Thread: Whole face styptic?

So I've been reading old posts of styptic vs alum block for nicks and the consensus seems to be the styptic is better at closing up nicks quickly, while alum takes a bit longer. It seems a fair amount of shavers also use alum over the whole face as an aftershave.

So, is there any downside to turning a styptic pencil on its side and rolling it over the whole face after a shave? I tried this yesterday and it felt good, leaving a nice tingling over the whole face (little harsh in the trouble areas of course). You have to rinse it off after a few minutes or else it leaves a residue, but even alum blocks that don't leave a residue recommend rinsing them off after a few minutes.

I do the same thing too with my styptic pencil. The only downside I've encountered is that I go through them pretty quickly.

I don't use a styptic pencil unless the alum bock won't stop the blood. Just to be sure, the alum block does not replace using an after shave for me which comes after the alum block.

Bob

The purpose of the two is different: styptic to stop bleeding and alum as a skin astringent. It's been a long time since I've had to use a styptic pencil but any time I did it left a white residue and severely dried out the area I applied it to so I'd hate to see (and feel!) what it would do to my entire face....

I use an alum block and before that a septic pencil the alum block lasts longer than the pencil and it might sting a little more but were men

Originally Posted by flares2

So I've been reading old posts of styptic vs alum block for nicks and the consensus seems to be the styptic is better at closing up nicks quickly, while alum takes a bit longer. It seems a fair amount of shavers also use alum over the whole face as an aftershave.

So, is there any downside to turning a styptic pencil on its side and rolling it over the whole face after a shave? I tried this yesterday and it felt good, leaving a nice tingling over the whole face (little harsh in the trouble areas of course). You have to rinse it off after a few minutes or else it leaves a residue, but even alum blocks that don't leave a residue recommend rinsing them off after a few minutes.

You can get a block of alum made from a mold of your whole face. When your done shaving you just put your whole face into it.

Lol that might be on the pricy side

And isint the pencil a medicin while to alum is more natural

Theu do the same i just got better resaults with the alum because it also seals my pores and my neck dont break out

As far as I know styptic is just alum (or silver nitrate?) bound into a pencil shape. Or am I wrong there?

The main difference may be the concentration of the hemostatic chemical, I don't know. All I know is that a styptic stings like the hounds of hell whereas alum feels less so.

James.

I thought alum was a type of salt maybe im wrong lol