If the cut is large or bleeding heavily, have them lie down. If the wound is on an arm or leg, raise the limb above the heart to slow bleeding. Apply firm, but gentle pressure to the wound with a clean cloth or gauze pad. The first reason is just natures way the second reason, not so much. on your poor mug a light touch and fewer strokes will do the job just fine. Get an ice cube. If you choose a lip balm stick, though, you can scrape off any part of the chapstick that has touched your lips to remove any germs.). They basically stop the inflammatory cells from working, so when you get a scrape, there are fewer cells to clean and repair the wound, explains Martins-Green. Dab some on your nick to help the process along. DOI: Mayo Clinic Staff. There are some skills you hope you never need to use, but having them could be a matter of life and. 2. Even a tiny shaving cut is an open wound, which provides a portal for bacteria to enter your body, potentially leading to infections. The tannic acid in the tea helps halt the bleeding. Help the person to remain calm. The wound is deep or the edges are jagged or gaping open. Place clean gauze or cloth on the wound and apply direct pressure. You may have heard that airing out a wound is good for itbut thats not actually true. 5. When you cut yourself shaving, you bleed like one of the Crazy 88 gang in Kill Bill for two reasons: The large number of blood vessels near the surface of your face, and the sharpness of your razor. 2. Theres a big difference between a paper cut that doesnt stop oozing for 15 minutes versus a serious wound thats constantly pouring out a lot of blood, Dr. Fertel says. For more from Lifehacker, be sure to follow us on Instagram @lifehackerdotcom. Small Wounds If you cut yourself a little with a razor or kitchen knife, you probably won't need medical attention. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The following tips apply to relatively mild injuries. Director, Global Wound Care Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. May the Strip Be With You: 5 Questions for the Designer Behind the New Star Wars BAND-AID Brand Adhesive Bandages, J&J Fun Facts: 7 Things You May Not Know About BAND-AID Brand Adhesive Bandages, Contract & Freelance Partner Opportunities, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information, Microbiome Researcher Jeffrey Gordon Receives the 2022 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research, 2 Big Ideas to Help Lower the Risk of Maternal-Fetal Complications in BIPOC Women. When you cut yourself shaving, you bleed like crazyfor two reasons: The large number of blood vessels near the surface of your face, and the sharpness of your razor. Still, despite knowing how to shave without getting cut, accidents happen, and there are times in your life when youll need to know how to stop bleeding from shaving, too. Get your skin and hair wet to make the area soft and slick. Blood thinners save lives. Dr. Fertel says a deep cut is any wound thats gaping, jagged and looks deep, revealing fat or muscle. All products featured on GQ are independently selected by our editors. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. While extremely disinfecting, anything with alcohol will significantly parch the skin instead of promoting healing. Cleveland Clinic 1995-2023. 1 Doing so will give you a clearer sense of how deep the cut is. A gunshot wound is a medical emergency. If you have a shaving cut, splash enough cold water over your skin. After putting on clean latex gloves, apply firm pressure to the wound with a folded cloth or bandage for about 10 minutes. This process involves the removal of a small section of healthy skin elsewhere on the body to be placed over the wound to help it heal. How to Stop Bleeding if You Take Blood Thinners - WebMD We may earn a commission from links on this page. How to stop bleeding: Home remedies and preventing infection Youre left with the decision: continue to dab it with toilet paper until the bleeding stops or head to the office looking like Carrie. Nosebleeds: First aid, Mayo Clinic Staff. Rinse off all traces of shaving cream with warm water to reduce the risk of irritation. Also seek immediate medical care for a cut or wound if: If a person is bleeding profusely, be on the lookout for symptoms of shock. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. If the blood soaks through the gauze or cloth, add more gauze or another cloth and apply more pressure. This will expedite healing while continually shutting the wound off from outside threats, like bacteria. All rights reserved. To first stop the bleeding, blood cells start to cluster together to promote clotting. Run the wound under some water and gently wash the area around it with gentle soap-but try not to get soap directly in the wound, according to the Mayo Clinic. Have the person sit down and lean their head forward. When the wound stops bleeding, release the pressure. This will help prevent infection and serious illness. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Why You Bleed So Much Abdominal and chest wounds are considered an emergency, and you should call for immediate medical help. A tourniquet is another tool that stops bleeding by wrapping around an extremity (limb) to cut off blood flow from the heart. It acts like an astringent to dry out and disinfect the targeted area. Instead, pick up a, . 5 Simple Yet Effective Steps To Avoid Cutting Yourself While Shaving If ice cubes are available, rub them over the cut. Here, Bleeding gums are often a symptom of gum disease, but they can also point to other health problems. If blood soaks through the material, don't remove it. You cant always judge the seriousness of a cut or wound by the amount it bleeds. Stop Bleeding Apply direct pressure on the cut or wound with a clean cloth, tissue, or piece of gauze until bleeding stops. Your favorite deodorant/antiperspirant probably has aluminum chloride in it, which shrinks sweat glands and in turn tones down your sweating. Hint: You may be making simple mistakes that are preventing your body from healing. for two reasons: The large number of blood vessels near the surface of your face, and the sharpness of your razor. Once you know your spot is a harmless cherry angioma, you might be tempted to snip it off at home. If you put a few eye drops on the cut, youre effectively restricting the blood vessels, causing it to clot quicker. Minor cuts can usually be treated easily without a medical evaluation. Even the smallest of cuts can bleed excessively, and you should never ignore a bleeding cut, no matter its size. If the finger appears to have become infected, a prompt medical evaluation is essential. 2. If you do get a cut, dont worry all is not lost. If youre in a hurry out the door, though, then a small, surface amount of balm will suffice, so long as the cut is sealed off. "As Black Men, We Keep Things Close to the Hip": 5 Questions for a Urologist About Prostate Cancer. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Call your dentist or doctor if the bleeding doesnt stop after 1-2 hours. Next, apply firm pressure with toilet paper over the cut. Try to stay calm by breathing slowly inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Hypovolemic shock is a life-threatening condition caused by losing more than 15 percent of blood or fluids, preventing the heart from pumping enough. If the wound is deep or dirty, consider getting a tetanus shot if you haven't had one in the past five years, according to the Mayo Clinic. Maintain firm and continuous pressure until the bleeding has stopped . Then, gently wipe the excess balm away with your clean fingers. Pus (yellowish liquid) oozing out of the wound. You should also raise the injured body part above the level of the heart so the bleeding slows down and stops. Heres how to shave with a razor without cutting yourself. First, wash your hands If the cut is small, first head to the nearest sink and wash your hands to prevent spreading infection to the open wound, according to the Mayo Clinic. It may be a little harder to come by, but you can find alum blocks on Amazon and some old school barber shops. Try to rinse soap out of wound to prevent irritation. Your use of the information on this site is subject to the terms of our Legal Notice. How to Stop Bleeding from a Shaving Cut | GQ To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. Even if you can stop the bleeding, a doctor should examine a deep cut because it may need stitches or other advanced wound closure. This combo will remove dirt and bacteria that could cause an infection and potentially prolong healing, says Manuela Martins-Green, a professor of cell biology at the University of California. These could raise your risk of blood clots. There are some situations in which you shouldnt try to administer any kind of first aid at all. Just like witch hazel and eye drops, ice will also help constrict . If you put a few eye drops on the cut,. 9 Surprisingly Easy Ways To Stop A Shaving Cut From Bleeding By following these step-by-step instructions, you should be able to clean the wound, stop the bleeding, and start the healing process. Melinda Cettina, Director, Global Wound Care Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. Director, Global Wound Care Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. "Hydro Seal adheres completely across the injury to seal the wound and prevent things from going in and under.. Maintain pressure for one to two minutes or until the bleeding stops. Apply direct pressure on the cut or wound with a clean cloth, tissue, or piece of gauze until bleeding stops. Certain drugs can delay healing, such as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication that might be used for headaches or a fever. A minor cut should heal in under a week. With that in mind, heres what you should know about how to stop any of this from happening. You may have heard about alternative remedies for helping a wound stop bleeding-usually, these involve placing ingredients like paprika, bentonite clay, or coffee grounds on the cut to help the blood clot. Shave with the grain first, and then if you want a really close shave, make a single pass against the grain this will limit your strokes and your discomfort (just be warned that shaving against the grain could lead to more ingrowns if you find yourself suffering from those nasty red bumps after shaving, we recommend applying a little Rescue Serum to soothe that burn). But if you just get the occasional run-of-the-mill shaving cut, here are, six fast and easy ways to stop your shaving cut from bleeding. If the cut is small, first head to the nearest sink and wash your hands to prevent spreading infection to the open wound, according to the Mayo Clinic. Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes, Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats, Smoking Pot Every Day Linked to Heart Risks, Artificial Sweetener Linked to Heart Risks, FDA Authorizes First At-Home Test for COVID and Flu, New Book: Take Control of Your Heart Disease Risk, MINOCA: The Heart Attack You Didnt See Coming, Health News and Information, Delivered to Your Inbox, Bleeding can't be stopped after 10 minutes of firm and steady pressure. Have a Stubborn Wound That Just Won't Heal? | Johnson & Johnson The wound is a result of an animal or human bite. Get cleaned up without bumps, cuts, or ingrown hairs. Wet a cotton ball or tissue with eye drops and place it on the cut. All Rights Reserved. The cut may have affected vital organs. You can get away with shaving your own armpits and legs, but probably not your pubes. Follow these tips: Call 911 or go the emergency room right away if: National Blood Clot Alliance: Living Your Best Life While Taking Blood Thinners., Michigan Medicine: Taking Care of a Cut: For People Taking Blood Thinners., The American College of Surgeons Division of Education: Surgical Patient Education Program., Mayo Clinic: Severe bleeding: First Aid., The American Academy of Oral Medicine: Blood Thinners and Dental Care., Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality: Blood Thinner Pills: Your Guide to Using Them Safely., University Hospitals Harrington Hearth & Vascular Institute: How to Prevent Bleed While Taking Blood Thinners., University of Utah Health: ER or Not: Nosebleed.. How to Tell If You Need Medical Care, Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI, Gunshot Wound: First Aid, Recovery, and Outlook, Beat the Heat with a Cold Bath: 8 Tips for a Refreshing Dip. Leave it alone for half an hourno touching, no scrutinizing. get a cut, dont worry all is not lost. Read your antiperspirants label, and if youre in luck, dab a little deodorant on your cut using your finger and watch the magic happenwith the added benefit of having your face smell better, too. Press firmly on the part of your gums thats bleeding with a damp washcloth or tea bag. Its pretty easy to use: just keep the pencil on the cut until it stops bleeding, which usually takes a few seconds (note: it might sting a little while it works its magic). This site is governed solely by applicable U.S. laws and governmental regulations. As we have alluded to above, the key to healing shaving cuts is to stop the bleeding as quickly as possible. If you have a cut finger or are examining someone elses injury, do the following: You may need a tetanus shot if you havent had one in several years. Step-by-step first aid for a bleedingfinger, Length of time a cut on yourfingertakes to heal, What to do if you accidentally cut off the tip of yourfinger, aad.org/public/skin-hair-nails/injured-skin/minor-cuts, hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/how-wounds-heal, mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cuts/basics/art-20056711, urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=1&contentid=2978, Treating a Cut Finger Injury, and When to See a Doctor, How to Identify and Treat an Infected Cut, Do I Need Stitches? Bleeding serves a useful purpose because it helps to clean out a wound. For a small, minor wound, this attack usually wipes out most of the bacteria, but sometimes everyday activities can reintroduce more.