How To Get Broken Glass From Your Feet

Ai! Stepping on broken glass is indeed both scary and painful, but don’t panic. Although it may sting a bit, the shards of glass are usually easy to remove if you have tweezers and a sewing needle. Here we answer frequently asked questions to help you treat your feet quickly and safely.

Table of Contents

How to remove the piece of glass?

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Wash around the wound with soap and water. Before starting to treat the wound, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds; This step will help you avoid bringing germs or dirt into the wound. ^{[1] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source} Next, dip a cloth or tissue in warm soapy water to wash around the wound. ^{[2] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Remove the piece of glass with tweezers. Disinfect the tweezers with rubbing alcohol. Carefully grasp the piece of glass with tweezers and pull it out of the skin. If the piece of glass is too small, you can use a magnifying glass. ^{[3] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

How do I get the glass splinter under the skin?

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Gently poke the skin with a clean sewing needle. Clean the needle with rubbing alcohol and find the exact location of the splinter. Next, gently poke the needle into the skin above the splinter. Use a needle to pry one end of the splinter up for ease of withdrawal. ^{[4] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

It may not be necessary to insert a needle into the skin if a splinter has emerged. Simply use tweezers to grip the tip of the splinter and carefully pull it out.

Remove the splinter with clean tweezers. Clean the tweezers with rubbing alcohol and grip the protruding piece of glass firmly, then carefully lift and remove the splinter from the leg. ^{[5] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Is it possible to soak the foot to remove the splinter?

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It is possible, but this does not replace needles and tweezers. Some experts recommend soaking your feet in warm water for a few minutes before removing the splinter to soften the skin and make it easier to remove. After all, you still have to use a needle and tweezers to get the splinter out. ^{[6] X Cleveland Clinic Trusted Source Go to Source}

What to do after the piece of glass has been removed?

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Bandage the wound and apply antibiotic ointment. Once the vitreous is removed, you need to wash the wound again with soap and warm water. Then, gently apply an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment such as Ppysporin around the wound. ^{[7] X Trusted Source HealthyChildren.org Go to Source} Dispose of glass shards or shards after removal.

To be on the safe side, you should bandage any remaining cuts or wounds.

Should I seek medical help?

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Yes, if it’s a serious injury. Small splinters and shards of glass are one thing, but you shouldn’t treat serious injuries yourself. If the piece of glass is deep under the skin, call emergency services or go to the emergency room right away. ^{[8] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Before getting help, cover the wound with gauze, place a pad around the piece of glass, and then carefully and gently wrap a clean bandage or cloth around the wound.

Is it okay to just leave the piece of glass in the foot?

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Yes, if the piece of glass is very small and does not cause pain. If the piece of glass is not deeply embedded in the skin, it will eventually fall off as the skin sloughs off naturally. You may also see a small pimple at the site of the previous piece of glass – this is completely normal and is just a response of the body to remove the foreign body. ^{[9] X Trusted Source HealthyChildren.org Go to Source}

Can baking soda be used to remove a piece of glass?

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Possibly, but there’s not much evidence to back this up. This therapy is advertised only on blogs, forums and tips pages. Unfortunately, there is no official medical or expert source to support this.

Similarly, there is no solid medical evidence that soaking vinegar or Epsom salt works.

Steps