How to Remove a Fishhook from Skin

Assess the wound., Don’t try to remove deep snags on your own., Don’t remove a hook near your eye., Use common sense.

4 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Assess the wound.

    First, take a good look the wound and its location.

    Most fishhook injuries are soft-tissue injuries in the arms, head, or hands.

    These are fairly simple to treat when they are near the surface of the skin and don’t involve a complex hook or body part like the eye or eyelid.Where did the hook strike you? Your arm? Your hand? Your face? The location of the injury is important in deciding how to treat it.

    Also check whether the wound is shallow or deep.

    Usually, it is possible to remove a hook that is embedded in your skin or just below the skin.
  2. Step 2: Don’t try to remove deep snags on your own.

    It’s generally safe to remove a superficially embedded un-barbed or simple hook on your own.

    However, deeper wounds will need proper medical care at a hospital or emergency care center.See a doctor or health care professional for fishhook injuries that are deep — i.e. in a joint, tendon, or muscle.

    Don’t try to extract multi-barbed or treble hooks on your own, either.

    These are hooks with extra barbs on the shank or three, separate hooks.

    Trying to remove them may cause extensive tissue damage.

    Seek medical help, instead. , Getting a fishhook in or near the eye can cause blindness and is a very serious injury.

    Do not try to remove the hook on your own.

    Instead, take proper precautions, such as not moving the hook, and try to get immediate medical attention.Leave the hook be.

    Touch it as little as you can and do not put pressure on the eye.

    Protect the eye and hook with a cup to keep them from moving.

    A plastic cup, coffee mug, or any hard and clean concave object can work.

    Place the cup over your injured eye and hold it in place against your face.

    Cover up the healthy eye, too, as the damaged eye will move along with it. , Apart from the above, use common sense to decide if you should get medical help for your fishhook injury.

    Check your symptoms and, if in doubt, contact a doctor for advice.Seek medical help if you are bleeding severely, can’t stop bleeding, or if the wound is big enough to need stitches.

    Consult a doctor if you feel tingling, numbness, or decreased mobility in the wound area.

    These are indications of deep tissue damage.

    Seek help if the wound becomes red, swollen, or pus-filled, as these are signs of infection.
  3. Step 3: Don’t remove a hook near your eye.

  4. Step 4: Use common sense.

Detailed Guide

First, take a good look the wound and its location.

Most fishhook injuries are soft-tissue injuries in the arms, head, or hands.

These are fairly simple to treat when they are near the surface of the skin and don’t involve a complex hook or body part like the eye or eyelid.Where did the hook strike you? Your arm? Your hand? Your face? The location of the injury is important in deciding how to treat it.

Also check whether the wound is shallow or deep.

Usually, it is possible to remove a hook that is embedded in your skin or just below the skin.

It’s generally safe to remove a superficially embedded un-barbed or simple hook on your own.

However, deeper wounds will need proper medical care at a hospital or emergency care center.See a doctor or health care professional for fishhook injuries that are deep — i.e. in a joint, tendon, or muscle.

Don’t try to extract multi-barbed or treble hooks on your own, either.

These are hooks with extra barbs on the shank or three, separate hooks.

Trying to remove them may cause extensive tissue damage.

Seek medical help, instead. , Getting a fishhook in or near the eye can cause blindness and is a very serious injury.

Do not try to remove the hook on your own.

Instead, take proper precautions, such as not moving the hook, and try to get immediate medical attention.Leave the hook be.

Touch it as little as you can and do not put pressure on the eye.

Protect the eye and hook with a cup to keep them from moving.

A plastic cup, coffee mug, or any hard and clean concave object can work.

Place the cup over your injured eye and hold it in place against your face.

Cover up the healthy eye, too, as the damaged eye will move along with it. , Apart from the above, use common sense to decide if you should get medical help for your fishhook injury.

Check your symptoms and, if in doubt, contact a doctor for advice.Seek medical help if you are bleeding severely, can’t stop bleeding, or if the wound is big enough to need stitches.

Consult a doctor if you feel tingling, numbness, or decreased mobility in the wound area.

These are indications of deep tissue damage.

Seek help if the wound becomes red, swollen, or pus-filled, as these are signs of infection.

About the Author

S

Sharon Scott

Sharon Scott specializes in lifestyle and practical guides and has been creating helpful content for over 3 years. Sharon is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.

70 articles
View all articles

Rate This Guide

--
Loading...
5
0
4
0
3
0
2
0
1
0

How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: