Splinters

l.

Spread Elmers glue on the heel and let it dry. When you peel the glue off, the splinters will come out. Good luck.

HI C.,
Last year when my son was 5, we had out first official "splinter episode" and it was NOT fun, so I feel your pain!
We were holding him down and he was crying and screaming until (out of complete desperation) I got a great idea. I used clear packaging tape--stuck it to his foot, ripped it off & the splinter came out. Depending on how far in it is or isn't you might want to give it a try...best of luck to you!

mud! if you slap some mud on the bottom of his foot and let it dry there it should draw out the splinters. good luck

Ichthammol ointment. You'll probably have to ask the pharmacist for it (won't be on the shelves). Extremely messy (looks like tar), but effective. You'll definitely want to use a large bandage on his heel.

Give him a bath to soften the skin, pat dry, apply the ointment (might be easier to put it on the bandage first), cover and let it do its work overnight. I'd put footie pajamas on him or socks to help "remind" him not to play with it. Check it in the morning. Reapply if needed.

It pretty much draws the offending items out of the skin. I always try the ointment for at least a day before even considering picking at splinters. Usually works great if you can get it on before the skin starts to heal over the splinters.

You can try a salve. My daughter had gotten splinters in the ball of her foot and I called CVS b/cof course it was a weekend. They had it there, its black and tarry, but got the splinters out without too much pain, and kicking and screaming.

S.
Allentown, PA

Maybe the tape trick will work to pull them out? I've done it for myself over the years, a nice sticky masking tape usually works.

Go to Rite-Aid and get some black (AKA drawing) salve. It will be messy and you will need to cover the salve with a bandaid, but it will gently pull the splinters out.

You might also try some Elmer's glue. Put it on the area and let it dry. Then peel it off. It should (hopefully) pull the splinters out.

Those are my 2 suggestions. Hope everything works out!

Hi C.,

I have a method that my Pediatrician recommended to me years ago and it TRULY works!

Put warm water in a container big enough for his little foot the warmest water he will allow put in iodized salt
(table salt)Alot of salt!! wiggle his heal in the salt water it will loosen the splinter and either the splinter will fall out or it will be loose enough for you to gently remove with tweezers. This works BEST for me.

You can also put neosporin on the splinters and cover them with a bandaid by morning the splinter should be at the top of the skin for removing.

Third choice after his bath when the skin is soft you can put duct tape or a real sticky tape over top of the splinter and pull it off the splinter should lift out.

My favorite way was my 1st option with the salt water.

I hope this helps?

A little about me:

I'm a Mom of 4 ages 24-20-6-4 1/2 Grandma of 1 - 2 year old

I would keep up the good work -- try using tweezers after the bath, and also add paddle pool play if it's warm enough. The more often it is soaked, the better for getting them out, and also the less chance of infection.

Maybe Dad can help after the warm sudsy bath so there's someone to clamp and distract while you take tweezers to his foot ?

Hi C.,

Have someone to help hold Thomas.

You tweezers if you can see the head of the splinter.

If you can't, use a steriled needle and go under the splinter and lift up.

Use neosporing after you clean the wound with peroxide.

Good luck. D.

hi,
I am a grammy , hence, they used to make ' BLACK SAuve'
IT HAD A DRAWING EFFECT ON BEE STINGS, SPLINTERS , ETC ...
CALL YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY OR YOUR MOM OR GRAMMY .
SOAK FOOT IN EPSON SALTS OR BAKINTG SODA [ ORANGE BOX]
BUFF A BIT W/ A PUMICE STONE .TWEEZER OUT . PEROXIDE,
APPLY ANTI BIO. LOTION AFTER REMOVED .
SUMMER INJURIES
SOMETIMES THEY WORK THEM SELVES OUT [ CK. FOOT BEFORE AT HOME TWEEZER SESSION ]
GOOD LUCK
A GRAMMY

C. G I have not tried this but several people told me these work. Put elmers glue over the splinters, let it dry a few minutes and then peel if off. Also if you have eyebrow wax put some of that over the splinters and put the tape on and when you peel it off they should come out. Try making a game of it with the glue and maybe he will not get upset and kick and scream. Good Luck I hope they work, but make sure you get them out. J.

If he's not in pain, leave them alone but keep an eye on them. The body's amazing defense mechanisms will push them out (or at least closer to the surface) in a day or two. If the skin closes over, he may get a small abcess - you can open that with a sterilized needle to push out the splinter. Be sure to continue to wash well until everything is healed . . .

Hi C.,

I agree with Kim (below). I asked my pediatrician this question years ago, when my oldest was about your son's age. She said that unless a splinter is unusually bad (really large, very dirty, shows signs of infection, etc, in which cases it might be worth having a doctor look at it) splinters should be left alone. She said to keep an eye on the splinter (to watch for infection, etc) and the body will push it out in a few days to a week. She said that parents often do way more damage to the child's skin by digging them out than the splinter did, and the digging can definitely make infection more likely, plus it's traumatic for everyone! It was hard for me to leave it alone the first time, but they generally didn't bother the kids much and she was right-they came out with no fuss on their own after a few days. I still pull them if they're easy, with most of the splinter outside the skin, but otherwise I keep them clean and let them be and it hasn't failed me yet-and the oldest is now 9. If you're not sure what you want to do, ask your pediatrician-maybe he/she will have guidance, as mine did. Good luck!

K.

I would always rub the site of the splinter with teething gel. It would numb the site and then they wouldn't feel you poking at the splinter. I always liked a small pair of tweezers. If you can at least get it somewhere near the surface. The after bath always worked as a good time in addition to this, due to the skin being soft as you mentioned.