How to Remove a Hair Splinter

This article is written by:

Zornitsa Stoycheva

This article guides you through the correct and safe way to remove a hair splinter at home. We also look into the cases when your splinter may require medical attention and give you tips on how to prevent getting a splinter.

What is a hair splinter?

Hair splinter is a single strand of hair that penetrates into the top layer of hairless skin areas. FIngers (or in between them), toes, and bottoms of the feet are typical skin areas for a hair splinter.

What causes them?

They usually occur when the hair is freshly cut off. Only then the hair strand is extra sharp and thick and can go into the skin.

Who is at risk of getting hair splinters? Mainly people handling hair:

• Hairdressers
• Barbers
• Pet owners
• Animal groomers

Let’s get started!

How to remove hair splinter

There are different ways to remove a hair splinter, depending on its depth, size, and location. You can remove a splinter at home if:

• You can see it
• Have easy access to the location of the splinter
• The splinter is not deep into the skin
• The splinter is recent
• The skin is not infected, irritated or swollen

Here are three methods to remove hair splinters by yourself at home:

Method 1:

What you need:

• Tweezers
• Rubbing alcohol/disinfectant/disinfecting wipes
• Needle
• Running water and soap
• Bandaid

What to do?

1. Wash the area of the splinter.
2. Disinfect the skin, needle and tweezers thoroughly with rubbing alcohol/disinfectant.
3. If you can’t reach the end of the hair strand right away, use the needle to open the most superficial layer of skin. You should be able to grab the end of the splinter with your tweezers.
4. Take the splinter out using the tweezers.
5. Disinfect the skin area again and apply fragrance-free moisturizer to help the skin heal.
6. Put a bandaid on to prevent contamination.

Method 2

*For this method, one end of the splinter has to stick outside your skin

What you need:

• Sugar wax/hard wax/waxing strips
• Rubbing alcohol/disinfectant/disinfecting wipes
• Running water and soap
• Bandaid

What to do?

1. Wash the area of the splinter and disinfect it thoroughly.
2. Apply the wax or waxing strip to the skin
3. Pull the wax/strip to remove the splinter. Make sure that the whole hair fragment is removed.
4. Disinfect the skin area again and apply fragrance-free moisturizer to help the skin heal.

Method 3

*For this method, one end of the splinter has to stick outside your skin

What you need:

• Duct tape
• Rubbing alcohol/disinfectant/disinfecting wipes
• Running water and soap
• Bandaid

What to do?

1. Wash the area of the splinter and disinfect it thoroughly.
2. Put a small piece of duct tape on the splinter and use it as a waxing strip to remove the hair strand.
3. Disinfect the skin area again and apply fragrance free moisturizer to help the skin heal.
4. Put a bandaid on to prevent contamination.

Hair splinter removal tips

1. It’s easier to remove hair splinters when the skin is wet and soft. It’s a good idea to soak the skin in Epsom salts, soapy lukewarm water, or apply baking soda paste (¼ tbsp baking soda with a little water) to the skin where the splinter is. This way, the skin will soften, and the splinter will come out easily, causing less pain.
2. Spraying the splinter with First Aid spray helps minimize the pain, as it numbs the skin area. At the same time, the spray disinfects the skin and prevents infections.

Will a hair splinter come out on its own?

Body movement may help hair splinter to come out on its own. However, this can be extremely painful, and there is absolutely no guarantee that it will come out.

Another likely scenario is the bodybuilding a “wall” around the splinter, also known as granuloma. This helps the body minimize the interaction between the splinter and the skin. In this case, the splinter doesn’t leave your body and may stay capsulated for years.

How to remove a hair splinter you can’t see

If you can’t see the hair splinter but can feel it, it’s not a good idea to remove it by yourself. In this case the splinter is likely deeply embedded into the skin.

If you try removing a splinter you can’t see and don’t succeed, you may contaminate and damage the skin and facilitate bacterial growth. This may lead to infection, irritation, pain, and even abscess. These conditions are all preventable if you make the right choices in time.

Complications

As mentioned, the main complication of having a hair splinter is infection. This is caused by bacteria and fungi entering your skin where the splinter is, leading to inflammation. Also, as hair is organic matter, it carries bacteria on its surface, which makes it even more likely to cause an infection.

Hair splinter complication symptoms to watch out for are:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Red nodules
• Skin lump
• Puss
• Oozing
• Redness spreading to the surrounding skin
• Fever and chills
• Lack of appetite
• Swollen lymph nodes (usually on the side of the splinter)

Immediately speak to your healthcare provider if you notice any progressing symptoms of infection.

How to prevent hair splinters

If you don’t take preventative measures, hair splinters may become recurring. Here is a list of things to do when handing hair that can help you prevent hair splinters:

• Wear gloves
• Wear closed-toed shoes
• Ear socks
• Wear long-sleeved shirts/blouses
• Clean recently cut hair from hairdressing station, floor, and environment
• Dust yourself off often

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