Needle and Tweezers

• Remove larger slivers 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 or a flame.
  • Wash the skin surrounding the sliver briefly with soap and water before trying to remove it. 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.
  • 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 the rest out.