JC98

Ok, this is remotely travel related, but I need to get my thumb in working order, so I could kayak in Alaska at the end of May. I know the people on this forum are amazingly knowledgeable, so please help!

Question: How to remove very tiny pieces of glass embedded underneath the skin?

Background: I cut the inside part of my thumb when a glass I was washing broke on me. Now the wound is all sealed up, but the area still feels lumpy and it hurts when I put pressure on it. My doctor thinks some tiny glass pieces are still stuck in there, and suggests that I soak my thumb in very hot water. I've done it a few times, but haven't seen any results. He says if that doesn't work I'd need micro-surgery--done under a microscope--but that could be a bit risky as it might damage the nerves in my thumb.

Anyone has experienced with this? And what's the best remedy?

Thanks.

AJPeabody

Have your doctor refer you to a plastic surgeon or a hand surgeon. Glass fragments will never dissolve and may never work their way to the skin surface either. Also, unless it was lead glass, the fragments don't show up on xrays.

Good luck.

laartista

I work with glass and it happens to me all the time with glass splinters. Usually it will come to the surface in a bubble and you can pop it out but if your cut is completely sealed up have a doc cut it out. I've done it myself with a razor but I wouldn't suggest that to anyone else. Take AJ'S advice and have a doctor do it.

tondalaya

I've had tiny splinters that wer where I broke the skin and used a twezzer to pick them out and sterilized the area.

Scarlett

Soaking in hot water will do it but it takes forever..you have to sit there for hours , adding to the water to keep it hot..put peroxide on the spot too....

I have a regular splinter in my finger right now and it is also in need of soaking..I got mine from a clothes hanger at Anthropologie! And I didn't even buy anything!!

Neopolitan

This may be a wild thought, but have you considered seeing a doctor and having it done correctly?

Scarlett

<i>Will the glass work its way into his/her bloodstream and go to the heart and kill her/him?</i>

lol, this used to be my fear when I was little, with splinters. Wonder who told me that story~

seetheworld

lol, the same person who told <i>me</i> that story! That's not true, right?

I think you should have a doctor do it!

julia_t

There is a homeopathic remedy which can help to expel foreign bodies - silica, and pasted below is what I just found on a very quick websearch:

&lt;&lt;Silica is also useful in expelling material from the body. It is used to remove splinters, bits of embedded glass, and other foreign irritants. &gt;&gt;

However you should consult a homeopath before taking anything to ascertain the correct dosage. I think if it were me or one of mine I would try taking one tablet (6c) 3 times a day for a week and review the situation after a week. Note that with homeopathy you need to avoid strong flavours, like mint and coffee as they can cancel out any positive effects.

Also, you can buy in any chemist/pharmacy (in the UK) a Magnesium Sulphate paste. It is very cheap. It separates in the jar, so you have to stir it to mix, and then you apply it to the splinter/boil, etc, cover with a bandage/sticking plaster, and leave it to 'draw' overnight or however long it takes. It is an old remedy used for boils etc, but works like magic on splinters and embedded thorns so I imagine it would work on the glass too.

Try it too, Scarlett...

JC98

Thanks, everyone, for your sincere concerns and advice. Although people here on this forum may not be medical experts, I do believe in collective wisdom based on people's own personal experiences. In a way, our modern medicine is a result of a bunch of trials and errors anyhow. What works for you may work for me too.

Here's an update: I did try to soak my thumb in very hot water and amazingly enough 2 tiny specks of glass came to the surface and I nudged them out using a tweazer.

The area still feels bumpy, so I'll try to soak my thumb again. It's just that the rest of my thumb can't take the heat very well. Let me try wrapping the rest of the thumb up in some material to prevent it from getting scalded by the hot water.

Thanks all, again!

suze

Well now that is just amazing. You did what the doctor advised you and it worked.

edhodge

This won't help you with glass splinters but with wood splinters, you can tape a piece of bacon fat over the site. It will cause the wood to swell and work itself out. Straight from the Farmer's Almanac.