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Ask HN: Teach me something new

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Re: Ask HN: Teach me something new

#72

I'm going to go a bit random...get a styptic pencil! Nobody I've met even knows what they are. I came across them years ago in the shaving section, and was blown away by their utility. They are solid pieces of some saltlike material that are super effective at stopping bleeding. We don't even have bandaids in our house anymore, the pencils are way more useful.

Can the same pencil be used on more than one person? Or does that lead to infections?

Re: Ask HN: Teach me something new

#73
People have always and will always think that the time they are living in is the most important time ever. This is a self evident fallacy or a universal truth.

These times we are living in are not the most important. Or, of they are, then everyone everywhere is at everytime living at the same importance.

Now, there is something called the hinge of history that some mathematicians have looked into the chance of "well right now is most important, people in the past and future are delusional". The chances are very very low.

Think of this the next time you hear someone appeal to urgency as political motivation.

Re: Ask HN: Teach me something new

#74

I'm going to go a bit random...get a styptic pencil! Nobody I've met even knows what they are. I came across them years ago in the shaving section, and was blown away by their utility. They are solid pieces of some saltlike material that are super effective at stopping bleeding. We don't even have bandaids in our house anymore, the pencils are way more useful.

In my experience, a styptic pencil leads to fast coagulation compared to a band aid, but is more likely to leave a visible scar. My go to for small cuts is 3M Cavilon (No Sting) in a spray pump. It also comes in wipes, which are helpful in first aid kits.

Re: Ask HN: Teach me something new

#75

I'm going to go a bit random...get a styptic pencil! Nobody I've met even knows what they are. I came across them years ago in the shaving section, and was blown away by their utility. They are solid pieces of some saltlike material that are super effective at stopping bleeding. We don't even have bandaids in our house anymore, the pencils are way more useful.

Can the same pencil be used on more than one person? Or does that lead to infections?

I'm not an expert, but my family shares. They are best when wet a bit, so typically we douse the cut or wound with peroxide, then apply.

That said, they are cheap enough for everyone to have their own if that's a concern for you.

Re: Ask HN: Teach me something new

#76

I've described this on HN before; forgive me if you've already seen it. I have chronic migraine. It sounds worse than it is; I rarely suffer attacks anymore, and when I do, they're usually mostly harmless, as in the case I'll describe below. Contrary to popular belief, migraine is not a headache. It's something a little more like an epileptic seizure. Intense headaches are one common symptom, but there are a lot of o…

More than interesting. Thank you for sharing this experience. I’ve had mild scintillating scotoma a few times but didn’t know what they were, and never had any other symptoms of migraine.

Re: Ask HN: Teach me something new

#77

I'm going to go a bit random...get a styptic pencil! Nobody I've met even knows what they are. I came across them years ago in the shaving section, and was blown away by their utility. They are solid pieces of some saltlike material that are super effective at stopping bleeding. We don't even have bandaids in our house anymore, the pencils are way more useful.

We used them in the Navy!

Re: Ask HN: Teach me something new

#78
post #74

I'm going to go a bit random...get a styptic pencil! Nobody I've met even knows what they are. I came across them years ago in the shaving section, and was blown away by their utility. They are solid pieces of some saltlike material that are super effective at stopping bleeding. We don't even have bandaids in our house anymore, the pencils are way more useful.

In my experience, a styptic pencil leads to fast coagulation compared to a band aid, but is more likely to leave a visible scar. My go to for small cuts is 3M Cavilon (No Sting) in a spray pump. It also comes in wipes, which are helpful in first aid kits.

It may be size of cut. I used one once on something I definitely should have gotten stitches for(folding knife closed on my thumb, and I reactively pulled away), and it did scar.

For shaving cuts, typical knife cuts, paper cuts, etc, noticed nothing really.

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