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.Īluminum is the third most common element found in the Earth's crust. For example, alum is used to wash the bladder during certain medical conditions where there is inflammation and bleeding present. Styptics can also be used in powder and liquid formulations. The user is likely to feel a stinging sensation but there is minimal absorption of aluminum into the human body. The bleeding should stop quickly, and the process can be repeated again if needed. When a cut happens, you run the pencil under water and then hold it to the cut for a few seconds. The aluminum powder compounds are formed into a short pencil shape to be kept nearby when someone is shaving. Styptic pencils work by separating proteins in the blood, causing it to clot more effectively. Through history the words "styptic," "astringent," and "alum" have all been used to describe something that tasted bitter and would make your mouth pucker. Sometimes these compounds are collectively called alum. Styptic pencils stop bleeding by hardening or coagulating the surface of a wound, just like a scab.Ī styptic pencil is often formulated with aluminum salts like aluminum sulfate, potassium aluminum sulfate, or sodium aluminum sulfate. The most common use for styptic pencils is to treat small cuts caused by shaving. We more often hear the word "astringent" used in the same way, but astringents are used to contract pores on the face, for example. The root words refer to items that cause contracting or closing up of the tissue. Styptics are products that are used to stop bleeding. The word "styptic" is not one that you hear too often today.
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