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HOME CARE ADVICE FOR MINOR SLIVERS |
- Tiny, Pain-Free Slivers: If superficial slivers are numerous, tiny, and pain-free, they can be left in. Eventually they will work their way out with normal shedding of the skin or the body will reject them by forming a little pimple which will drain on its own.
- Tiny Painful Plant Stickers: Plant stickers (e.g., stinging nettle), cactus spines or fiberglass spicules are difficult to remove because they are fragile. Usually they break when pressure is applied with a tweezers.
- Tape: First try to remove the small spines or spicules by touching the area lightly with packaging tape, duct tape or another very sticky tape. If that doesn't work, try wax hair remover.
- Wax Hair Remover: If tape doesn't work, apply a layer of wax hair remover. Let it air dry for 5 minutes or accelerate the process with a hair dryer. Then peel it off with the spicules. Most will be removed. The others will usually work themselves out with normal shedding of the skin.
- Needle and Tweezers: For large slivers or thorns, remove with a needle and tweezers.
- Check the tweezers beforehand to be certain the ends (pickups) meet exactly (if they do not, bend them). Sterilize the tools with rubbing alcohol.
- Cleanse the skin surrounding the sliver briefly with rubbing alcohol before trying to remove it. If you don't have any, use soap and water but don't soak the area if foreign body is wood (Reason: can cause swelling of the splinter).
- Use the needle to completely expose the large end of the sliver. Use good lighting. A magnifying glass may help.
- Then grasp the end firmly with the tweezers and pull it out at the same angle that it went in. Getting a good grip the first time is especially important with slivers that go in perpendicular to the skin or those trapped under the fingernail.
- For slivers under a fingernail, sometimes a wedge of the nail must be cut away with fine scissors to expose the end of the sliver.
- Superficial horizontal slivers (where you can see all of it) usually can be removed by pulling on the end. If the end breaks off, open the skin with a sterile needle along the length of the sliver and flick it out.
- Antibiotic Ointment: Wash the area with soap and water before and after removal. To reduce the risk of infection, apply an antibiotic ointment such as Polysporin once after removal (no prescription needed).
- Call Your Doctor If:
- Can't get it all out
- Removed, but pain becomes worse
- Starts to look infected
- Your child becomes worse
And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the "Call Your Doctor" symptoms.
