Pencil point puncture?!
Question:
Pencil point puncture?
I accidentally stepped on a pencil and the point went into the side of my foot. I was able to remove the point with tweezers and I'm about to wash, disinfect, and bandage the area, but is there anything else I need to do? There's still a lot of pencil in the wound because the cut is black. Do i have to go to the doctor?
Answers:
As 'lead' pencils, sold in the U.S., don't contain actual lead, you want to worry about infection. Make sure the area is very well cleansed, apply a first-aid disinfectant cream and stick a bandage on it. The discoloration that you are noticing is residue from the pencil's graphite and bruising from the initial puncture. If you notice a redness developing around the puncture, pronounced swelling or have not had a tetanus shot in the past 7-10 years, go ahead and visit your doctor or local clinic.