens due to the fact that it is discovered late), the consequences will become serious. You may even need surgery.

If for some reason the splinter has entered deep under the nail, there is no need to risk getting it out yourself. You should remember about antiseptic and disinfectant measures when removing splinters.

There are splinters that you can easily get out with tweezers, but sometimes it is very difficult to get a splinter that has completely sunk under the nail. In this case, you should consult a doctor. You can also try folk remedies for such unpleasant cases.

How to remove a splinter under a nail

From the very beginning, the injured area needs to be lubricated with iodine several times and, perhaps, the splinter, if it is small, will simply dissolve.

If the splinter gets under the nail, then pour hot water into a glass, add 3-4 tablespoons of salt and lower your finger. Steam the nail for 15 minutes. Then the next day you will forget about the trouble, provided that you did the procedure immediately after discovering the splinter.

Another option is to apply the resin of any tree to the area. It must first be kneaded in your hands. After 30-40 minutes, the splinter will come out on its own, and you can remove it with tweezers.

By the way, resin can be replaced with tar. Tar has stretching properties. Apply tar ointment generously to the finger, secure the finger with a bandage, and after a few hours the splinter will appear on the surface of the skin. Then you can easily remove it with tweezers.

If the splinter is deeply embedded and you cannot cope with it, then you need to hold your finger in heated sunflower oil. After the procedure, it will be much easier to get it.

It will make it easier to remove the splinter by dipping the injured finger into a glass of vodka or alcohol for 30 minutes.

You can use Vishnevsky ointment or ichthyol ointment to make it easier to get a foreign object. To do this, generously lubricate the nail area with this ointment, bandage it - and after a couple of hours you will see that the splinter will come out.

If the splinter is difficult to remove, you can bandage a banana skin with the soft side to your finger overnight. By morning the splinter will come to the surface of the skin.

In such cases, soda lotions are also used. Make a thick paste from water and baking soda, apply to the nail, wrap for a couple of hours. Soon she will come out. Onion gruel has the same properties.

Sometimes a splinter is the tip of a glass, a fish bone, a thorn from a cactus, a rose, or a metal shaving. For such cases, you need to take a small piece of black bread, soak it and mix it with salt. Then you need to fix this bread tampon on the nail. The salt will cause discomfort and possibly pain. But the method is very effective. Within a couple of hours, the splinter will come to the surface, and you can deal with it using disinfected tweezers.

It happens that the area under the nail has become inflamed and an abscess has formed. In this case, a compress of clay diluted with water will help you. It will relieve inflammation and draw out pus well.

If a splinter gets under a child’s nail, then do this. Dissolve a large amount of grated soap (half a bar) in 1 liter of hot water. Let your baby hold his finger in this soapy solution. Then the splinter will come to the surface of the skin.

After saying goodbye to the splinter, be sure to treat the area with iodine and alcohol for disinfection. Take care of your hands and nails!

How much trouble can one tiny splinter cause! And one of the most unpleasant options is when it gets under the nail. This can cause not only severe pain, but also serious inflammation. That is why you need to know how to properly remove it from the nail bed at home without a doctor, without causing harm to yourself.

How to detect a splinter?

If the foreign body goes unnoticed right away, it may take several hours until pathological processes begin in the tissues and you feel pain or notice inflammation. But it’s better not to let it get to this point and immediately detect the beginning of the problem.

Symptoms of a splinter

  • Foreign object under the nail plate usually oblong in shape
  • Painful sensations under the nail
  • Pulsation and twitching under the nail plate
  • Temperature change nail (hotter than the rest)

These symptoms will help you recognize a splinter when it is not visually visible, for example due to nail polish or extended manicure. When a problem has arisen, you cannot start the process, so you will have to take measures to ensure that the splinter becomes visible: at a minimum, wipe off the varnish, otherwise it will be difficult to remove.

A flashlight from your phone will help you see the invisible splinter: you need to turn it on and put it on the back of your finger.

See how it's done:

The importance of timely removal of splinters

Why is it important to remove the splinter as soon as possible? The fact is that a piece of material that got under the nail (metal, wood, a piece of paint, or something else) probably contained a lot of bacteria. As a result, in the place of penetration of even the smallest splinter inflammation will occur, and in some cases blood poisoning may occur.

If you feel that the pain is intensifying, if numbness or growing inflammation appears, or the finger begins to swell, the foreign object must be removed urgently.

A particularly dangerous symptom is if you notice the beginning of suppuration, along with which the general body temperature rises.

What are the dangers of ignoring a splinter?

If a splinter that is still under the nail and causing trouble is left unremoved for several days, the situation may turn out to be irreparable consequences:

  • Losing a nail with no hope of recovery
  • Blood poisoning
  • Soft tissue necrosis
  • Development tetanus
  • As a result of gangrene, finger amputation or arms/legs
  • Under unfavorable circumstances it is possible fatal outcome

Therefore, due attention should be paid to removing a splinter, always following the rules of antiseptics.

The procedure for removing a splinter from under a nail

Preparatory stage

To remove a splinter from under a nail, especially at home, you need to use sterile tools. It is important not to break off the splinter or cause it to dig even deeper into the skin.

Prepare necessary tools and tools:

  1. disinfectant (if this is not available, you will need fire),
  2. cotton wool or bandage,
  3. tweezers or nail clippers, a needle (sewing or medical) or nail scissors with very thin and sharp ends,
  4. patch,
  5. magnifying glass.

Just in case, have ammonia on hand.

Preparing to remove a splinter

The first thing to do is disinfect instruments any antiseptic, or treat them with fire, calcining them. Thoroughly wash your hands. Cut off the nail, under which a splinter fell. Cut so as not to cut off the splinter; you may be able to free its protruding edge. Victim finger A couple of minutes soak in disinfectant.

Method for removing a splinter

If by the time you decide to remove the foreign object, the pain in your finger has already reached significant strength, then use cream or spray with anesthetic effect. Please note that after applying the anesthetic, you need to wait a few minutes for it to take effect. Ensure good visibility and turn on bright lights. Then take action:

  1. Steam your finger in hot water with soda or laundry soap.
  2. Pick up the edge of the splinter with tweezers; If this is successful, you will most likely be able to remove the splinter without any problems.
  3. When, if the edge of the splinter is hidden far away from cutting the nail, you will have to use a needle: move the needle closer to the splinter, pick her up, like a hook, pressing it to the nail from below, and pull to the exit.

Complex cases

The splinter sits very deep

If the above steps are unsuccessful or the splinter is so small that it cannot be seen because it has sunk deep into the skin, then use one of the following methods:

  • Pharmacy ichthyol ointment It can help to remove a splinter if you wrap it around your finger for a couple of hours.
  • Vishnevsky ointment will effectively help to “pull out” a stuck splinter. In addition, it disinfects and eliminates the purulent process that has begun. Make a compress with Vishnevsky ointment at night.
  • Warm vegetable oil will help the splinter “emerge” from the finger. To do this, keep your finger in the heated oil for about 10 minutes.

Several more ways to remove a deep splinter are presented in this video:

If your baby is afraid of needles or other tools, you can try distract his attention and with a quick, confident action get the splinter out.

Or after steaming, gently wipe your baby’s finger from moisture and resort to using a patch. Glue it to the splinter, then remove it carefully. The edge of the splinter will stick to the patch and will be removed.

Cleansing film masks or depilatory wax, applied to the problem area and then removed after hardening, can help quickly and without a needle.

How to remove a splinter as painlessly as possible

The only way to remove a splinter without any pain is to use skin pain relievers. Among them Liracaine, which is made on a gel basis and will easily penetrate under the nail.

Gel Sustain, which is designed to relieve pain when getting a tattoo, can also help remove a splinter. Another powerful tool - SuperTrio– a special remedy for pain relief from unpleasant cosmetic procedures. There are many other products that are available in the pharmacy chain.

Traditional methods of removing splinters

One of the old grandmothers' recipes is onion lotion. It is necessary to make a paste of onion and apply it to the place where the splinter penetrates. You can wrap it with a bandage, as you will need to keep the bandage on for quite a long time. Every three hours, check to see if the splinter has come out by replacing the onion pulp with fresh one.

In the same way you can apply cabbage leaf mask, grated. It is worth adding a spoonful of vodka to such a compress.

Powder fenugreek root It will help get rid of a splinter if you apply it to the problem area in the form of a paste.

If you are growing aloe, then its leaf will help get rid of the splinter, and at the same time relieve the resulting inflammation.

Post-procedure nail care

After successfully removing the splinter treat your finger with a disinfectant, apply a bandage with soothing ointment. Try keep your hands clean Until healing, pay special attention to caring for the damaged finger to maintain the beauty and health of the nail.

If after removing the foreign body, you the pain hasn't stopped and other unpleasant symptoms, consult a surgeon. Perhaps the splinter was not completely removed or it managed to cause significant harm to health.

Tips on how to remove a splinter correctly and how to carry out the necessary processing will allow you not to get confused if such a problem befalls you or your friends. With the appropriate knowledge, you can help not only yourself, but also those around you.

Not always, when performing this or that work, we sufficiently protect ourselves.

The precautions that must be taken seem unnecessary or unnatural to us. Hardly anyone wears gloves when preparing food on a cutting board.

But it is in everyday life that we most often have the opportunity get a splinter, sometimes not even noticing it right away.

Splinter is a painful phenomenon, it is especially unpleasant when it ends up under the nail, in a place where it is especially difficult to get it out.

Sometimes we do not detect a splinter immediately, but only when suppuration has already begun, since a foreign body caught under the nail most often carries an infection. It is impossible to ignore a splinter: it causes painful sensations, can lead to serious consequences(swelling at the site of contact, infections, fever).

Splinters must be removed, not forgetting to thoroughly disinfect the affected area.

What types of splinters are there?

There is an opinion that skids can only be caused by wooden objects with a poorly treated surface. This is far from true. Although splinters from wooden objects are the most common, you need to be careful when working with glass, metal shavings, and plants with thorns (especially cacti).

Splinters from wooden objects

When working with gardening tools, it is necessary to protect your hands with gloves, since the cuttings of the tools are not always sufficiently well processed and covered with a protective layer.

By making sudden movements, you can bring a piece of wood under the skin or under the nail. The danger of such a splinter is that dirt gets in along with the foreign body., which will certainly lead to decay without proper attention.


cactus splinter

Splinters from plants

Not all plants are harmless.

Even when caring for house plants, you should not forget about safety rules.

The spines or thorns may become embedded in the skin or under the nail. Remember that some plants, defending themselves in nature, not only developed “weapons”, but also supplied them with poison.

Therefore, splinters from plants must be removed as quickly as possible, before the poison begins to act. It's better not to have such plants, but since you cannot resist their beauty, remember that splinters obtained through contact with them are dangerous and you should definitely consult a doctor.

Splinters from glass wool and glass

Do not start working with glass wool or glass without protecting your hands.

The danger of splinters resulting from contact with this material is that they are not always immediately noticeable and cannot always be seen with the naked eye.

This is especially dangerous if the splinter gets under the nail, because it is not always possible to notice. Sometimes they learn about the existence of a splinter only after the pain and pulsation at the site of the lesion intensifies or suppuration begins.

It is very difficult to remove splinters from glass wool or glass., in these cases it is better to leave the matter to a specialist who has the necessary equipment and tools.

Splinters from metal shavings

Sometimes the coating on household surfaces treated with metal spraying can peel off. By rubbing or simply touching, you can transfer some of this coating under your skin or nail. It is usually thin and hard, so it easily fits under the nail, and sometimes into the nail itself.

Should you see a doctor if you have a splinter?

In most cases, seeing a doctor about removing a splinter from soft tissue is not required.: with sufficient processing of tools and shallow penetration, it can be obtained at home.

It’s good if the edge of the splinter remains visible and does not hide under the nail. In this case, you can catch a foreign body tweezers and try to extract it.
A splinter under the nail is very painful because the nail plate covers the nerve endings.

You should seek medical help in the following cases:

  • It is not possible to remove the splinter on your own, since it is deep, surgery is required, sometimes even removing part of the nail plate.
  • After trying to remove a splinter on my own part of it remained under the nail.
  • It is imperative to consult a doctor if there is swelling in the affected area. pulsation or visible suppuration and swelling.
  • If a splinter from a plant whose poisonous properties you know or even suspect.
  • Even if you removed the splinter yourself, but at the site of the lesion you observe a change in the color of the nail plate, or other visible changes, consult a doctor immediately.
  • A splinter under the nail is not only painful, but, without proper attention, may cause more serious illnesses, so seeing a doctor will help avoid unpleasant consequences.

Splinter processing, splinter removal tools processing

An important condition is the treatment of the affected area and the tools that you will use to remove the splinter.

  1. Before removing the splinter, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly, this is especially important if the splinter is received during gardening work or repairs, when the conditions are far from sanitary.
  2. Treat the affected area. To do this, apply formic alcohol or a solution of boric acid (2 percent), hydrogen peroxide is also suitable. If you don’t have any pharmaceutical supplies with you, you can use vodka or cologne.
  3. Treat your tools thoroughly, which you intend to use to remove the splinter. The same products that you used to treat the wound are suitable for treatment. It is better to wipe the tools with moistened cotton pads.
  4. After successfully removing the splinter, it is recommended to re-treat the affected area, since a foreign object that got under the nail brought microbes with it. Under the nail, where air supply is limited, they will develop quite quickly. The infection may not appear immediately and can lead to serious consequences. You can treat the area with brilliant green or iodine.

Mechanical splinter extraction technology

To remove a splinter from under your nail yourself, try the following:

  • Thoroughly process all the necessary tools(needle, tweezers), wash your hands and treat the surface of the nail plate.
  • If the splinter is small, prepare a magnifying glass.
  • If the splinter is visible, the edge of the foreign body sticks out, pick it up with tweezers and pull it at the same angle, under which the splinter entered under the nail. Try do not pull with sudden movements, because you may break the splinter: in this case, removing it will be much more difficult.
  • If the place of penetration splinters are hard to see, you can smear the nail with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. A dark dot or stripe will appear at the site of penetration.
  • If possible, before removing the spots from under the nail steam your finger, dipping it in warm water with soda. A slight softening of the nail will help to “spread” the nail plate, which will allow the splinter to come out from under the nail more easily.
  • After removing the splinter, treat the affected area. If you are in conditions that are far from sanitary, it is better to put a bandage on your finger.

Removing splinters using ointments and compresses

It happens that a splinter is brought under the nail cannot be removed mechanically due to the depth of penetration or its structure.

! Then you can resort to the help of ointments and compresses.

Ichthyol ointment and Vishnevsky ointment

If you cannot pick up a splinter that is deep under the nail or a splinter that is too thin, you can use Vishnevsky ointment or ichthyol ointment.

  • Apply ointment to a cotton pad and apply to the area where the splinter entered. The property of these ointments is the ability to draw out foreign bodies.
  • Through 3-4 hours remove the disc and inspect the area where the splinter entered.
  • If it doesn't come out completely, pick it up with tweezers and pull it out.
  • If you can't pick up a splinter, repeat the bandage with ointment.
  • Ointments help not only pull out a splinter from under the nail, but also treat the damaged area, stopping the spread of infection.

Folk remedies for removing splinters

To remove a splinter from under a nail, you can make compresses:
1. To a tablespoon of grated finely grate the cabbage, add a teaspoon of vodka. Place the resulting mass in a sterile bandage and apply it to the splinter. Through The splinter should stretch out within 2-3 hours from under the nail. If the splinter is deep, the procedure must be repeated several times.
2. It will help to pull out a splinter onion compress, which must be grated until mushy on a fine grater.
3. Helps pull out a splinter aloe leaf It is necessary to cut off part of the leaf, revealing its pulp. Apply the pulp to the affected area and bandage it. Keep the compress for 2-3 hours. Repeat as necessary.
4. To pull out a splinter, you can apply compress of grated potatoes.

wax will help remove the splinter

Wax and resin for removing splinters from under the nail

If the tip of the splinter is slightly visible, but it is impossible to pry it off, It is recommended to use resin or wax.

  • Apply heated wax or resin onto the nail and leave until completely hardened.
  • After carefully in the direction of the splinter's entrance, remove the wax or resin.
  • The splinter should attach to the wax or resin and come out when removing them.
  • Can soak your finger in a soap bath before applying wax or resin or soda: this will soften the nail.

Complications after removing a splinter from under the nail

A splinter caught under a nail is dangerous due to its complications.

It is not always possible to remove it completely the first time. Even a small fragment left under the nail may lead to decay.

After removing the splinter, it is important to carefully treat the affected area and continue to monitor the condition for several days. If you feel throbbing or pain, be sure to consult a doctor, since these are the first symptoms of possible complications.
Penetrating under the nail, the splinter brings with it an infection that quickly spreads.
If you notice swelling or redness, contact your doctor. Sometimes delay leads to the need for surgery,

A person receives minor and insignificant injuries to the skin of the hands almost regularly. One of the causes of injury is splinters that dig into not only the fingers and palms, but also under the nails, causing severe pain. And therefore it is important to know how to remove a splinter from under a nail without resorting to medical help and without harming your health.

Why are splinters dangerous?

Within 3-5 hours, a splinter that has entered the soft tissue does not cause an immediate pathological condition, since the negative processes are only at the initial stage.

At first, a person may feel:

  • soreness under the nail;
  • tingling, twitching, pulsation at the site of the splinter;
  • a small area of ​​skin may become hot.
If emergency measures are not taken and the splinter sits deep under the nail, the following symptoms may develop:
  • the pain gradually increases;
  • the nail plate first turns white, and then inflammation, redness, and numbness appear;
  • the process of suppuration begins;
  • the finger and nail may swell and lose sensitivity;
  • with the development of infection of tissues and blood is capable.
When a splinter gets under the nail and remains there for more than 5-6 hours, this can lead to:
  1. gas gangrene;
  2. nail detachment and complete loss may occur, without the possibility of recovery;
  3. infection of the blood, connective tissue of the hand, tetanus; the infection spreads very quickly;
  4. in severe cases, amputation of a finger or hand of the affected hand may be required;
  5. in some cases, a foreign body under the skin is fatal.

If the splinter is made of wood or is a plant thorn, it will not be difficult to get it out yourself. In a situation where metal shavings or fiberglass get under the skin, you should not perform a “home operation”; you should urgently seek help from an emergency room or a local surgeon. In this case, the operation will be performed under local anesthesia, eliminating negative consequences.


In view of the rather dangerous consequences, when wondering how to remove a splinter from under a nail, you need to be prepared for prompt action, without neglecting disinfection at the preparatory stage.

How to get a splinter: the preparatory stage and the necessary tools


The means used to remove a foreign body from under the nail plate must be, if not sterile, then at least disinfected. In the process of removing a splinter, you should act without haste, otherwise there is a risk of driving the splinter even deeper under the nail and skin, or breaking it off.


Necessary equipment:
  • antiseptics;
  • cotton wool, gauze;
  • open fire (lit candle);
  • manicure tweezers or scissors, tweezers or a thin needle;
  • plaster or bandage;
  • magnifying glass
How to remove a splinter from under a nail: preparation
  1. The selected instruments must be wiped with alcohol, vodka, or another antiseptic. Then heat it over a fire to disinfect it. If it is possible to use a thin, sterile injection needle, it is better to use it.
  2. Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap.
  3. Carefully trim the nail, while trying not to touch the splinter itself when cutting the nail plate above it.
  4. It is good to disinfect the area on the finger. For this you can use alcohol, hand sanitizer, iodine, brilliant green, a solution of potassium permanganate, into which the injured finger is dipped for 5-10 minutes.
What to do if the splinter sits extremely deep? Then how to get a splinter without problems?
  • Gently steam your finger in hot water to which salt and baking soda have been added in equal proportions.
  • If severe pain occurs, you must either use an anesthetic cream or soak your finger in ice water for 8-10 minutes.
  • A compress with ichthyol ointment will help get rid of the foreign body. It needs to be done for 2-3 hours.
  • Birch tar and Vishnevsky ointment allow you to pull out a deeply embedded foreign body so that after the procedure you can grab it with tweezers. In addition, these products get rid of pus accumulated under the nail plate and prevent further infection of the tissues.
  • Regular alcohol or vodka will help remove a splinter sitting deep under the nail. You need to dip your finger into the selected liquid and hold it there for 30-60 minutes.
  • A warm soapy solution also helps solve the problem of how to remove a splinter from under the nail that is firmly embedded in the soft tissues. To create it, you need to rub baby soap into warm water, then put your hand in the solution and wait a while.
  • Make a warm bath for your finger using olive oil, which will help the splinter “slip out.”

How to remove a splinter from under a nail: basic steps

When the preparatory stage is left behind, it is necessary to move on to the “home operation” itself.

You need to pull out a splinter only in very bright light, preferably under a lamp, using a magnifying glass. Using a magnifying glass, you can better see at what angle the foreign body entered under the nail, how deep it is, and whether it is possible to pull the splinter out by the tip.


Two options for removing a splinter:
  1. if you manage to pick up the end of the splinter with tweezers, then the foreign body is pulled out without any problems; you need to act carefully, without pulling hard, pulling out the splinter at the angle at which it entered the body;
  2. when the tip is invisible, you should carefully insert the needle under the skin, while trying to pull the fingertip lower from the nail; tearing the skin with a needle is possible only in exceptional cases; in other cases, you need to grab the splinter with the tip of the needle and push it upward, without changing the angle of the foreign body, moving the needle in parallel.



But how to remove a splinter from under a nail if both of these methods do not help? You can turn to folk methods.

Compresses with the following agents help in the fight against foreign bodies under the nail:

  • chopped onion;
  • pine resin;
  • banana peel;
  • cosmetic clay;
  • propolis;
  • gruel from the pulp of black bread and salt;
  • cottage cheese;
  • fenugreek and comfrey;
  • juniper resin.

All compresses are made for 1.5-2 hours, tightly fixed on the affected finger.


If the splinter is invisible, but you need to remove it, you can use the methods shown in the video:



gastroguru 2017