Glyder’s Styptic Balm still in the mail? Tough. It can be a panicky few minutes when you’ve got the blood flowing and nothing around to seal or heal. In the world of blood, the name of the game is constriction. In case of a nick, reach for one of these household items that will help constrict blood vessels and slow the bleeding.
Ice: This is a handy one if you’re having a hard time with not only the bleeding, but the pain of a cut as well. Here, ice does the job that ice always does: constrict and numb. Constrict for the blood vessels and numb for the nerves.
Apple or White Vinegar: You’ve probably heard of astringents – they’re usually usually used as an antiseptic in the kitchen, or as a toner on the face. Apple and white vinegar are astringents themselves, and when applied to a cut on your face, will help to constrict the blood vessels on your face and may also assist in the clotting process. As you might imagine, it stings. All part of the fun.
Black Pepper: If you’re really up for testing your morning pain thresholds, try sprinkling black pepper on your cleaned cut. For all of the same scientific reasons, the bleeding should slowly stop. Involuntary tears may not.
- Turmeric: While you’re rummaging around in your spice cabinet like a bleeding weirdo, you might consider shaking some turmeric on your fresh cut. Turmeric actually has properties that may help fight infection and clot the wound. Only downside, aside from staining your bathroom for life, is that you may need to apply multiple times for this to work.
- Salt and Water: Turns out there’s some truth to the old “salt in the wound” turn of phrase. Not dissimilar to some of the options listed above, this one is going to sting a little, but it packs the one-two punch of disinfecting and clotting. This one is also pretty handy if you manage to cut yourself inside your mouth (we don’t want to know).
While all of these options are handy to have (especially if you’re keeping a well-stocked spice cabinet), we still recommend keeping our Styptic Balm on hand for a mess-free way to stop the bleeding from your nicks and cuts.
