How to Get a Splinter under a Nail

Splinters are “foreign bodies” that somehow penetrate the skin and stay under the skin. In most cases, wood chips, but sometimes metal, glass, and some plastics. You can usually remove the splinter on your own, but if the splinter is deep in the skin, especially in hard-to-reach places, you may need to ask your doctor to help you remove it. ^{[1] X Source of Research} A splint under a fingernail or toenail can be very painful and difficult to treat, but there are a few methods you can consider doing at home.

Table of Contents

Smash with tweezers

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Determine if you need to see a doctor. If the splinter is deep under the nail or has begun to become infected, you may need to see a doctor to remove the splinter. You’ll know the splinter is infected if it’s still sore after a few days, and the surrounding skin is swollen or red. ^{[2] X Research Source}

If the splinter causes a lot of bleeding, you need to go to the emergency room for treatment.
If the splinter is so deep under the nail that it cannot be removed on its own, or if the skin around the splinter becomes infected, make an appointment with your doctor. Your doctor can help you remove the splinter and prescribe antibiotics.
In most cases, the doctor will numb the area to relieve pain when the splinter is removed.
Understand that your doctor may cut part or all of the nail to completely remove the splinter.

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Take out the splinter yourself. If you’re going to remove the splinter at home, you’ll need a pair of tweezers (since the splinter will probably be too small to pull in and out with your fingers). If the splinter is deep under the nail and no part is sticking out of the skin, you may also need to use a needle to poke it out. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Sterilize all tools you plan to use to remove splinter. You can disinfect tweezers and needles with rubbing alcohol or boiling water.
Wash your hands before touching any disinfected equipment.
Wash punctured skin and nails before handling to prevent infection. If you find it difficult to clean with soap and water, you can also use rubbing alcohol.
If the nail is long, you may need to trim the splinter before trying to remove it. That way you will also see more clearly.

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Use tweezers to pull the splinter out. Find a place with enough light to clearly see the splinter. Use tweezers to clamp the protruding splinter end. Once you grip the splinter, you will pull it out of the skin in the same direction as the splinter entered. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

A splinter under the skin may consist of pieces of wood, glass, etc., or may break when you try to remove it from the skin. If you can’t remove all the splinter on your own, you may need to see a doctor to remove any remaining debris.

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Use a needle to treat splinters that are completely submerged under the nail. In some cases, the splinter is located deep under the nail and no part protrudes from the surface of the skin. This type of splinter is quite difficult to deal with, but you can try cutting out part of the splinter with a needle to use tweezers. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Any small needle can be used. Remember to disinfect the needle before use.
Push the needle under the nail, toward the tip of the splinter, and poke the end of the splinter out.
If you can partially pull out the splinter, use tweezers to pull in and pull the splinter in the direction it hit.

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Thoroughly wash the puncture site. Once the splinter is partially or completely removed, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water. Once the wash is done, you can apply an antibiotic ointment (such as Ppysporin) to prevent infection. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

You should also bandage a wound that is bleeding or in an infection-prone area.

Apply other methods

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Soak the puncture site in warm water and baking soda. You can “expel” splinters that are deep under the nail or too small to use tweezers by using warm water and baking soda. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Soak your fingers in warm water mixed with a tablespoon of baking soda. You may need to do this twice a day for it to work.
This treatment may take several days to push the splinter to the surface of the skin enough to use tweezers or let the splinter fall off on its own.

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Use tape to remove splinter. Another option you might consider is using duct tape. The method is quite simple: stick the tape over the protruding part of the splinter and quickly peel the tape off. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

You can use any type of tape, but clear tape will allow you to see the splinter better.
You may need to cut your nail short to make it easier to access the splinter.

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Use hair removal wax. Splinters that are too small can be difficult to remove with tweezers. Another option for getting rid of these splinters under the nail is to use waxing wax. Wax has a flexible and sticky texture that makes it easy to wrap around the protruding splinter. ^{[9] X Trusted Source HealthyChildren.org Go to Source}

You may have to cut your nail short to make it easier to access the splinter.
Apply hot wax to the area around the splinter. Be sure to completely cover the protruding splinter end.
Place a cloth over the wax before the wax dries.
Grasp the top of the cloth and pull it up quickly.

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Try “black ointment” to remove splinter. Also known as ‘”ichthammp ointment,” black ointment can be used to remove splinters under the nail. You can buy this medicine at a pharmacy (or online). The ointment works to soften the skin around the splinter, thereby helping to push the splinter out naturally.

You may need to trim some or all of the nail that has been hit by the splinter to make it easier to access the splinter.
This method is also effective when applied to children because it causes less pain and less discomfort.
Apply a small amount of ointment to the puncture site.
Use a bandage or cover the wound for 24 hours. Black ointment can stain fabrics (clothes and bed sheets), so you should cover the application area to prevent the medicine from seeping out.
Remove the bandage after 24 hours to observe the splinter.
The purpose of applying the ointment is to naturally push the splinter out. If the splinter still hasn’t come out after 24 hours but has become more accessible, you can use tweezers to remove the splinter.

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Make a paste with baking soda. Making your own baking soda paste is another alternative to black ointment. However, it’s best to do this only if all of the above doesn’t work, as the baking soda mixture can also cause swelling and make it harder to remove the splinter.

You may need to trim part or all of the nail that has been hit by the splinter to make it easier to access the splinter.
Mix ¼ teaspoon of baking soda with water until it forms a paste.
Spread the powder over the splinter, then cover or wrap a bandage around it.
24 hours later, you can remove the bandage and examine the splinter.
Perhaps this mixture is enough to push the splinter up naturally. If after 24 hours, the splinter cannot be treated, apply another layer of powder and wait another 24 hours.
If the splinter sticks out enough to grip the tweezers, you can now use the tweezers to remove the splinter.

Advice

There is a condition called “debris hemorrhage” that occurs under the fingernails and toenails, which is not caused by splinter and is not related to splinter. This condition is called “debris hemorrhage” because the nail looks like a splinter in it. ^{[10] X Source of study} This phenomenon usually occurs due to valvular disease or trauma to the flesh under the nail.
In general, splinters with organic material (such as wood, thorns, etc.) often cause infection if not removed from the skin. Meanwhile, splinters with inorganic materials (such as glass or metal) do not cause infection when lying under the skin.

Steps

Smash with tweezers

Apply other methods

Advice

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