Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsRemoving Glass From Your FootWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderRisks of Stepping on Glass
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Removing Glass From Your Foot
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Risks of Stepping on Glass
If you have a glass splinter, you may be able to remove it yourself. A glass splinter is a thin, sharp piece of glass similar to a wooden splinter. The glass piece will look like a sliver of glass, having broken off a larger chunk of glass.
Common causes of getting glass stuck in your foot are being barefoot while cleaning up a broken glass object in the home or stepping on broken glass—such as from a broken glass bottle—while walking outside without shoes.
This article talks about how to get glass out of your foot and when you might need to see a healthcare provider.
Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / Getty Images
While getting glass in your foot can feel alarming, getting it out doesn’t need to be.
Just as easy as it is to accidentally step on glass and end up with some in your foot, pulling the glass out can be done quickly and safely at home with a few simple tools:
Step 1: Sterilization
Before touching the foot with the glass splinter, you should wash your hands with soap and warm water. Then, wash the foot with warm soapy water. You can use a clean cloth or paper towel for that part. Gently pat dry.
Next, clean the tweezers and needle so you don’t get an infection from dirty tools. To do so, bring a small amount of water to a boil, then dip the ends of the tweezers and needle into the boiling water. Then, wipe them off with an alcohol pad (like the ones found in a first aid kit) or a cotton ball.
Step 2: Preparation
Be ready to use the tweezers right after you’ve sterilized them. Don’t put them on the counter or floor as that can cause bacteria to come on them. If needed, put the needle or tweezers on a clean paper towel while you use the tweezers.
Step 3: Removal
If you can see the splinter poking out of the skin of the foot, then you should be able to get it out with tweezers. With the sterilized tweezers, grab the part of the splinter that is poking out. Pull the glass slowly and carefully at the same angle that the glass went into the foot. This is important because if you pull at a different angle, the glass can break.
Do not try to squeeze your skin to push out the splinter since this can also cause the glass to break into smaller pieces.
If the splinter isn’t poking out of the skin—that is, the piece of glass is completely under the skin—then you will need to use the sterilized needle to get it out. Take the needle and gently scrape the skin that is covering the splinter until you see a part of the glass sticking out. Then, you can use tweezers to pull it out, as described above.
Step 4: Aftercare
Once the splinter is removed, wash the affected area with soap and warm water again to prevent infection. Dry the area with a clean cloth and then put a bandage over it to keep anything else from infecting the site.
There are a few reasons you might need to see a healthcare provider for a glass splinter. If any of the following apply, medical attention may be necessary:
Before heading out to see a healthcare provider, put gauze on the wound and carefully wrap your foot with a clean bandage or cloth. This will help make sure the wound stays clean in transit.
The main risk of stepping on glass is that the splinter causes an infection. Because a splinter breaks the surface of the skin, there is a potential that bacteria enter the wound. Similarly, if a splinter isn’t removed right away, the open wound poses a risk of infection. Therefore, it is best to get the splinter out as soon as possible and do so with sterilized tools.
Summary
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nemours KidsHealth.How to handle a splinter.American Academy of Dermatology Association.How to remove a splinter.
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nemours KidsHealth.How to handle a splinter.American Academy of Dermatology Association.How to remove a splinter.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Nemours KidsHealth.How to handle a splinter.American Academy of Dermatology Association.How to remove a splinter.
Nemours KidsHealth.How to handle a splinter.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.How to remove a splinter.
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