splinter/thorn in finger

ceridwen

Just a quick query - I've had some sort of splinter/thorn from a plant in my thumb for a few days and its irritating - any ideas on quick/easy method to remove it please?

Thanks.

lindsey_toffee_girl

Use a needle and scrap along it not with the sharp end of the needle though with the side of it, then get some savalon on your hand

McKneff

it needs doing soon, they can go septic pretty quickly

ceridwen

ooh...whoops....not a cheering thought....but thanks for that....the "septic" possibility that is.....

All further suggestions welcome purlease....

...some might say that serves me right for doing a bit of guerilla gardening...which is how come the thorn/splinter and me "got acquainted"...oh well....:cool:

McKneff

Please dont wait for suggestions, gardening thorns etc can give you a lot worse than septic but i didnt want to alarm you too much - do it now - an ice cube on it for a couple of minutes before hand really does help

ceridwen

Reet...just off to look out an icecube tray and see whether I can find some room to cram it in the freezer....

Ta.

Finefoot

You can soak it in really salty water to try to draw it out. When was your last tetanus jab?

McKneff

Doesnt need to be an ice cube, just grab anything frozen out of the freezer

oh dear -I was trying so hard not to mention the word 'tetanus':p

Was that a scottish reet or a geordie reet

lindsey_toffee_girl

let us know when you,ve done it

got-it-spend-it

I find if I cover a splinter with a plaster for an hour or so its much easier to get out as the skin goes softer around it.

Mojisola

We have a tub of magnesium sulphate paste in the house for problems like this. It draws out the splinter so you don't have to dig it out. Available at most chemists.