Should i take a splinter out

If you do need to go see a doctor, first cover the wound with gauze and try to slow down any bleeding. To slow bleeding, gently press gauze around the wound to keep the skin together and try to keep the affected area elevated above your heart. Splinters are common for adults and children alike.

Prevent infection by thoroughly cleaning the wound before and after you remove the splinter. Tea tree oil is an essential oil that may have benefits for skin, hair and nails.

Here are 14 practical ways to use tea tree oil safely and…. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites can all cause skin infections. Infections can range from mild to severe. Learn what to do if you have a skin…. When your skin gets cut or scraped, you begin to bleed. Bleeding serves a useful purpose because it helps to clean out a wound. While it's hard to be definitive, Dr Sheridan's general rule of thumb is that if a splinter is easy to get out, you should get it out, regardless of what it's made of.

But if it's in the surface, and you can get it out fairly easily without breaking it up, "go for it". If you can't get it out, it's in deep, or you think the splinter is vegetable matter, Dr Sheridan advises seeing your GP — ideally within 48 to 72 hours, before any infection has time to take hold.

You can probably be a bit more relaxed if you think the splinter is a bit of glass, metal or plastic, Dr Sheridan says, but it's a good idea to keep an eye on it. And bear in mind that splinters of any kind can be risky for anyone with medical conditions including diabetes, lowered immunity or diseased blood vessels.

Whatever the cause, a deep splinter that's caused infection may need to be cut out under local anaesthetic, followed by careful washing of the area. You may also require medication to ensure the infection doesn't continue to spread, even after the splinter is gone. Movement of your body can see a splinter "work its way out". The action of immune cells migrating to the area also achieves this result, although this can cause localised pain.

The natural process of cells in the surface skin layer being pushed out and replaced can eject a splinter too. If the body can't get rid of a splinter, it may "wall it off" to form an internal lump known as a granuloma. The splinter can re-emerge at the surface, sometimes years later, or remain encased and "dormant", Dr Sheridan says. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.

If the splinter was larger and left a small wound, apply a bandage to the area to avoid infection. Be sure to disinfect it with alcohol first! Carefully open the skin to expose enough of the splinter so that you can use a pair of tweezers to remove it.

Once the fragment is removed entirely, clean the wound with alcohol, and bandage it. Keep an eye on it and watch out for signs of infection. Skip to navigation menu Skip to content. High Priority Alert. Close alert. Informational Alert. Sliver or Splinter. Is this your child's symptom?