Splinters are caused when a very small piece of a foreign object, such as wood or glass, gets stuck in your skin. While many people try to squeeze or dig splinters out with tweezers, there’s one easy method you can try that utilizes bacon fat to draw the splinter out. So if you have a splinter and happen to also have some bacon stored away in your kitchen, learning how you can use the fat on bacon to remove the splinter painlessly can help ease the situation.
Wash the area of the splinter with some anti-bacterial soap and warm water to prevent infection. Dry the area gently with a soft cloth.
Cut a pea-sized piece of white fat from a raw slice of bacon using a knife or butcher scissors. Place the piece of bacon fat directly over the splinter and wrap it atop the splinter, holding it in place with an adhesive bandage.
Let the bacon fat sit overnight. Remove the bandage and fat in the morning. If the splinter is still under the skin and hasn’t emerged yet, cut another tiny piece of bacon fat and place it over the area with a bandage for an additional day. The bacon fat should draw out the splinter out within a couple of days.
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Tip
For added help, warm up your piece of bacon fat for no more than 10 seconds in the microwave. The warmth will help further pull the splinter to the surface, but since bacon fat becomes hot rather quickly, avoid heating for any longer than 10 seconds.
If the splinter is large and deep, you might need to use the bacon fat simply to bring it to head, then use sterile tweezers to pull it out from under the skin. For smaller splinters, the bacon fat should draw out the splinter and stick to it easily.
Warning
If splinter worsens or infection occurs remove bacon fat, wash area thoroughly and see your doctor for removal. Some splinters can be infectious or particularly hard to remove, which is why a doctor’s assistance might be needed.
Never apply hot bacon fat to a splintered area, as this can cause serious burns.
References
Writer Bio
Amy Davidson is a graduate from the University of Florida in Gainesville, with a bachelor's degree in journalism. She also writes for local papers around Gainesville doing articles on local events and news.