How to quickly draw out even deep splinters without a needle, pain, or trip to the doctor even if they have been embedded for some time. One minute video demonstration included.
A splinter is a fragment of any foreign object that penetrates and becomes lodged inside one’s body. While splinters can come from a variety of materials such as glass, plastic, metal or even the spines of animals, for most people, splinters commonly occur on the fingers and hands from handling some type of plant matter such as a piece of wood.
When one experiences a splinter, pain as the sharp object initially penetrates the skin is usually felt. This is because the object has cut through the cutaneous layer of skin, settling into the subcutaneous layer below. While some splinters stay put at that point, most others will continue to move around, damaging additional tissue in the process.
Splinters that become lodged in the fingers or hand as would happen while doing yard work are usually very easy to remove with a simple needle that has been properly cleaned with alcohol first.
The Problem with Removing Splinters with Needles
The problem with this approach is that children don’t like it as picking at a splinter with a pointy object can sometimes hurt until part of the splinter is exposed and the rest pulled out with a pair of tweezers or a piece of tape.
The second problem with the needle approach is that it doesn’t always work if the splinter is very deep or quite thin and hard to see.
This happened to my husband recently when he got a thorn that was about an inch long deeply lodged in his left index finger while doing some yard work.
No matter how hard he tried to dig that thorn out with the traditional needle approach, he could not even find it let alone remove it.
It was just too deep.
At first, he figured the splinter would naturally work its way out. Splinters sometimes do this – the skin “pushes” them to the surface of the skin where they are easily removed a short time later with tweezers or your fingers.
That didn’t happen with this splinter. Waiting a few days made the situation much worse as the finger got very sore and began to swell.
Going to a Doctor Instead is Expensive
I became very concerned at that point because the finger was obviously infected. I suggested a trip to the doctor, but my husband wasn’t keen on that idea as the (out of network) holistic family doctor we called said it would cost $500 for the office required consultation and subsequent removal of the splinter.
$500 to remove a splinter? Unbelievable!
My husband then had the bright idea to ask his friend who is a veterinarian about the situation.
How to Remove a Splinter at Home with No Needles
The veterinarian said that removing even a deep splinter is easy with magnesium sulfate, better known as Epsom salts. Many people are familiar with an Epsom salt bath for sore muscles or to improve sleep.
This remedy uses Epsom salt in another hugely beneficial way – to draw toxins even a splinter right out of the skin. (1)
The veterinarian said you could either soak the finger a few times a day in a cup of warm water and Epsom salts or make a poultice with it. The poultice is much faster and more effective, however.
Such a method is supported in the scientific literature and very safe as well. (2)
Epsom Salts – How to Draw Out a Splinter
My husband decided to go with the poultice route. He took a small pinch of Epsom salts, placed it on the bandage section of a regular, large band-aid and wrapped the finger with it. He changed the bandage once a day or after it got wet in the shower.
Another option is to put a bit of magnesium sulfate paste (which costs just a few dollars) on the area and cover with a bandage. Magnesium sulfate is the same thing as Epsom salt.
This one minute video demonstrates the easy process. Be sure to clean the area well and use established first aid methods before and after the splinter is out of the skin. (3)
How Long Does it Take?
Within 2 days, it was apparent that the Epsom salts poultice had worked! The end of that thorn was ever so slightly sticking through the skin!
My husband pulled about 1/3″ of thorn out, but he could tell there was still more in there.
He continued to apply the Epsom salts poultice for one more day which caused the rest of the thorn to come to the surface of the skin as well. He used tweezers to pull the rest of the thorn out, which turned out to be about another 1/2″ in length.
Best of all, the swelling and soreness of the finger quickly resolved with the removal of the thorn. It has been a couple of months since this happened and the finger is perfectly fine.
Keep Magnesium Sulfate on Hand
I will be using the Epsom salts or magnesium sulfate paste on a bandage approach to remove all splinters that occur in our household from now on. I’ve purchased a small bottle of the magnesium sulfate paste, and it is now a permanent part of my medicine cabinet.
This approach suggested by our veterinary friend is far easier than using needles or enduring the drama of a doctor’s visit and there is surprisingly no pain at all involved.
One word of caution. If you choose to use the crystals instead of the paste, be sure to buy Epsom salts that are human-grade, rather than agricultural grade.
References
(1) Magnesium Sulfate Paste
(2) Use of Epsom Salts, historically considered
(3) Foreign object in the skin: First aid
I have had this issue for over a month now it is on my left index finger right at the base. I did the Epsom salts and bandaid and at first it worked and I thought I got all I’ve the thorn out but must be not it is starting to really bother me all over again. Should I go back to using the salts again. Please help
You may not have gotten all of it. Try it again to draw the rest out.
I am terribly useless with any sort of pain or injury so I never turn to needles and was thrilled to have found your article here.
I always wash injuries and apply Iodine immediately and follow it up with anti bacterial and also some essential oils so I am certain bacteria cannot thrive but this splinter developed a small blister around the site despite my efforts. I kept it clean for about 7 days and was contemplating going to the doctor but as a last resort took to the internet and found your site almost immediately. I took the advice and applied a big dollop of Magnesium Sulfate paste for 5 days about three times a day whenever I changed the plaster. Yesterday the splinter had surfaced enough and the skin peeled back entirely – the blister had cleared and I reapplied the paste again and left it overnight. This morning I woke up and the splinter was on its side and visible just under the peeled skin so I pressed gently near the site and it fell out, I did not have to tweezer it out at all.
Thank you so much for sharing your method here. Your calm approach allso took away my fear of getting some horrible bacterial infection which seems to be posted all over the internet – I thought I’d be in hospital on a drip 🙂
I had a very deep painful sliver in the ball of my foot. It was too deep for tweezers so I researched and found this epsom salt solution. Within 2 days the 3/4 inch sliver surfaced so that I could remove it. Thank you so very much.
Is it normal for the police to make the wound burn when applied? My husband said it was very uncomfortable and burning at first…
If there is a break in the skin, yes, the epsom salts might burn a bit when applied at first.
Hi….. my husband has had an imbedded thorn in his thumb for over three months. It is sore and swollen. He just started an epsom salt soak 3 times a day. Can it work it’s way out if he soaks and applies the epsom paste
As mentioned in the post, soaking is NOT the way to remove a splinter. You put the epsom salt grains or paste on the spot where the splinter is and cover with a bandage and leave it on 24/7 … you can change each day if you like with fresh ointment until the splinter starts poking out of the skin and then pull it out with your fingers or tweezers.
I’m confused. You say he put a pinch of salt in the band aid…did he dissolve it first in water?? Or did he put dry crystals on a band aid?? If so did they fall out? If he dissolved, how much water and Epsom salts? Where in the store do you find the magnesium paste? Thanks!
You don’t dissolve the crystals first in water. Just put a few grains right on the spot where the splinter is and wrap with a bandage. The ointment in the post is more convenient though. In a pinch, the straight epsom salt grains work fine too.
Once I have soaked the offending area and feel that I should be able to squeeze out the splinter I do the hot bottle treatment. Take a long necked glass bottle, like a wine bottle or a soft drink bottle – glass not plastic – and make it hot, dip it in hot water or fill it with hot water – empty the bottle and immediately apply the open neck directly over the wound. Moisten the skin around the wound first. Hold it firmly against the site. Let the bottle cool, or better yet drape a cold wet towel over the bottle and watch it suck the pus and splinter right out. Painless and good for boils, abscesses and infected splinters.
Hi Sarah – Five days ago while on vacation I walked on a deck in my bare feet and got a very large wood splinter in the ball of my right foot that was so deep you couldn’t see it at all. My daughter tried for an hour to get it out using a needle (sterilized) and tweezers, but only succeeded in getting a small piece of it out. I began soaking it in Epsom salts and using a drawing salve upon returning home the next night. Two days later I went to the doctor who could not see the remainder of it in my foot after using a small scalpel. I had cellulitis and am on antibiotics for 10 days and was sent for an X-ray which showed nothing. I was told that wood shows up on an X-ray. I’m very frustrated since I have difficulty walking on the ball of my foot as I can still feel something in there causing pain. My daughter is certain she could still see the splinter in my foot. I’m using an antibiotic ointment on my foot also. Is it worth trying the Epsom salt crystals for something this deep? Thank you!
Yes, this remedy works for very deep splinters in the feet too.
Hi Sarah! Thank you for the post – I just got a sharp splinter in my finger yesterday morning and it was too painful to dig out or push out. Googled and stumbled on your post. I am currently trying the grains of epsom salt on plaster method. It’s been about 24 hours since I’ve done it, but there doesn’t seem to be any improvement. Could I be doing something wrong? Should I make a bigger bandage (currently using a regular sized band-aid) and use more salt to draw the splinter out of the skin? Should I grind the salt crystals into something finer? Or is it too early to tell? The splinter seems rather close to the surface so I thought a day of salt treatment would work… Please advice, thanks in advance! ^_^
It may take longer than 24 hours. A deep one may take 2-3 days. You don’t need a larger bandage or more grains. Just a few work great.
Hello Sarah!
Thank you so much for sharing this great news of no needles and no pain method of getting rid of a splinter! Such a relief ????
I have a splinter in my index finger of the right hand- what ratio of water and Epsom salt would it take if I have to soak it?
Thank you so much ????
Soaking it doesn’t work as well to draw it out. Please use the epsom salt paste or a few grains of epsom salt on a bandage as suggested in the post.