SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center (314) 577-5600
You probably don't get as many splinters as you did when you
were a kid. But they can still zap you when you least expect it.
It might be tempting to ignore a splinter, especially if it
doesn't hurt. But a splinter can become infected, so you should
try to get it out as soon as you notice it. Removing a splinter
right away means the skin won't have time to heal over so the
splinter will pull out more easily.  Here's how to remove a
splinter:    1. Clean the area. Wash your hands, then wash the
area surrounding the splinter with soap and warm tap water.   2.
Sterilize a needle and some tweezers. The best way to do this is
to immerse the ends of the needle and tweezers in boiling water
or run boiling water over them. Wipe them off with a clean
cotton pad, cotton ball, or alcohol pad after boiling.   3.
Gently pull out the splinter. If the end of the splinter is
still poking out of your skin, you should be able to remove it
using just tweezers. Be