If you've ever been poked by a Cholla Cactus, you may have gotten yourself into an even stickier situation by trying to pull the cactus piece directly out of your skin. I've been in this situation myself many years ago, and still have scars today from where the cactus spines broke off in my skin after trying to remove them in an improper way. When I saw this video showing a better way to remove the spines, I knew it was something I needed to know in case I was ever in that situation again.
There are multiple ways to remove cactus, and this video just offers one method. The video says to take a hair comb and lightly brush the spines to lift them away from your skin. Pulling them directly out could drive them in deeper. After you do this, take a pair of tweezers to individually remove each spine. Make sure to pull from the base, gently, to avoid breakage.
One should also wear gloves if possible, when removing the cactus spines. Only use fine-tipped tweezers or needle-nose pliers to grab the spines, and then gently pull the spines out in the same direction they entered. Be sure to clean the area after, and avoid walking too close to cacti in the future.
See also: I visited an amazing cactus nursery
