Be it a careless stroke or an accidental tug, most of us will draw blood at some point during our shaving routine; even those with flawless technique get the occasional scratch or slice.

The real question is what should you use to stem the blood loss once it’s happened? Here’s a list of suggestions you may find helpful during your search for a practical solution…


Toilet Paper Squares

Probably the cheapest and most convenient solution is covering your minor cuts with small tabs of toilet paper. Although it won’t do anything to stop blood flow, at least it’ll help prevent any ‘oozing’ around the wound; just don’t forget to remove all the little suckers once you’ve stopped hemorrhaging – nothing’s worse than turning up to the office coated with little white tabs of tissue paper you’ve forgotten to remove.

Styptic Pencils

These utilize a special kind of stanching chemical (normally either anhydrous aluminum sulfate or titanium dioxide) which seals the blood vessels around the cut, chemically cauterizing the affected area. Not only are styptics cheap, they’re readily available in most chemists. Be warned, however, they have a tendency to sting a little at first, plus they often leave tell-tale traces of white chalky powder too.

Alum Blocks

Like styptic pencils, alum blocks contract the tissue surrounding the cut, helping to stem the bleeding. The blocks tend not to be as ‘chalky’ as the pencils, and can easily be used on a wider area due to their size; many shaver rub one all over the face as a post-shave treat to help with any minor irritation and smaller nicks.

Liquid Styptics

Don’t like the chalky texture of the styptic pen/pencil? Then you may wish to try a liquid styptic instead. These work just as effectively and can easily be applied without any pre-wetting; an all-round cleaner solution.

Shave Cut Healing Gel

It seems that this little oddity is stocked exclusively by Proraso; an effective astringent, this should help your minor abrasions heal quick smart. Readily available at most good internet shaving retailers.

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