Ouch! You’ve just gotten a splinter. It’s little, sharp, and you can see it, just under the surface of your skin. It hurts when you run your finger over it.

Do you need to go to the hospital, or can you remove this splinter with a little bit of careful do it yourself work?

That depends. Most splinters can be removed at home, with no complications.

If the splinter is very deeply embedded, or if it’s quite large, or if you aren’t able to remove it on your own, you will likely need to see your doctor. Failure to remove a splinter can result in painful skin infections, something no body wants.

So you’re game, you say? Here’s how to remove a splinter:

For splinters you can see and feel, use a needle and tweezers. Be sure to sterilize the needle tip, and the tweezer tips, with rubbing alcohol or an open flame before using them.

Wash the area of the skin with antibacterial soap and water. Don’t soak the skin if the splinter is made of wood- this will cause the splinter to grow and it may break apart under the skin, resulting in many tiny splinters.

Work in a well-lighted area, and use magnifying lenses or a magnifying glass, if you have one available.

Use the tweezers to firmly grasp the splinter, and pull firmly at the same angle at which the splinter embedded itself into the skin.

After removing the splinter, again wash the area with antibacterial soap and water, and cover with an antibiotic ointment.

Watch the site of the splinter for the next few days to make sure it doesn’t get infected.

Also wear protective gloves when you can, and be sure to sand down any wood that your kids might play on, too. There’s nothing like a splinter to ruin a perfectly good day of fun.