Healing of cuts and nicks

Hello,
I'm about seven to 10 shaves into using an SR. It's been an interesting learning curve. It takes me a long time to do a shave. I probably should only be doing WTG instead of trying all three types of passes.

I'm worried about some probably minor cuts. Will they heal? Will I have permanent scarring? Ok, I'm a little vain and want to preserve whatever is left of a smooth face.

I did get cuts with a DE also. All of these cuts have healed completely so they must not have been deep. Since using an SR I've noticed about four long scars but they aren't very deep. This didn't happen with a DE. The DE caused bleeding but not scarring. I'm hoping as my SR technique improves I won't get cuts.

Since using an SR, I can have a few shaves with no cuts and think I've got it down and feel victorious. Then, during the next shave I might have one large, but not deep, cut and it makes me second guess the wisdom of shaving with a straight. Then I think I should even go back to a plastic throwaway shaver to not get any cuts.

That probably sounds insane and I probably wouldn't do it. Sorry for the rambling.

I use a Styptic pencil to stop the bleeding. My question is more about what to do after that in terms of skin care and other ideas. Please share your ideas about this and some remedies/products to heal cuts and your experiences with the healing of cuts.
Thank you,
July10newbie

I haven't found any product that really works well. Not even styptic pencils etc.
Blood clotting is an enzymatic process and it proceeds best at body temperature. So no cold water or alcohol but a warm washing mitt held against the skin. Gelatin works well, professionally I use Willospon.
Razor held at a shallow angle against the skin helps as well.

Not bragging here but ive only nicked myself shav8ng 3 times in my first year of shaving. After the blood stops running on the floor, ha, i just dont shave the next day and try to give that spot an extra day to heal. Then right back at it. I dont worry about putting something on it or scaring. They seem to heal up just fine and no scars.

Now ive been married for over 20 years so it dont mater too much what i look like. Shes got to love me. Lol. If your a younger guy and still on the hunt for a young pretty thing good luck to ya.

Forgot to mention: Willospon (or Spongostan which is similar but much more expensive) also work well if you are on warfarin.

Polysporin or something similar works great I find - was a tip Lynn shared many moons ago.

When I occasionally get a nick/bleeder, little dot of Polysporin will seal it up rather quickly, and then a fresh application I find heals it quickly and cleanly....:)

According to the plastic surgeon my wife consulted after getting a fairly nasty wound under her eye the best thing for most facial wounds is Vaseline. The blood flow to the face is such that there is simply no need for antibiotic ointments and he recommended against them given that they can cause irritation and allergic reactions. My wife used nothing else on her wound (which she feared would leave a permanent scar) and you can't even see it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lazarus

According to the plastic surgeon my wife consulted after getting a fairly nasty wound under her eye the best thing for most facial wounds is Vaseline. The blood flow to the face is such that there is simply no need for antibiotic ointments and he recommended against them given that they can cause irritation and allergic reactions. My wife used nothing else on her wound (which she feared would leave a permanent scar) and you can't even see it.

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That's good to know - thanks - my wife is a nurse and as suggested the same in the past, says it can be an irritant, I'll mention the Vaseline to her, it makes sense.....:)

Don't worry, chicks dig scars :tu

Usually nothing scars, unless you get it deep enough.

You might have a mark or discoloration with regular cuts, but those will all fade and disappear. For those there are a lot of different type of creams and the likes, with certain ingredients and moisturizing and anti-bacterial properties. One among many I was given by a plastic surgeon was Cicaplast by La Roche Posay, it's by far the favorite one I was given.

Due to my line of work I have quite a few scars in my face; none that have come from shaving were permanent.

IF you really got a nasty one, after it's "closed up" (usually requiring stitches), silicone gel is supposed to be very effective.

(also sun exposure to damaged skin that is still healing is a no-go, ergo a sunscreen with good UV blocking properties is advised)

(I also think topical Adapelene aids in the healing of serious scars)


And indeed, chicks dig scars.

You don't wanna die without any scars, just sayin'

A couple of things to remember.
Any lateral movement with the razor will result in a cut .
Any lifting of the heel & concentrating the stroke onto the toe will result in a cut.
A high shaving angle can result in irritation & weepers.
Excess pressure will cause weepers.

After skin care would be aided by any balm containing Calendula Officinalis. The diluted tincture is bacteriostatic & aids the body to heal wounds & burns at optimal speed.

Don't worry about scars if you are using a very light touch. You would have to cut very deeply indeed to get a permanent scar out of it. As mentioned already, use polysporin or similar antibiotic ointment and don't pick at it if it does scab over.

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Originally Posted by onimaru55

A couple of things to remember.
Any lateral movement with the razor will result in a cut .
Any lifting of the heel & concentrating the stroke onto the toe will result in a cut.
A high shaving angle can result in irritation & weepers.
Excess pressure will cause weepers.

After skin care would be aided by any balm containing Calendula Officinalis. The diluted tincture is bacteriostatic & aids the body to heal wounds & burns at optimal speed.

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First, unless you going deep your cuts should heal without scarring. I think however what you should have a closer look at is why your experiencing so many cuts. This advice above is the best way to start avoiding the cuts in the first place. I'd only add one more to this list. Resting the edge on your skin can result in shallow cuts.

Having said all this I'd recommend you work on your technique. Avoid the items above and you'll likely find a reduction in nicks and cuts so no worries about how they will heal. Don't give up. It does get easier the more you develop a repeatable consistent technique. Based on the good results you've had already you're well on your way.

I'll add a couple of things. Styptic pencils should be used in a particular way. As soon as you cut your self or see blood stop what you are doing, wet the styptic and and dab across the cut in the same direction the blade was going when it cut you.

Unless the the cut is somewhat deep, this will stop the bleeding you you usually can't see where it was. At least that is how it is for me. The key is to apply the styptic immediately and not wait.

I don't put anything on the cut after shaving. Having said that, I find lanolin to be super effective. I add 10% lanolin to quality lotion to use as an after shave balm. Lanolin is well known for moisturizing skin to a deeper level than other things. It also helps cuts heal.

In researching lanolin, I found a few things. There are many studies that compare a new drug or chemical to lanolin, causing me to conclude that lanolin is the gold standard.

I also came across a study showing that lanolin helps heal cuts. Here is a link.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20676860

In saying that lanolin helps heal facial cuts, I had to make an assumption. The study above evaluated the effectiveness of lanolin for treating anal fissures in children. Anal fissures are cuts or tears. I'm making the assumption that if it heals skin around the anus that it will do the same for skin on the face.

Yes, I know anal fissures are gross. No, I'm not into bathroom humor. This was the only study I came across that didn't seem to have an outside motive, such trying to bring a new product to the market.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lazarus

According to the plastic surgeon my wife consulted after getting a fairly nasty wound under her eye the best thing for most facial wounds is Vaseline. The blood flow to the face is such that there is simply no need for antibiotic ointments and he recommended against them given that they can cause irritation and allergic reactions. My wife used nothing else on her wound (which she feared would leave a permanent scar) and you can't even see it.

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Normally, a cut using a sharp razor will heal quickly unless it is very deep. The best way to stop bleeding is to use direct pressure. Blood is a thixotropic fluid, the more shear force, the better it flows. The direct pressure reduces the shear flow and causes the blood to clot.

One product I have found to be useful on those occasions when I get nicked is Pacific Shaving Nick Stick.
https://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Shavi...ing+nick+stick

Although the reference I show is on Amazon, you can find it at many local stores where shaving supplies are sold. It is a roll on tube that applies a liquid to the cut. It stings a little, but does a good job of stopping blood flow and helps with the healing process. I like it far better than styptic pencil or an alum block.

The recommendation of using Vaseline reminded me that the corner man for professional prize fighters often use this methods to help heal cuts between rounds so they do not reopen.

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Originally Posted by RayClem

The recommendation of using Vaseline reminded me that the corner man for professional prize fighters often use this methods to help heal cuts between rounds so they do not reopen.

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This make sense. Every once in a while I'll have a shave that feels like I'm in a prize fight.:matrix: