Splinters are the great equalizer of people. No matter what your age, race, or social standing, seeing a big splinter of wood sticking out of your skin is likely to make you weak in the knees. It’s made even worse when some helpful person rushes at you with a needle and a bottle of rubbing alcohol to dig it out for you. Digging a splinter out with a needle can cause a secondary infection - not to mention the fact that it’s just plain painful.

Luckily, there are other ways to get splinters out of your skin that don’t involve digging with sharp objects.

Your first move should be to wait and see what happens. The body’s natural defense system will kick in and push the splinter out. However, it may take some time. For large splinters, splinters that look infected, or those that stick far out of the skin, it may be better to remove them sooner rather than later.

Splinters that are close to the surface of the skin and not embedded too deeply are obviously the easiest to remove. These can be taken out by a number of methods.

One of the simplest, especially for frightened children, is soaking the affected area in salt water. This method works best for hands or feet which can easily be submerged in a bowl of water. The salt and water cause the skin to shrivel, pushing the splinter out enough that it can be grabbed by a pair of tweezers.

Another fast and painless way to remove splinters is with common white glue. Smear a layer of glue over the splinter and let it dry. Then pull the glue off and watch the splinter come right out. You can also use a piece of transparent tape or duct tape in the same way, making sure to pull the tape off in the direction the free end of the splinter is pointing to coax it out of the skin.

If you find that none of your attempts to remove the offending splinter are working, try to draw it out of the skin a little more. Make a thick paste with baking soda and water and apply it to the site of the splinter. Cover the paste with a bandage and leave it in place for an hour or two. Sometimes you’ll find that the splinter has come out all of the way. Often, it will just be a little further out of the skin and you’ll be able to grab it with tweezers and remove it the rest of the way.

Armed with these easy home treatments, you’ll have no reason to break out the needles the next time you feel a bothersome splinter in your skin.