Styptic Pen

Have you ever nicked yourself shaving and then had to walk around the house for the next ten minutes with a scrap of toilet paper glued to your face in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding?  If so, then you may be unaware of handy toiletry item call a styptic pen (also known as a styptic pencil).  A styptic pen works by applying some type of alum, usually aluminum sulfate or titanium dioxide, to a cut.  This causes the vessels to constrict and stop the bleeding.  To use a styptic pen you simply moisten the tip of the mineral and dab the offending nick.  Styptic pens are widely available at drug stores; the one pictured above is available online at The Art of Shaving.