I've run across a number of people who swear that putting ground black (or cayenne) pepper on a cut is the best treatment for small wounds.

First they clean the wound thoroughly, dry it, and apply the pepper which supposedly prevent further bleeding, seals the wound, and promotes faster healing. I've seen it done and it appears to work, but I'm not convinced that there is any more to it than just applying an absorbent powder, and that many other things would have the same effect. It's also only done on small cuts, so the "miracle healing effects" may be imagined (it would look fine the next day and there would be no scar from it regardless).

I'm also not convinced that it's a particularly good idea. While as a food product it's pretty safe for us, I don't really think that it has any benefits in preventing infection or assisting in the healing process.

Does anyone here have any experience or knowledge of this which would validate or invalidate putting pepper on a cut as a sound method of treatment?

I've noticed for burns, mustard works really good. Cheap and effective, not good for cuts though.

I had a patient that came to the ER for a laceration, that had put pepper in the cut. Did it stop bleeding? yeah, but it would have anyway. What happened? we had to pull all that crap out so we could suture it shut. WITHOUT pain killers (no, I don't know why, but it wasn't fun for them).

If it's small enough to stop bleeding with pepper, you aren't going to bleed out anyway. You don't see trauma centers, ambulances, or medics in Iraq running around with pepper mills, do you?

Try salt some time… it’ll give ya a few words you can’t post here.

I think that pretty much says it all.

Kevin B.

I've used pepper to stop a leaking radiator. Worked like a charm. Pepper floats and it all ran to the leak, stopping it cold. I've never heard of it being used for wounds.

Thanks everyone! I figured that it didn't seem like a particularly good idea, but hey -- you never know.

I also learned a feindishly clever way to fix a leaky radiator.