How to Get a Thorn Out of Your Finger

A thorn in your finger can be painful and cause skin irritation. While most thorns that are stuck underneath your skin will eventually push themselves out within two to three days, removing it immediately can eliminate any chance of infection. After properly sterilizing your equipment, you can likely remove the thorn on your own in a matter of minutes.

Things You'll Need

• Soap
• Warm water
• Rubbing alcohol
• Cotton balls
• Sewing needle
• Tweezer
• Antibiotic creme or ointment

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Instructions

• 1

  Wash your hands well with warm water and soap to disinfect your hands and fingers.

• 2

  Dab a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol solution and wipe down the pair of tweezers you will use to pull the thorn out. Rubbing alcohol sterilizes the tweezers to prevent infection as a result of germs in the open wound. If the thorn is underneath the skin, you will also need to sterilize the tip of the needle with rubbing alcohol.

• 3

  Prick the tip of the needle underneath the skin near where the thorn is located. Nudge the thorn upward with the needle to make it easier to grab with the tweezers. If the thorn is already protruding out of your skin, you will not need a needle.

• 4

  Grasp the end of the thorn with the pair of tweezers and slowly pull the thorn out. Once the thorn is out, wash the affected area again with warm water and soap.

• 5

  Dry the affected area and apply an antibiotic creme or ointment to prevent the area from becoming infected.