How to Get Super Glue off Your Skin: 10 Easy Removal Tips

This article was co-authored by Mohiba Tareen, MD and by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Mohiba Tareen is a board certified Dermatologist and the founder of Tareen Dermatology located in Roseville, Maplewood and Faribault, Minnesota. Dr. Tareen completed medical school at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. While a dermatology resident at Columbia University in New York City, she won the Conrad Stritzler award of the New York Dermatologic Society and was published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Tareen then completed a procedural fellowship which focused on dermatologic surgery, laser, and cosmetic dermatology.

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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

Hand lotion

1. Hand lotion breaks up glue and moisturizes your skin at the same time. Take a pump of hand lotion and massage it onto the super glue. Since the lotion is oily, it will eat through the glue so it peels off as you work it in.[1] X Trustworthy Source Cleveland Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
   • Hand lotion is the best choice if you have dry, sensitive skin.
   • Avoid pulling the glue off your skin if it still feels stuck. You may accidentally rip off some skin and cause more pain.

Vegetable oil

1. Oils break down super glue so it doesn’t stick on your fingers. Apply vegetable oil, olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil to a cloth or a paper towel. Rub the patch of skin in a circular motion with the cloth. Within a couple of minutes, the super glue will begin to soften and peel off easily.[2] X Research source

Petroleum jelly

1. Petroleum jelly is greasy and makes it easier to get glue off of your skin. Dip the corner of a cloth in petroleum jelly and rub it over your skin where there’s super glue. Massage the jelly into your skin until the super glue starts to flake off. Just wash the excess off your hands when you’re finished.[3] X Research source
   • Alternatively, you can massage mineral oil onto the patch of skin since it’s also petroleum-based.

Acetone nail polish remover

1. Acetone eats through super glue to completely break it down. Wet the corner of a cloth or paper towel with the acetone and hold it against the super glue for about a minute to dissolve the glue. Try gently rubbing the super glue to help lift it off of your skin. Just wash and moisturize your hands when you’re finished since acetone can dry your skin out.[4] X Trustworthy Source American Chemical Society Scientific society for those involved with chemistry and publisher of several leading peer-reviewed scientific journals Go to source
   • Avoid using acetone near your eyes, mouth, or any open wounds.
   • Acetone and super glue fumes can irritate your eyes and lungs, so use it in a well-ventilated space.

Warm soapy water

1. The soap and water will help loosen the glue’s bond. If you’re removing super glue on your hands or fingers, fill a large bowl or sink with warm water and a squirt of liquid soap. If you can’t easily use a bowl or sink, hop in a warm bath with some suds. Soak the affected area for around 10 minutes to help soften the glue. Rub the glue with small gentle circles to help it lift off of your skin.[5] X Research source
   • You may need to try washing your skin multiple times before all the super glue comes off.
   • If your skin is stuck together, avoid pulling it apart. You could accidentally rip off layers of skin along with the glue and cause a lot of pain.

Warm compress

1. Heat softens super glue so it’s easier to get off of your skin. Get a washcloth damp with hot water and wring it out completely. Lay the compress over the super glue and leave it there for about 10–15 minutes. After that, try rubbing the glue in small circles to gently peel it away from your skin.[6] X Research source
   • If your fingers are stuck together with super glue, try to separate them by rubbing a flat blunt object, like a credit card or butter knife, against the glue on your fingertips. Stop using it if you feel any pain and avoid using any sharp knives or razors.

Lemon juice

1. The acids in lemon juice remove dried glue still stuck on your fingers. Put lemon juice into a bowl or wet the corner of a cloth with it. Soak your skin with the lemon juice for about 10 minutes to help loosen up the dried glue. Then, wet a soft toothbrush in the juice and gently scrub your skin to lift up the rest of the glue.[7] X Research source

Salt

1. Coarse salt rubs off any leftover glue that dried to your skin. Wet your skin with water and sprinkle some coarse salt onto the area. Gently rub the salt in to break apart the super glue and help it peel off of your skin. Rinse off your skin with warm water to clear off the rest of the salt and glue.[8] X Research source
   • Only apply gentle pressure since pressing too hard could damage your skin. Stop using salt if your skin starts hurting.

Nail emery board

1. The light abrasive on a nail emery board scrapes away dried super glue. Use the rougher side of the emery board, and rub it over the super glue on your skin. Apply pressure so you remove the glue but not so much that it causes pain. Keep working until you get as much glue off as you can.[9] X Research source
   • Try wetting your skin if you’re having trouble removing the super glue.
   • Emery boards work perfectly for getting super glue off of your nails or fingers.

Pumice stone

1. Use a pumice stone with warm water for stubborn dry glue. Soak your skin in warm water for 10 minutes first to help soften the hardened glue. Wet your pumice stone and gently rub it over your skin in a circular motion. The glue residue will catch in the abrasive stone and peel off of your skin.[10] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
   • Stop using your pumice stone if you feel any pain while you’re removing the super glue. Try soaking your skin to warm up the glue again.

Expert Q&A

• QuestionWill the nail polish remover make your skin dry?Nail polish remover is drying for the skin. However, your skin will return to normal soon, especially if you apply a moisturising cream afterwards.
• QuestionIs super glue on your nails harmful?It is not harmful on your nails. You can use superglue to repair a broken nail.
• 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?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.

Video

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.[11] X Research source

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.[12] X Research source
• Avoid fumes from super glue since it could irritate your eyes and lungs.[13] X Research source

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

1. ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-get-super-glue-off-your-skin/
2. ↑ https://www.cleanipedia.com/ae/en/in-the-home/how-to-remove-superglue-from-hands-a-handy-guide.html
3. ↑ https://www.ontariopoisoncentre.ca/household-hazards-items/super-glue/
4. ↑ https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/molecule-of-the-week/archive/e/ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate.html
5. ↑ http://conditions.health.qld.gov.au/HealthCondition/condition/1/184/588/Super-Glue
6. ↑ https://missouripoisoncenter.org/is-this-a-poison/super-glue/
7. ↑ https://www.cleanipedia.com/ae/en/in-the-home/how-to-remove-superglue-from-hands-a-handy-guide.html
8. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-remove-superglue/
9. ↑ https://youtu.be/hYE1D7fcnFk?t=44

About This Article

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!

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