Treating wounds

How To Remove Glass From Your Foot With Epsom Salt

 
Nidhi Nangia
By Nidhi Nangia. Updated: June 4, 2020
How To Remove Glass From Your Foot With Epsom Salt

Walking barefoot on the grass or the beach can be quite idyllic and refreshing. But when a piece of glass lodges into your foot, the once pleasurable experience can quickly turn negative. The irritation and pain of having a piece of glass stuck in your foot can be quite overwhelming. Wood and metal pieces can be pulled out using a pair of tweezers or a needle. However, if you have a piece of glass stuck in your foot, trying to pull it with tweezers can break the glass down into smaller pieces: making it more difficult to remove.

Therefore, if you have a piece of glass stuck in your foot, we recommend using Epsom salt. Not only is this remedy safe, but it’s easy! For more, keep reading this OneHOWTO article on how to remove glass from your foot with Epsom salt.

You may also be interested in: How to Remove Glass from a Wound Safely

Contents

  1. What is are Epsom salt?
  2. Benefits of Removing Glass with Epsom Salt
  3. Using Epsom Salt to Remove Glass from your Foot
  4. Other Home Remedies to Remove Glass from Foot

What is are Epsom salt?

Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate. Contrary to what it’s name suggests, it is not a type of salt. Epsom salt is a time-tested, pure mineral compound that has grown in popularity as a household product. According to studies, both sulfate and magnesium are readily absorbed in the skin. Magnesium is known to regulate activities of more than 325 enzymes, reduce inflammation, help nerve and muscle function and prevent artery hardening. Sulfates are also popular for flushing toxins, relieving migraine headaches and improving nutrient absorption. These benefits explain why Epsom salt is commonly associated with such a variety of health and beauty benefits.

Benefits of Removing Glass with Epsom Salt

Soaking a wound in Epsom salt holds several different benefits:

  • When stressed, magnesium levels in the body deplete and adrenaline levels increase. When soaked in Epsom salt, it gets absorbed into your skin and replenishes the magnesium levels in your body. Magnesium also helps in the production of serotonin: a mood enhancing hormone that relaxes the body. Magnesium also increases stamina and energy helping to fight any pain. Since magnesium aids in lowering the effects of adrenaline, it will relax you and improve sleep.
  • Soaking in an Epsom salt bath also relieves inflammation and eases pain, thus making it ideal resource for treating sore muscles and skin wounds. It is also known to reduce soreness and heal cuts quickly. Make a thick paste by mixing some Epsom salt in warm water, and apply it on your wound to get a soothing comfort. Soak your aching foot in a tub filled with half cup of Epsom salt and water. This will not only soften your skin, but will also remove foot odor.
  • By regulating electrolytes in the body, Epsom salt ensures proper never, enzyme and muscle functioning.
  • Epsom salt is known to prevent blood clotting and hardening of the arteries. Soaking the specific area in Epsom salt helps in protecting elasticity of your arteries.
  • If you are diabetic and taking insulin, then providing sufficient sulfate and magnesium through Espom salt baths could lower the risks associated with wounds in diabetic people.
  • The sulfates in Epsom salt are helpful in flushing out toxins, easing pain and eliminating foreign substances from your body. Since skin is a porous membrane, soaking it in Epsom salt triggers reverse osmosis which is helpful in extracting harmful toxins from the body. Add some Epsom salt in a tub and soak your wounded feet for 10 minutes. All the toxins and foreign matter, including the shard of glass, should naturally come out easily.
How To Remove Glass From Your Foot With Epsom Salt - Benefits of Removing Glass with Epsom Salt

Using Epsom Salt to Remove Glass from your Foot

Take a look at these step by step instructions on how to get glass out of your foot with Epsom salt:

  1. Get a band-aid and a pinch of Epsom salt.
  2. Sprinkle a pinch of Epsom salt on the sticky side of the band-aid and then place the band-aid onto your wound. Be sure that the Epsom salt gets in contact with the part where the glass is lodged.
  3. Leave band-aid on the wound for 7-8 hours, and then remove it.
  4. The glass should have risen to the skins surface and should come out as you pull the band-aid off. If it does not come out completely, it will at least rise up to the surface. Then, you can use your tweezers to grab it lightly and drag it out.
  5. This is usually a one-time process. But if the glass does not come out the first time, repeat the process with a new band-aid.
  6. Epsom salt is usually recommended by physicians to remove splinters from your skin. Since it is a mineral compound, it functions by drawing out water from your skin cells, thereby forcing the piece of glass to the skin surface.

Other Home Remedies to Remove Glass from Foot

Other than Epsom salt, there are more home remedies that you can use to remove glass from your foot safely:

  • Soak a cotton swab in hydrogen peroxide and place it on the area where the glass is. Leave it there for 5-10 minutes. After this, the glass should easily come out.
  • Cover the area with a piece of duct tape. Make sure that the sticky side faces the splinter. Leave it there for 30 minutes. During this time, the glass piece will stick to the surface of the tape. Peel off the tape slowly. The glass will also come out stuck with the tape.
  • Take a slice of fresh tomato or onion and place it on the glass area. Keep it there for 15 minutes. The slice will draw the glass to the skin surface. Then you can drag out the glass piece with a pair of tweezers, or with your fingernails.
  • Mix some baking soda in water and make a soft and sticky paste. Apply this paste on the glass and cover with a band-aid. Leave overnight. The glass will stick to the band-aid and it will become easier to remove it off
  • Generously apply honey on the area with glass. It will cause the glass to draw out gradually. Since honey has therapeutic and antiseptic properties, you may also apply it after drawing out the splinter to avoid any infection.
  • Put some drops of milk on a small bread piece. Place it on your area with glass, secure with band-aid and leave overnight. In the morning, when you remove the bread, the glass should come out naturally.
  • Drop a drop of glue on the glass, and let the glue dry and peel off. The glass will stick to the dried glue. When you tug it, it will come loose and you will be able to drag it out with the help of tweezers.
  • Soak the area in white vinegar for 30 minutes. The glass will break through the skin surface and it will become easier to scrape or tweeze.

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to How To Remove Glass From Your Foot With Epsom Salt, we recommend you visit our Family health category.

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How To Remove Glass From Your Foot With Epsom Salt