JC, you're right--I'm not a medical expert but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night ;-) Sorry, bad joke! Glad to read the glass is slowly making its way out! Is this your first trip to Alaska? Last summer I went with DH for the first time--one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, place I've been. I hope you enjoy a great trip! :-)

I can't imagine that epsom salts or any of the other suggestions would hurt so I'd give them a try - my mother always had us soaking anything in epsom salts and things always seemed to "surface" and as mentioned, she could then easily nudge them out with tweezers, etc. If this continues to work for you, I'd recommend then using some type of topical antibiotic cream etc to avoid infection now that you may have some openings in the skin where a foreign object used to be -

However, my "regular" doctor once told me to do the same with some pieces of soft wood that had become lodged under my nail and under the surrounding skin - but a few days later of soaking and frustration I saw a hand surgeon - who had a different opinion and immediately numbed my finger, removed everything, and after only three days of sterile bandaging and some cream all was well again (except the nail growing back which took a bit of time but everything worked) -

I only say this b/c you might want to put on the radar a consult from an actual hand surgeon if this doesn't progress ok with just soaking...altho sometimes these old remedies are the best and least invasive.

good luck and happy kayaking !

Well, file this under "I should have asked him first" - friend is here who is a camper - here's his remedy:
make a paste of water and about 1/4-1/2 baking soda, put it on your thumb, cover it with gauze and tape for 24 hrs, remove it and soak again and see if they all come out - if not, and they are close to surface use some elmer's glue (his idea, not mine) let it dry, peel it off and hopefully teh close to the surface particles come with it, wash and clean well, keep surface clean for a few days to heal.

hmm.......

The Editors are not responsible for the opinions expressed on this thread and cannot be held liable for any injuries or infection that might result. Follow these suggestions at your own risk. :S-

The Thorn Tree on Lonely Planet has a Health branch with a very funny disclaimer about the information you receive there (hint: it's about dr kildaire re-runs).

Hi jc, may i ask how long did you soak in the hot water and for how many days till the glass comes out ? i have a small glass under my skin , it occasionally hurts. i'm kind of worried.

Welcome to Fodors -- you actually googled to find a 9+ year old thread re a glass splinter? Couldn't you find something more recent on line? Or ask your doctor . . .

Another old wives' way: My pop soaked bread in warm water and laid it over the area where I had wooden splinters (not glass) and wrapped the entire area in gauze. He left it on over night. As the bread dried, it pulled out the splinter.

Good luck and please report back!

He called it a bread poultice.

I would use a very strong magnet to pull the fragments to the surface.

Hi nick98, thanks for digging up this old post. I'd totally forgotten about the incident, and now kinda vaguely remember it. I'm not a very patient person, so imagine it didn't take too too long. Maybe less than 1/2 hour? Good luck with yours!

Good grief, 2006! Glad it worked out. Pun.