4 ms·

I'm going to go a bit random...get a styptic pencil! Nobody I've met even knows what they are. I came across them years ago in the shaving section, and was bl

I'm going to go a bit random...get a styptic pencil! Nobody I've met even knows what they are. I came across them years ago in the shaving section, and was blown away by their utility. They are solid pieces of some saltlike material that are super effective at stopping bleeding. We don't even have bandaids in our house anymore, the pencils are way more useful.

oauea 5y ago
Is that basically a small alum block?
- silisili 5y ago
  I've owned both, and found 'alum blocks' pretty useless. Looking up the ingredients, they seem very similar however. Maybe the pencils are more concentrated? They are solid white and chalky, not semi translucent and slick like the alum block I bought.
callmekatootie 5y ago
Can the same pencil be used on more than one person? Or does that lead to infections?
- silisili 5y ago
  I'm not an expert, but my family shares. They are best when wet a bit, so typically we douse the cut or wound with peroxide, then apply. That said, they are cheap enough for everyone to have their own if that's a concern for you.
  - Engineering-MD 5y ago
    No need for peroxide, just slightly salty water is better unless visibly contaminated. By using peroxide, scars are often worse, which is thought to be due to killing cells which contribute to wound healing. Furthermore, peroxide doesn’t significantly help prevent infections.
    - silisili 5y ago
      Noted, thank you.
- goodpoint 5y ago
  NEVER share anything that gets into contact with blood, flesh or anything else that is not just skin! Otherwise you risk spreading virus and bacteria between people - this is hygiene 101.
oidar 5y ago
In my experience, a styptic pencil leads to fast coagulation compared to a band aid, but is more likely to leave a visible scar. My go to for small cuts is 3M Cavilon (No Sting) in a spray pump. It also comes in wipes, which are helpful in first aid kits.
- silisili 5y ago
  It may be size of cut. I used one once on something I definitely should have gotten stitches for(folding knife closed on my thumb, and I reactively pulled away), and it did scar. For shaving cuts, typical knife cuts, paper cuts, etc, noticed nothing really.
DougMellon 5y ago
We used them in the Navy!
- silisili 5y ago
  Curious...for what purpose? I'd read the Army used to pack wounds with basically a crushed version of the same thing.
  - DougMellon 5y ago
    Our use was less interesting — shaving. Sleep was limited while underway so you would try to milk every minute possible. You'd be rushing to change, shave, and get to watch or muster which meant no time to wait for a shaving cut to stop bleeding. We'd just dip the pen in water and rub it on the cut to stop it from bleeding before heading up.
- snerbles 5y ago
  Still have mine from the Air Force.
vl 5y ago
On the similar note - Nexcare bandaids (by 3M, as all things are) are way better and comfortable than any other bandaids.
aitoehigie 5y ago
I first encountered the use of this pencil in one of the "Dad, How do I" videos on YouTube.
soferio 5y ago
Proraso anti-bleeding gel is the best thing I have found for razor cuts. It dries into a transparent artificial scab.
tallytarik 5y ago
Roll-on antiperspirant is also great at stopping bleeding from shaving cuts. (Spray antiperspirant might be, too, but spraying myself in the face has never sounded particularly appealing) It’s not designed for this purpose, and you’re putting this substance on an open wound, so try at your own risk.
- jonwest 5y ago
  That’s because styptic pencils are generally aluminum based, as is anti-perspirant.
someweirdperson 5y ago
This is not medical advice, but... Cyanoacrylate (also known as "Super glue"). I've been using it to cover some small clean cuts. I think today there's even variants approved for such use.
- flobosg 5y ago
  > I think today there's even variants approved for such use. Yeah, look up ‘Vetbond’ and ‘Dermabond’. They are not strictly superglue, but longer chain cyanoacrylates, which confer them some properties such as higher flexibility and bacterial growth inhibition.
  - ajb 5y ago
    Indeed. As I recall, supeeglue was actually developed for this purpose, but they decided it released to much heat (presumably when used in large quantities) and so divised these other chemicals.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- is_true 5y ago
  I'm from Argentina and I've been "glued" a couple of times by paramedics using a glue based on cyanocrylate
  - silisili 5y ago
    It's very common in the US too. When I had knee surgery that involved cutting my kneecap in half(long scar), they superglued the skin back together. Sutures are actually rather rare for most procedures.

oauea 5y ago

Is that basically a small alum block?

silisili 5y ago
I've owned both, and found 'alum blocks' pretty useless. Looking up the ingredients, they seem very similar however. Maybe the pencils are more concentrated? They are solid white and chalky, not semi translucent and slick like the alum block I bought.

callmekatootie 5y ago

Can the same pencil be used on more than one person? Or does that lead to infections?

silisili 5y ago
I'm not an expert, but my family shares. They are best when wet a bit, so typically we douse the cut or wound with peroxide, then apply. That said, they are cheap enough for everyone to have their own if that's a concern for you.
- Engineering-MD 5y ago
  No need for peroxide, just slightly salty water is better unless visibly contaminated. By using peroxide, scars are often worse, which is thought to be due to killing cells which contribute to wound healing. Furthermore, peroxide doesn’t significantly help prevent infections.
  - silisili 5y ago
    Noted, thank you.
goodpoint 5y ago
NEVER share anything that gets into contact with blood, flesh or anything else that is not just skin! Otherwise you risk spreading virus and bacteria between people - this is hygiene 101.

oidar 5y ago

In my experience, a styptic pencil leads to fast coagulation compared to a band aid, but is more likely to leave a visible scar. My go to for small cuts is 3M Cavilon (No Sting) in a spray pump. It also comes in wipes, which are helpful in first aid kits.

silisili 5y ago
It may be size of cut. I used one once on something I definitely should have gotten stitches for(folding knife closed on my thumb, and I reactively pulled away), and it did scar. For shaving cuts, typical knife cuts, paper cuts, etc, noticed nothing really.

DougMellon 5y ago

We used them in the Navy!

silisili 5y ago
Curious...for what purpose? I'd read the Army used to pack wounds with basically a crushed version of the same thing.
- DougMellon 5y ago
  Our use was less interesting — shaving. Sleep was limited while underway so you would try to milk every minute possible. You'd be rushing to change, shave, and get to watch or muster which meant no time to wait for a shaving cut to stop bleeding. We'd just dip the pen in water and rub it on the cut to stop it from bleeding before heading up.
snerbles 5y ago
Still have mine from the Air Force.

vl 5y ago

On the similar note - Nexcare bandaids (by 3M, as all things are) are way better and comfortable than any other bandaids.

aitoehigie 5y ago

I first encountered the use of this pencil in one of the "Dad, How do I" videos on YouTube.

soferio 5y ago

Proraso anti-bleeding gel is the best thing I have found for razor cuts. It dries into a transparent artificial scab.

tallytarik 5y ago

Roll-on antiperspirant is also great at stopping bleeding from shaving cuts. (Spray antiperspirant might be, too, but spraying myself in the face has never sounded particularly appealing) It’s not designed for this purpose, and you’re putting this substance on an open wound, so try at your own risk.

jonwest 5y ago
That’s because styptic pencils are generally aluminum based, as is anti-perspirant.

someweirdperson 5y ago

This is not medical advice, but... Cyanoacrylate (also known as "Super glue"). I've been using it to cover some small clean cuts. I think today there's even variants approved for such use.

flobosg 5y ago
> I think today there's even variants approved for such use. Yeah, look up ‘Vetbond’ and ‘Dermabond’. They are not strictly superglue, but longer chain cyanoacrylates, which confer them some properties such as higher flexibility and bacterial growth inhibition.
- ajb 5y ago
  Indeed. As I recall, supeeglue was actually developed for this purpose, but they decided it released to much heat (presumably when used in large quantities) and so divised these other chemicals.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
is_true 5y ago
I'm from Argentina and I've been "glued" a couple of times by paramedics using a glue based on cyanocrylate
- silisili 5y ago
  It's very common in the US too. When I had knee surgery that involved cutting my kneecap in half(long scar), they superglued the skin back together. Sutures are actually rather rare for most procedures.