I think I have a piece of grit or gravel lodged on the inside of my last joint on my ring finger. I can’t remember it going in, it could have been years ago, but I can see [lighting dependant] a dark object, feel a bump and it hurts when pressed. At a guess it’s about 1-2mm diameter.
See pic:

No you can’t really see it but you’re going to have to believe me it’s there.

I’m probably just becoming aware of it now as I have been doing a little darksiding and when I use the hood braking position I have to squeeze with this part and it’s started to hurt! It’s right against a bone or something 🙁

What should I do? I am doing a sponsored ride on a road bike in 4 weeks and I am worried it’s going to be really painful, and I’m also worried that if I go to the docs it’s going to take longer than that just to get it assessed, let alone cut out!

Any ideas? I don’t fancy trying to cut it out as it’s a really delicate part with lots of important/moving/nerve bits. Oh and also last time I tried this sort of thing I ended-up slicing into a vein thinking it was trapped dirt after a nasty road off. “NEVER AGAIN” I swore, as I bled profusely…..

I had something similar with a snapped off rose thorn, it was below the level of skin that grows and gets shed so never moved. If I picked something up or gripped wrong it dug in and hurt like hell.

In the end I just kept digging at it with a needle until I’d make a hole big enough to hook the thing out. I stopped if it started bleeding because I couldn’t see what I was doing but once it had healed a bit I kept going deeper each time. It took a few weeks but I ended up with a deep enough hole to get the thing out. The scar’s mostly gone now…

Maybe a minor injuries unit could deal with this, if there’s one near you?

Ichneumon wasp 😯 It’ll probably hatch soon

I’ve got the same thing right on the tip of a finger. Yeah, it bloody does hurt when you tap your finger or something. I don’t know what the thing is in my finger but I got it from a nasty electric shock when I was trying to fix an amplifier. Probably a lump of carbonised FLESH. Feels like it’s right near the bone though so I’m not gonna start digging at it.

You could try a bread poultice, old fashioned remedy but it works a treat. Next stage up is sugar and soap, or if you need to go nuclear, Mag Sulph paste.

http://www.homeherbals.com/bread–milk-poultice.html

Wire brush and dettol?

Use a sharp blade to slice a clean cut down to it. That’s how I get out deep splinters (though TBH that looks a bit deeper than most splinters). Perhaps surprisingly, it doesn’t usually hurt. But don’t blame me if you try and it does!

Bit of a finger tip isn’t that important – I wouldn’t worry about doing serious damage unless you are really hacking away.

PS don’t forget to post the pics!

It could be a small blood blister (type of thing. I’m not mediacally trained). I get them occasionally. Sounds exactly like you’re describing.

Wash hands well. Heat a needle well, wipe then use to pick at the dirt.

Or just leave it.

OK excellent suggestions, thanks (apart from Esme and Jakester 😉 )

I’m thinking it’s a piece of slate from an off on the way down Snowden, I cut my hands to shit there.

I’ll keep you posted 🙂

Please film it

I had this but with a minute metal splinter i just dug down with a pin until I could see it poking out the flesh.

Dremel

…and video it

Shirley that’ll T-Cut out !

Similar to wwaswas, I often get broken off thorns from yard work or in the woods.

I usually use dull fingernail clippers to gnaw a hole in my finger to remove it. 😀 I haven’t died yet. 8)

Amputation. At the elbow, just to be on the safe side.