We’ve been featuring a few first-aid tricks here on LifeSpy because we believe that everyone should know simple first aid stuff. So here’s one on removing splinters.

Splinters are pieces of wood or shards of glass or any piece of materials that gets stuck under your skin. While they may not bleed or hurt that much (in most cases, in my experience, they do), but if left untended, it can cause infection. Here’s how you remove them.

1. Always seek medical attention for very large splinters or very deep ones. Don’t try to extract those out yourself since you may be doing more damage. Let the experts handle those for you.
2. Remember, before handling wounds or splinters, wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap. Wash the area around the splinter too. Just remember to wipe away from the splinter to avoid carrying dirt towards or into the splinter.
3. Sterilize the tools you need (a tweezer or a needle will do) by placing them in boiling water for five minutes to kill microbes.
4. If part of the splinter pokes out or protrudes from the skin, gently pull it out with the sterilized tweezers. Be careful to take it out at the same angle and opposite direction as it entered the skin.
5. If the little bastard’s in deep and you can’t get a clean grasp of it with the tweezers, use the needle to slit the skin just around the entry point to expose an end. Now use the tweezers to pull it out.
6. Wash the wound with soap and water, apply antibacterial cream or anti-septic. Squeezing out a little blood would also help flush out possible dirt in the wound. bandage the area.
7. If the swelling occurs or pain remains, see a doctor. Check the victim if s/he had a tetanus shot for the past five years. If not, consult your doctor if s/he needs one.