Styptic pencil (anti-bleeding pencil) review

Hey, a little late....so, here goes....

We all do it, we just don't like to admit it. But sometimes, it is really obvious and everyone can see it. We are embarrassed but tamed by the understanding that we are only human. Yes, I am talking about that blasted shaving cut. 

It is a medical fact that the head seems to bleed a lot more than any other part of the body. This is the body's method of telling us "HEY, YOU'VE DAMAGED SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT HERE. ATTEND TO IT NOW!". So, that seemingly tiny, tiny nick on your face seems to bleed like a femoral artery that has been opened up by a mortar shell. It doesn't seem to matter what you do, it just keeps going to such an extent that you start to wonder where the haemophilia gene came from in your family.

Finally, it stops and leaves that nice, crusty scab on your face. After half an hour you think it is okay to wash it off but that just starts the fluid pumping from your face again.

I cannot remember how I got introduced to Styptic pencils but it is now one of my best friends. I have two different brands (one for home and one for travel) and they have come in very useful. The idea is that you apply the stick to the nick/cut and =amazingly= it stops bleeding moments later.

However, be warned. On freshly shaved skin or any open wound, you will... how can I put this?..... feel it working. It feels like someone has applied a hot poker to your face to cauterise your wound. The stinging goes after a very short time but sometimes, yep, it reminds you that you are alive! One YouTube reviewer explains that it "burns like the Devil". He is correct.

One brand of Stypic pencil
(coincidence but this is one of the two brands I use)

The main ingredient is Aluminium Sulphate, the stuff that is supposed to be the active ingredient in a lot of anti-perspirants. Wiki explains that "before safety razors were invented, it was a standard part of a shaving kit and was used to seal shaving cuts." Wiki continues, stating that "topical hemostatic agents have been gaining popularity for use in emergency bleeding control, especially in military medicine. They are available in two forms—as a granular powder poured on wounds, or embedded in a dressing." Boo-yah! The stuff I use on my face is used by the military for field wounds. How tough is THAT!

But seriously, if you have the occasional cut or nick, this is the stuff to try. I use it by wetting the end of the stick and then applying it directly to the cut skin for only a second or two and that's it.  For example, this morning, I sliced instead of shaved and caused a small cut. The blood flow was quickly stopped by using my stypic wonder-stick! (Post application, most people suggest rinsing and drying the stick before putting it away. That is a good idea.)

A highly recommended piece of shaving kit to have on hand, regardless of how good you are at shaving.