We all hate getting them, and hate removing them even more. Nothing can reduce a strong person to a whimpering child faster than getting a splinter.
Here are six ways to survive getting splinters and removing them, for yourself, for your children, for your spouse or friends or co-workers.
I've never liked the needle and tweezer method. It always seemed as if the cure was worse than the ailment - and half the time, the "cure" didn't work. Besides, even with a magnifying glass, I never could see a splinter, so I was never sure I was actually getting the splinter or some skin blemish. The following methods are the ones I use. They work on the youngest children, too, or the oldest fragile flesh.
White glue: If a teeny section of the splinter is above the skin, smear on some white glue and let it dry, then peel the dried glue off. It may take several tries if the splinter bit is very small because the glue will pull it out a little bit at a time. It works really well on removing small clusters of cactus spines, too. This is the method that interests small children the most and works well on fragile older skin.
Sticky Tape: The stickier the tape, the better. If the splinter is small, invisible, but you can still feel a little catch from it and you have tape, but not glue, cover the area with a piece of tape, gently press the tape around where the splinter is, then pull the tape off. The splinter shold come with the tape. This works particularly well on teeny cactus spines that embed shallowly, too. Children like this one, too, but it's not so good on fragile older skin.
Steam Method: This works for splinters on your fingers or toes that are shallow but don't offer a grip for the glue or tape method. Fill a wide mouthed jar with very, very hot water. Place the splintered area of the finger or toe across the top of the jar and cover with a heavy cloth to hold the steam in. Leave it there for at least 5 minutes. This should draw the splinter farther out, particularly if it is a wood splinter. You should be able to pull it out the rest of the way with a pair of tweezers. Or dry the skin gently so you don't push the splinter back in, and use the glue or tape method to finish pulling it out. Small children aren't as patient with this one, but it's excellent for everyone else and particularly older fragile skin.
The Swell Method: This is related to the steam method, for splinters that are below the skin, perhaps a little deeper than shallow, and especially if it's a wood splinter. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda into 1 cup of water as hot as you can stand, then soak the splintered area in the water until it cools. If the splinter isn't up yet, let the skin dry and repeat up to 4 times a day until the splinter swells up enough to poke far enough above the skin to be grasped with tweezers or to use the glue or tape method. This is another method that isn't so f=good for impatient young children, but works well on everyone else, particularly older fragile skin.
The Corn Method: Buy some of those corn removal patches, the ones with the salicylic acid, and place a patch over the splinter. Change the corn patch disk every 12 hours until the skin softens enough to release the splinter. It may just fall out, or you may need to use tweezers or the glue or tape method to finish removing the splinter. For young children (anyone under age 8) and older people with the thin fragile skin some older people develope, only leave the patch on for 3 or 4 hours. Their skin is too delicate. If the child is really young (under 3) or the skin is really thin and fragile, use some other method.
The Fat Poultice Method: This last method I've never used and I don't plan to ever use it, so if you do, let us know how it works. I include it only because, you know, bacon. That's right. Bacon. Cut a small piece of the fatty part of the bacon and tape it over the splinter. Leave it on for 12 hours. Supposedly, the fat and salt of the bacon will draw the splinter out. Supposedly, this is an old-fashioned remedy for splinters, and I've heard rural Americans swear by this method.
My personal preferred methods for splinter removal are the Steam, Swell, and Glue Methods. Those three have always worked for me.