Battle Scars.

This is what I hate the most about pruning the roses. The constant splinters that dig into you, regardless of whether you're wearing gloves or not. They're actually the tip of the rose thorn that has broken off after it stabs you. They start out as annoying little dots that you see on my fingers and every so often you get one like the sod on my thumb, that gets all infected, painful and a down right nuisance. Its part and parcel of having roses really. So ways to prevent or fix this situation:

Riggers gloves, or good leather gloves. They don't fully stop the splinters when the gloves get worn, then they will start to slip through. They are well worth it in the beginning though.

To help you get rid of the darn things, I recommend a little sewing needle to dig it out. They are sharp and quite narrow. If you thread some cotton through the eye, it makes it easier to retrieve when you drop it. Yes, it will hurt. There is no pain free method to get rid of splinters that I have found and if somebody can find such a method, I will quite happily worship the ground they walk on. As you can tell by the infected splinter on the thumb, you cant always dig them out. When that happens, I use a little bit of Jarrah Honey on the splinter and wrap a bandaid over the top. I specifically use Jarrah Honey, as it has antiseptic qualities to it and it acts as a drawing agent and pulls the splinter to the surface so it is easier to pick out. If you cant get Jarrah Honey the you can get a paste called Magnoplasm from a chemist. It is typically used on boils to work them to the surface but will work just as good on splinters. Use it in the same way I use the honey.

Good luck.