Advertisement

The Surprisingly Effective Way to Treat a Razor Nick

Image by Thinkstock

Even the most experienced of shave connoisseurs nick their faces every now and then.

But fixing those little red cuts is easier than you think. Classic eye drops can stop the annoying bleeding in a pinch. Here’s why: the active ingredient tetrahydrozoline in eye drops constricts blood vessels, while astringent ingredients, like zinc sulfate, cause clotting. As a result, the bleeding stops. In theory, a nasal spray like Afrin yields similar results because of its active ingredient, oxymetazonne.

But before you go scrounging up your old bottle of drops, Dr Joshua Zeichner recommends applying some pressure to slow the initial bleeding. Zeichner, a dermatologist at Manhattan’s Mt. Sinai Medical Center, said pressure lets your body clot naturally. If you need to speed up the process, he suggests using a styptic pencil to promote quicker clotting.

If you want to help the healing process, apply a liquid bandage over the nicked area. This creates a physical barrier so the opening can heal and avoid infection, but you should use it only after the bleeding stops. Limit this to small cuts, too—you might need to call your doc if it’s a larger cut with more bleeding.

GALLERY: 20 rules that make a man