If you find yourself needing to conduct an interview and don’t feel like you know what to do, this guide is for you.
We will teach you what you need to prepare, how to prepare your interviewee, and how to run the interview to ensure you and the interviewee get the most out of it.
Use the tried-and-true method of using tweezers if the splinter is protruding from your skin. Use whatever tweezers you have available — sharp, chisel-point tweezers are the best — and grasp the splinter as close to the skin as possible and gently pull it straight out, being careful not to break it off in your skin.
If it isn’t budging, try squeezing the skin around the splinter a little to encourage it to move.
If you can’t grab the splinter or splinters with a tweezer because they are too small or are too close to the skin, try using Elmer’s glue to get them out. Dilute a little bit of the glue with some water — about 1 part water to 3 parts glue — and dab it onto the splinters, giving it a thick, even coating. Wait until the glue is completely dry and then gently peel the glue off, removing the splinter(s).
This technique is also useful if you accidentally touched a cactus with tiny spines and want to get them out without pushing them further in.
You can soak the skin around the splinter with some warm water to soften the skin, making it easier for the splinter to dislodge. Try soaking for 5 minutes and then using tweezers again. If that doesn’t work try 10 minutes. If all else fails, move to the next section.
If the splinter is embedded under you skin with no way to grab it, take a sharp, sterile razor blade and gradually cut your skin from the entry hole down to the splinter until you can get a tweezer at the splinter. Obviously be careful not to cut yourself deeply and make the wound worse, try just cutting layer by layer through the skin until you get at the splinter.
To sterilize the blade you can lightly burn the edge with a cigarette lighter (being careful not to over-heat the blade) or dip it in some hydrogen peroxide. If you choose to use a cigarette lighter, make sure to let it cool off and then wipe the soot off with a clean piece of paper towel before using.
Once you’ve got that pesky splinter out, you need to keep it clean to prevent infection. Irrigate the wound with hydrogen peroxide (or rubbing alcohol) 3-4 times a day. Keep the wound clean and dry, only covering it up if you are going to be getting dirty.
If you need to cover it up, use a band-aid with a little bit of triple antibiotic ointment. Just make sure to remove the bandaid, clean the would and let it dry or it may get soggy and possibly go septic.
If the wound doesn’t get better in a few days, go to a doctor to have it checked out.
Now you should have some techniques up your sleeve for removing splinters that should come in handy one day. Just remember that it’s better just to avoid getting them in the first place by wearing some good, thick gloves.
If you have some good techniques to remove splinter, let us know in the comments below!
