Secrets of Blood Clotting... Please impart...

Ok... Been shaving for nearly 20 years.. Been wet shaving for a month and half...

This morning before work I cut myself shaving on the upper lip, just below the nose on the ridge in the middle... stupidly it wasn't because I miss handle the razor, but I turned my head.... Anyway lesson learned...

I've used a styptic pencil since the early 90's when I started shaving, but as we have all had some gushers I thought I would start a thread in the beginner section concerning the stoppage of bleeding.. Especially when you get a decent slice, what you can do to get on with the day, vice looking like you're suffering from severe radiation poisoning..

We can all concede to the basics of a Styptic Pencil, and toilet paper on the face.... What else..???????????What for the gushers, or the nicks that won't stop bleeding.????

Please post your blood clotting, tips, tricks and secrets here.

I use styptic powder rather than a pencil...and I apply pretty heavy pressure for as long as it takes to stop bleeding

Styptic Powder... Never thought of that... Where do you get yours.. I've also heard of using Silver Nitrate? Anyone done that before outside an ER?

First action for a decent cut is tissue and PRESSURE! This makes the most difference any cut that us actively bleeding vs. "weeping".

If happen to nick myself I use styptic that comes in small roller ball applicator. I am very, very careful however as I take 300mg of blood thinner daily. : P

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Originally Posted by foxblade

Styptic Powder... Never thought of that... Where do you get yours.. I've also heard of using Silver Nitrate? Anyone done that before outside an ER?

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Silver Nitrate works great,will also leave a burn mark on your face that lasts a couple days.

I'm not sure there's any secret outside of pressure with tissue/toilet paper. If a styptic pencil and/or pressure doesn't do the trick then I suppose your only recourse would be silver nitrate, but if you have SN on hand "just in case" (who does? lol) you might want to re-examine your straight razor technique.

Try an ice cube held against the cut. Uncomfortable, but stops most bleeding pretty quickly.

Just pressure with my finger, long enough, then it's done.

Has anyone tried liquid bandages? Seems like that may work. When traveling in the boonies I would always bring superglue for emergencies...it does a nice job of closing wounds when you can't get stitches!!

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Originally Posted by Gehring9006

Has anyone tried liquid bandages? Seems like that may work. When traveling in the boonies I would always bring superglue for emergencies...it does a nice job of closing wounds when you can't get stitches!!

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In "cut of the day" someone posted about using super glue to close a cut IIRC.

Bob

Here ya go http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...0-cut-day.html post #4

My "I see blood" routine:

1. Cold water. Closes up most little cuts.
2. Alumn block. Slightly more effective than cold water, I like it mostly for how it feels though.
3. light rubbing with styptic pencil.
4. Firm pressure with styptic pencil.

I don't think I've had any cut or nick that couldn't be stopped like that.

Real men just fire up a soldering Iron and cauterize it it for good:)

I'll go with what ResidentR said.. plus chicks dig scars....

As far as Super Glue goes, for me it seems that with DEEP cuts that should have needed stitches to leave the ends of the cut un-superglued for drainage. But as far as nicks and minor gouges I tape mine up with the adhesive portion of a bandaid after alum block or stypic pencil. One ore two days and it is healed enough to shave. Here lately I seem to be digging the toe in an awful lot. One of the weeks. Enjoy it while it lasts.

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Originally Posted by lz6

If happen to nick myself I use styptic that comes in small roller ball applicator. I am very, very careful however as I take 300mg of blood thinner daily. : P

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You are on a blood thinner and you shave with a straight? I was always worried that I would have to go back on one and give it up. I guess it depends on how much you take. I do not even remember how much I was on now.

Don't a turn a head............

This thread is turning my stomach, who started this anyways hehe :)

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Originally Posted by Gehring9006

Has anyone tried liquid bandages? Seems like that may work. When traveling in the boonies I would always bring superglue for emergencies...it does a nice job of closing wounds when you can't get stitches!!

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Superglue will eventually breakdown on a "wet" wound (one that leaks plasma.) Pressure first. There's nothing magic about styptic, flour or any fine powder will work to give the blood products a base to begin forming a clot.

And..."All bleeding stops eventually." One of the first things taught in med school.

Some one told me ages back as soon as you nick yourself stop shaving and apply alum right away. I have noticed that if I wait its harder to stop the bleeding.

if its a real big nick, pressure tends to sort it.

I use an industrial stapler: I pinch together both sides of the cuts, then apply staples every 4 or 5 mm. This process usually requires several shots of vodka to quell the pain. After the staples, I apply liberal amounts of super glue directly to the cut. Finally I glue bolts to the sides of my temple and neck to complete the look. I then stagger around the neighborhood in an over sized raggedy suit coat. There is usually a mob scene behind me, complete with pitchforks and for some strange reason burning torches. Somehow, I forgot what this thread is about, I'm hungry and some of the villagers look young and tender. Happy shaving.

You can buy talcum powder that contains alum - it's good as both an anti-perspirant/deodorant and for athlete's foot - but helps coagulation as well. On this same subject, I've seen ground pepper also mentioned - but that may have been someone just having some fun.

ground pepper sounds painful!

I've heard that lemon juice with salt does the trick ;)

Realistically, there's a commercial product that clots blood (quick-clot), it is used by some military and others, and can be easily bought, but its not cheap as it comes in a big bag for major cuts, not sure if it can be opened and packaged into smaller zip-lock bags. I had a packet in my first aid kit years ago but threw it out a year ago as it was past used-by-date, so never tried it.

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Originally Posted by AndrewJM

I've heard that lemon juice with salt does the trick ;)

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It sure does Andrew and it's even better if followed quickly by a shot of tequila. it's possible you will still bleed out but you wont care

:rock:

Liquid Bandage is not useful for active bleeding. It will not dry before the blood pushes it out of the way. I do use it regularly at work when doing installs, once the bleeding has stopped since it is durable, pretty good at keeping the cut closed and doesn't interfere much with manual dexterity. It is hard to explain blood stains on new draperies to Mrs. Smith...

As a retired physician, I can tell you that all bleeding eventually stops. Either by itself, or something we do to make it stop, or the patient dies.

Hospital humor is dark.

Best,
Alan

I use either Proraso gel for cuts or My Nik Is Sealed these both seem to work for me

I use an alum block to great effect, with the addition of pressure when it's a particularly nasty cut.

I don't know I quite like the look of shaving with A mix of blood and lather streaming down my face Lol extra lubrication and keeps her from coming in saying what are you doing hahahahahaha
:)

I use witch hazel.

It comes in liquid form and smells like cheap whiskey. You can use it as a splash after shaving to cleanse the face. And if you put some on a cotton pad and hold it over a cut it'll stop it bleeding pretty fast.

It's also dirt cheap, It does have a little bit of sting to it tho!

It's also very good as a full face de-greaser, Stick some on a face cloth and rub away. It'll take out all your blackheads after a couple of applications.

Women use it as make up remover and cleanser as well. So it's available just about everywhere that sells makeup. Just ask a monkey in a pharmacy/chemist/drugstore. They should take you straight to it.

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Originally Posted by Mephisto

You are on a blood thinner and you shave with a straight? I was always worried that I would have to go back on one and give it up. I guess it depends on how much you take. I do not even remember how much I was on now.

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I have been on blood thinners for many years and have not had a problem with straight razor shaving. Now working on restorations has been a different story : ) I am fortunate to be several years retired from work and never ever I have I had the need to rush a straight shave.

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Originally Posted by cigar460

As a retired physician, I can tell you that all bleeding eventually stops. Either by itself, or something we do to make it stop, or the patient dies.

Hospital humor is dark.

Best,
Alan

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Bleeding always stops is a phrase dear to my heart,I trained under Norman Shumway at Stanford Univ,1969/72,that was his catch phrase.

are alum blocks worth a damn?

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Originally Posted by Kashew

are alum blocks worth a damn?

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Alum blocks are not used to stop bleeding,they are used as an astrigent post shave.

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Originally Posted by Kashew

are alum blocks worth a damn?

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Good for two things some would say three…. One, Touch it with wet fingers then apply fingers to face to stretch skin…amazing traction on a slippy face, two apply to a cut or a nick as soon as it happens and it pretty much will stop t bleeding if its a small cut.

Three, some people use to rub on face following the shave as it has antiseptic properties. Personally I find it drying and no long do this post shave.

I use witch hazel with tincture of comfrey for the smaller ones and ground comfrey leaf on the bad ones. Comfrey is amazing and speeds the healing, I can shave the next day, even with a bad cut. :) I hate missing a shaving day. :P

I've read that cayenne powder works great at stopping the bleeding as well as black pepper and raw honey helps the healing process too. I think I read some used to mix the honey and cayenne and used it that way. Maybe I'll try those if I should get a cut on my hand first or somewhere other than my face, lol.

I read somewhere that Monsel's Solution is good for this. It's also known as basic ferric sulfate solution. Ferric subsulfate solution is prepared from ferrous sulfate, sulfuric acid and nitric acid, so it has the added allure of being made from scary things.