If you’re a feline enthusiast, you understand that having a furry companion often means dealing with stray hairs on your furniture and even in your morning coffee or slice of pie. But did you know that these tiny hairs can actually make their way into human skin, similar to splinters?
You may have heard of something called a hair splinter before, perhaps while getting your hair cut or your dog groomed. And while they may seem like a minor and almost impossible occurrence, they do exist. A hair splinter occurs when a hair hits the skin at the right angle and pierces the top layer. They are most commonly seen in dog groomers and hair stylists, and can be extremely painful and prone to infection.
The Possibility of Cat Hair Piercing Human Skin
While it may be rare, cat hair can indeed pierce human skin, especially if it is coarse, thick, short, and freshly cut. Freshly cut hair is very sharp, and when it falls to the ground and comes into contact with skin, it can easily pierce it at the right angle.
Although hair splinters can occur anywhere on the body, they are most commonly found on the fingers and toes. They can develop when handling cat hair in general, so groomers are well-versed in this phenomenon. The type of coat your cat has can also greatly affect the likelihood of getting a hair splinter. There is almost no chance of getting one if you have a hairless breed, but cats have different coats and some may have coarser or shorter hair than others.
The Different Types of Cat Hair
A cat’s coat is made up of three distinct types of hair: down hair, awn hair, and guard hair.
Down hair is the soft and silky hair that makes up the undercoat, providing insulation and keeping the cat warm. However, some cats do not have this layer.
Awn hairs are coarser and longer than down hairs and act as a protector for the down hair and insulation. The longer, stiffer hairs that protrude past the awn hairs are known as guard hairs. These hairs keep the cat dry and also determine the base color of a cat.
All cats have fur, but the texture and length can vary between breeds. Some breeds, like the American Wirehair and American Shorthair, have coarse coats. The American Wirehair has a very dense coat of hair that is wire-like, stiff, and can feel like Velcro. Owning or grooming a cat with this type of coat increases your chances of getting a hair splinter.
How to Remove a Hair Splinter
If you are one of the rare few to find a cat hair splinter in your skin, you may feel alarmed and unsure, and possibly experience some pain.
Here’s what you should do:
- You will need a pair of tweezers to remove the hair from your skin, but first, you must sanitize them, as well as your hands and the affected area.
- Pus or drainage from the world
- Redness or red streaks around the splinter
- Fever or chills
How to Remove a Hair Splinter
There are a few methods you can try to remove a hair splinter at home. Here are some steps to follow:
- Wash your hands and the affected area with soap and water.
- Use a magnifying glass to get a better view of the splinter.
- Use tweezers to gently pull the splinter out in the same direction it entered the skin. If the splinter is deep, you may need to use a needle to gently lift the skin around it before using the tweezers.