Styptic pencils are powders formed into a pencil shape, and they can crumble. Clean up crumbles that fall to the floor to prevent little ones from putting them into their mouths.

Liquid styptic on the other hand usually contains a few more ingredients to soothe the wound like Aloe Vera, vitamin E, and fruit oil. As a result, the aluminum sulfate is slightly diluted and most men find that liquid styptic is not quite as effective at stopping the nastier cuts. The soothing ingredients are a nice touch, but they might not be best suited if you are prone to bleeding a lot. 2. Price & Availability In 2017, Glyder’s Styptic Balm was ranked #1 by GQ, and Editor Choice at AskMen.com. Antonio Centeno from Real Men Real Style created the chart below around products that stops bleeding from shaving cuts and styptic balm ranked #1.Styptic pencils are relatively inexpensive and they all have the same application, but availability and how you fast you need it can be a factor. If you have a mom & pops drug store near you, chances are they’ll have a basic styptic pencil that will cost you about a dollar. Same with Wal-Mart. Step 1 – Wet the tip of your styptic pencil with cold water. Keep in mind that moistening the styptic pencil is a necessary for it to work properly as water is what activates the aluminum. If you are using Glyder’s Styptic Balm and your face is already wet, then you’re all set. Q. Many decades ago, Dad used a styptic pencil to stop the bleeding when he’d cut his face shaving. Later on, he used an electric razor and didn’t need the pencil. Styptic pencils have been around for centuries and are still one of the most popular methods for stopping bleeding. They are small, easy to use, and perfect for everyday emergencies. A styptic pencil is used to stop bleeding from a small cut. It is applied to the cut and then pressure is applied.

And there are other similar liquid or balm-like products as well. The Shaving Pencil For Cuts To “Write Over” Mistakes Moreno A, Domínguez P, Domínguez C, Ballabriga A. High serum aluminium levels and acute reversible encephalopathy in a 4-year-old boy with acute renal failure. Eur J Pediatr. 1991 May;150(7):513–4. Each styptic solution has been created differently to stop the bleeding from shaving cuts. The main ingredient in styptic pencils is anhydrous aluminum sulfate. It comes in different forms and not everyone uses the same formula to create their own styptic solution – a.k.a “styptic pencil”.Styptic pencils are made from crushed alum crystal. Easier to use, their small size makes them ideal for travel. Basic styptic pencils are cheap and widely available. You should be able to find them in groceries, “megamarts,” chemists/drug stores, etc. Clubman Pinaud Styptic Pencil Every styptic pencil is best used after the shave rather than right after a cut occurs. You want to complete your shave vs stopping in the middle to treat any single cut. They should never be used mid-shave because it could affect the quality of your overall shave experience. Even worse, going over a cut that has stopped bleeding could reopen the wound. You can also make your own, but just to get the ingredients alone would easily cost you more than forty dollars. 3. Ease of Use If someone has swallowed part of a styptic pencil, get help with the web POISONCONTROL ® online tool or call 1-800-222-1222 . Whether you log on or call, Poison Control expert assistance is available 24 hours a day.

Al-Ghadeer H, Al-Amry M. Corneal Thinning Induced by Self-administered Alum Substance: A Case Report and Analysis of the Active Components. Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol. 2020 Apr 29;27(1):59-61. The most important factor in choosing a styptic pencil is how well it can stop the bleeding. No surprise here. Most traditional styptic pencils have similar astringent properties, but where you’ll see the biggest difference is between traditional styptic and liquid styptic. Styptics can also be used in powder and liquid formulations. For example, alum is used to wash the bladder during certain medical conditions where there is inflammation and bleeding present. Cases of serious toxicity (including sedation, confusion, and seizure) have been reported after use of alum in these procedures, which are performed continuously over 24 hours or more, but not from topical use of styptic pencils. Safe & Sound Health Styptic Pencil helps stop bleeding from small shaving cuts. Also helpful in relief from insect bites and stings.Answering this question about styptic pencils should be easy now that we have explained the basics. But in case you didn’t catch what a styptic pencil is from the paragraphs above, a styptic pencil is basically an “old-school” product used to help stop bleeding. Its mild antiseptic properties help combat other shaving related skin problems including razor bumps, skin redness and razor burn. Most regular styptic pencils only have two ingredients: aluminum sulfate–to stop the bleeding and titanium dioxide to hold the pencil together. Nothing fancy—they’re made solely to stop blood flow, and they do a great job.