Handle with care: Avoiding hand injuries during Halloween pumpkin carving
As Halloween approaches, families across Houston are gearing up for one of the season’s favorite traditions: pumpkin carving. While it’s a fun and creative activity, it’s also one of the most common causes of hand injuries seen by plastic surgeons every October.
Each year, emergency rooms report a spike in hand and finger injuries related to pumpkin carving. The most common culprits are slips of the knife that can lead to deep cuts, tendon injuries or even nerve damage. These injuries often require surgical repair and can lead to long-term stiffness, weakness or loss of motion if not treated properly. Even a small cut can cause major issues if these structures are affected.
Carving a pumpkin combines slippery surfaces with forceful cutting, which can easily lead to accidents. Pumpkins are tough to pierce, and many people instinctively use more pressure or inappropriate tools, such as kitchen knives, which increases the risk of losing control.
“Many pumpkin carving injuries happen because people underestimate how much force it takes to cut through a pumpkin,” says Dr. Lyahn K. Hwang, plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Baylor Medicine, who specializes in hand and upper extremity surgery. “When the knife slips, it often strikes the opposite hand or fingers. The best approach is to slow down, use the right tools and always keep your hands out of the knife’s path.”
Carving safety tips
Before you pick up your carving tools, keep these safety tips in mind:
- Use a pumpkin carving kit: These tools are designed to be safer than kitchen knives, with serrated edges that are less likely to slip.
- Stabilize your pumpkin: Place it on a flat, non-slip surface and keep it steady with your hand away from the cutting path.
- Go slow and don’t force it: If the tool gets stuck, gently wiggle it free instead of pushing harder.
- Keep your hands and tools dry: Moisture makes everything more slippery. Wipe your hands and the pumpkin frequently.
- Light safely: Use battery-powered candles instead of open flames to prevent burns.
- Let kids draw, let adults carve: Children can still join the fun by scooping out the insides or drawing the design for an adult to carve.
If you experience numbness, difficulty moving your fingers, or heavy bleeding that does not stop with pressure, seek immediate care. The plastic surgery hand specialists at Baylor Medicine are leaders in diagnosing and treating a wide range of hand conditions. With advanced surgical and non-surgical techniques, they repair traumatic injuries, restore function, and help patients regain strength, mobility and confidence in their hands.
By Brittany Fisk Adiletta, senior marketing associate in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery
