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Even though you were careful when you used super glue, it somehow found a way to get stuck on your skin. First thing’s first: there’s no need to panic about the glue sticking to your skin forever. Whether it’s fresh or already dry, there are tons of pain-free ways to get super glue off using common household items. Keep reading to learn all the best ways to remove super glue quickly and safely. Just be sure to see to contact a doctor if you have an allergic reaction or get super glue in a sensitive spot, like your eyes or mouth.
Things You Should Know
- Try rubbing an oily or greasy product, like vegetable oil, petroleum jelly , or hand lotion, on the super glue.
- Apply acetone nail polish remover or lemon juice to eat through the super glue. Keep acetone and lemon juice away from sensitive areas.
- Soak the area in warm soapy water or with a warm compress for 10 minutes to soften and break apart the super glue.
- ​​Use an abrasive, like coarse salt, an emery board , or a pumice stone to gently rub away residual dried glue. Stop using them if you feel any pain.
Steps
Expert Q&A
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QuestionWill the nail polish remover make your skin dry?Mark Spelman is a General Contractor based in Austin, Texas. With over 30 years of construction experience, Mark specializes in constructing interiors, project management, and project estimation. He has been a construction professional since 1987.Nail polish remover is drying for the skin. However, your skin will return to normal soon, especially if you apply a moisturising cream afterwards.
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QuestionIs super glue on your nails harmful?Mark Spelman is a General Contractor based in Austin, Texas. With over 30 years of construction experience, Mark specializes in constructing interiors, project management, and project estimation. He has been a construction professional since 1987.It is not harmful on your nails. You can use superglue to repair a broken nail.
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QuestionI got superglue on my arm, which has hair and I tried peeling it but now it really hurts whenever I try a method. How can I get it out without it hurting?Mark Spelman is a General Contractor based in Austin, Texas. With over 30 years of construction experience, Mark specializes in constructing interiors, project management, and project estimation. He has been a construction professional since 1987.Apply one of the products suggested to loosen the glue from your skin. Continue to apply the product until the glue comes off. If you are patient, the glue will eventually come off with the help of the product you chose.
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Tips
- If the super glue isn’t causing pain or near your eyes or mouth, you can leave it alone. The glue will peel off within 1–2 days on its own.Thanks
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Warnings
- Talk to a doctor right away if you get super glue on a sensitive part of your body, like your eyelids, nose, or lips, or if the super glue causes pain. Avoid trying to remove the glue on your own so you don’t hurt yourself.Thanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about removing glue, check out our in-depth interview with Mohiba Tareen, MD .
References
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-get-super-glue-off-your-skin/
- ↑ https://www.cleanipedia.com/ae/en/in-the-home/how-to-remove-superglue-from-hands-a-handy-guide.html
- ↑ https://www.ontariopoisoncentre.ca/household-hazards-items/super-glue/
- ↑ https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/molecule-of-the-week/archive/e/ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate.html
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-get-super-glue-off-your-skin
- ↑ https://missouripoisoncenter.org/is-this-a-poison/super-glue/
- ↑ https://www.cleanipedia.com/ae/en/in-the-home/how-to-remove-superglue-from-hands-a-handy-guide.html
- ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-get-super-glue-off-your-skin
- ↑ https://youtu.be/hYE1D7fcnFk?t=44
About This Article
Article Summary
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To easily get super glue off skin, start by washing your hands with warm soapy water, which will help loosen the glue. Then, rub some vegetable oil or petroleum jelly into your skin with a cloth until the glue comes off. You can also use lotion. If the super glue still won't come off, apply an acetone-based nail polish remover to the super glue and then peel the glue off once it dissolves. If you want to learn how to use WD-40 to remove super glue, keep reading the article!
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Reader Success Stories
- "When I was trying to put some glue on the sole of my shoe, it accidentally touched my fingers. Immediately, the affected area felt like a dry leather. As this was my first experience, I was worried and was about to call 911. Then I thought of checking online sources (using Dr. Google). That is how I came across this article. It helped me to calm down and to know what to do. Even if I could not completely clean the glue off my fingers, it helped me to reduce the harm." ..." more
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"When I was trying to put some glue on the sole of my shoe, it accidentally touched my fingers. Immediately, the affected area felt like a dry leather. As this was my first experience, I was worried and was about to call 911. Then I thought of checking online sources (using Dr. Google). That is how I came across this article. It helped me to calm down and to know what to do. Even if I could not completely clean the glue off my fingers, it helped me to reduce the harm."
..."
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"I happened to have a small tin of Vaseline, which was a big relief! I also appreciated the calm and reassuring tone of this article; I was panicking a little after realizing I had super glue residue on my fingers, but this advice put me ease, thanks!"
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"I tried car bug and tar remover. Three fingers were stuck from Crazy Glue. Squirted bug and tar remover and it rested on my fingers. Then used tip of chopstick to gradually separate by rolling tip along glue joint. Eventually, fingers freed."
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"I was inspired by the petroleum jelly solution. I didn't have any but I did have vitamin E oil and it worked amazingly! I just rubbed it into the patches of super glue and it loosened it right up! Thank you for this article!"
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"I got glue on three of my fingers. I automatically ran them under warm water with soap then soaked them for a little while. I then put petroleum jelly on them. This article just confirmed that I did the right thing."
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