Help Safe way to SH?

[https]

I've tried to SH in the past, but the cuts were so shallow that I feel ashamed to even call it an attempt.

I would like to know how I can do it safely enough not to hesitate.

Also, how do I handle the bleeding? In my past experiences, things got messy fast and I ended up with a large stain on my clothes while I was in middle of college.

Any suggestions? I'm open to other methods.

Sorry if my grammar isn't the best.

 

[Holu]

I use to cut my chest and stomach. Almost always in the shower and mostly shallow cuts. I did it when I was younger, and it was the only way to not really cause suspicion aside from the like 40 minute shower. Only small downside was every box cutter I was using would end up rusty as shit and I'd have to hide it to avoid suspicion. Idk if it's because of the blood or the water but that was one downside.

It also hurts like hell to apply soap, but I usually would clean my wounds in the shower anyways since after I used liquid bandaid to seal the wounds… which stings even more than the soap. Although sometimes I just used normal bandaids if it was a shallow and small cut, since it really does hurt. You can also just rub neosporin on the wound and leave it uncovered if you are really lazy lol.

If you are in a dorm at college I guess you can't really do this. Could try to just get a towel to put under your arm assuming you cut your arm. But no matter what it's going to be messy :(.

 

[https]

I see. I don't really have trouble with dorms at college, because it works a bit differently in my country.

I used a box cutter in my previous attempts, but struggle to make deep cuts with it.

I'm so paranoic about someone finding out that I don't even use bandaids. I seal the wounds using paper and tape. I really want to find a way to hide it better though.

 

[Holu]

I see. I don't really have trouble with dorms at college, because it works a bit differently in my country.

I used a box cutter in my previous attempts, but struggle to make deep cuts with it.

I'm so paranoic about someone finding out that I don't even use bandaids. I seal the wounds using paper and tape. I really want to find a way to hide it better though.

Liquid bandaids work stupidly well. Downside is they hurt like absolute hell. But they dry fast, stop infections, and don't really rub off easily.

 

[EtherealCicada]

When you say [...feel ashamed to even call this an attempt], it makes me curious of the intent. Is the cutting a current attempt on your life, or something else, such as seeking relief, self punishment, trying to get scars, etc? You don't have to tell me per say, but it's probably good to reflect at some point (ideally before or during, after is okay tho) the potential reasons/feelings/other for a SH session. Cutting is largely known to be an insufficient and unreliable suicide method, despite popularity or media presence.

There are always inherit risks that come with all forms of SH. Please sanitize your blades before/after (I use rubbing alcohol, soap is fine too; just be careful of your hands/fingers while washing if you choose the latter route. That's an inconvenient and unsatisfying spot to be injured in the near future. Make sure blades are dry from blood and water especially afterwards/when storing, lest they rust and become useless or make you unnecessarily sick.)

Blood is pretty much an always when cutting. I usually lock my door and remove whatever piece of clothing blocking the area I want to cut because bloodstains are a bitch... And take a stash of clean disposable paper towel or TP with me to keep the area I'm working with visible and catch drops before they get on anything undesirable. I don't recommend a reusable rag, as it will stain and you'll need to wash it; if you live around others, they'll question it. I hide the bloody paper in the trash once I'm done. Put pressure on the cuts with your hand or paper when you're ready to help stop the bleeding (this won't work right away). How/if you want to bandage it is up to you and the size/nature/location of the cut. Rinse the area with clean water, maybe soap when you're done (NOT rubbing alcohol, this kills cells and halts healing)

I also personally try to cut in places where it will be concealed by clothing in day to day life; my main spot is on my shoulders and my upper thighs. This works for the most part, but nurses see my shoulder scars when taking my blood pressure. They haven't been questioned, as they are relatively healed currently and my mental illnesses are known by my doctors, but deep cutting will leave evidence on your body for others to find, whether you're still alive or on the autopsy table. Every action has an equal output, as they say.

I also personally find a bit of joy in observing and 'nursing' my cuts while they're healing into scars. It's kind of important, too. You want to make sure they're properly closing and not emitting any pus or anything like that (antibiotic cream/neosporin if they are).

I have trouble not cutting as deeply as I want, as well. My scars are light. I have someone irl to compare them to, who has many more and much deeper SH scars. This is a horrible thing for my brain to do and feels unfair to them as well. But a part of me is jealous, I think. I want my body to show off how fucked up, scarred and disgusting my brain is. I think the brain is too complex in comparison for my body to be a proper canvas for that, though. The fact that we are going down the path of self harm, attempting it or even thinking of it in the first place, I believe is telling in spite of (but also accompanying of) the result on the body, severe or minor. Something is wrong, and we are hurting. I wish you luck and relief, though ideally through a different outlet than SH.

...Sorry if word vom. Hope something in this passage was useful.

 

[Forveleth]

The amazing Dot has put together this great guide with links to resources on first aid and how to harm safely

Self Harm Resources

This post is written by @Dot, I am just the messenger Self Harm It's known that there are many users on the forum who self harm for different reasons. This thread is focused mostly on habitual or impulsive/physical self harm. This thread has not been made for any glorification of self harm...

sanctioned-suicide.net

 

[https]

When you say [...feel ashamed to even call this an attempt], it makes me curious of the intent. Is the cutting a current attempt on your life, or something else, such as seeking relief, self punishment, trying to get scars, etc? You don't have to tell me per say, but it's probably good to reflect at some point (ideally before or during, after is okay tho) the potential reasons/feelings/other for a SH session. Cutting is largely known to be an insufficient and unreliable suicide method, despite popularity or media presence.

There are always inherit risks that come with all forms of SH. Please sanitize your blades before/after (I use rubbing alcohol, soap is fine too; just be careful of your hands/fingers while washing if you choose the latter route. That's an inconvenient and unsatisfying spot to be injured in the near future. Make sure blades are dry from blood and water especially afterwards/when storing, lest they rust and become useless or make you unnecessarily sick.)

Blood is pretty much an always when cutting. I usually lock my door and remove whatever piece of clothing blocking the area I want to cut because bloodstains are a bitch... And take a stash of clean disposable paper towel or TP with me to keep the area I'm working with visible and catch drops before they get on anything undesirable. I don't recommend a reusable rag, as it will stain and you'll need to wash it; if you live around others, they'll question it. I hide the bloody paper in the trash once I'm done. Put pressure on the cuts with your hand or paper when you're ready to help stop the bleeding (this won't work right away). How/if you want to bandage it is up to you and the size/nature/location of the cut. Rinse the area with clean water, maybe soap when you're done (NOT rubbing alcohol, this kills cells and halts healing)

I also personally try to cut in places where it will be concealed by clothing in day to day life; my main spot is on my shoulders and my upper thighs. This works for the most part, but nurses see my shoulder scars when taking my blood pressure. They haven't been questioned, as they are relatively healed currently and my mental illnesses are known by my doctors, but deep cutting will leave evidence on your body for others to find, whether you're still alive or on the autopsy table. Every action has an equal output, as they say.

I also personally find a bit of joy in observing and 'nursing' my cuts while they're healing into scars. It's kind of important, too. You want to make sure they're properly closing and not emitting any pus or anything like that (antibiotic cream/neosporin if they are).

I have trouble not cutting as deeply as I want, as well. My scars are light. I have someone irl to compare them to, who has many more and much deeper SH scars. This is a horrible thing for my brain to do and feels unfair to them as well. But a part of me is jealous, I think. I want my body to show off how fucked up, scarred and disgusting my brain is. I think the brain is too complex in comparison for my body to be a proper canvas for that, though. The fact that we are going down the path of self harm, attempting it or even thinking of it in the first place, I believe is telling in spite of (but also accompanying of) the result on the body, severe or minor. Something is wrong, and we are hurting. I wish you luck and relief, though ideally through a different outlet than SH.

...Sorry if word vom. Hope something in this passage was useful.

Sorry if it ended up confusing, when I called it an "attempt", I meant on SH itself. The reason behind it is something I can't really properly put into words. I guess it depends on the session, but most of the time it's to seek relief or as a form of self punishment.

I appreciate that you took your time to explain this much in detail. It really helps! I never had put much thought into taking care of the wounds before. I guess I didn't really know how to seek help in this without making it suspicious.

I relate a lot to what you said about unfairness and jealousy. Though, the thing is, I can't really SH as often as I would like to. Not really by choice, I've to be extra careful choosing when and where to do it, else I could easily get caught.

Nobody around me knows about it, and that's how I want it. The one person I once opened up to abandoned me afterward.

I've tried different outlets, but the one I ended up relying on became an addiction I wish I could get rid of.

Anyway, I hope you, too, can find a way out of this. Thank you.

 

[gunmetalblue11]

I would just like to add a simple word of precaution, cutting on the biceps is a risk, especially the under part of inner side, and especially if you plan to cut deep.
From extensive use of SH in that area, and stabbing myself but that's irrelevant, I've developed nerve damage. I have lost complete sensation in my left pinky, loss of sensation in most of my hand and partial mobility loss in my ring finger of the same hand. With chronic nerve pain that is very unpleasant on a daily basis.

Also, if you are on a budget, and maybe not the best idea but, I used to use Betadine to sterilise the area I would SH on beforehand. Minimises risks of inflection, along with obvious clean blades of whatever will be used.

Be safe. And I'm sorry you have come to such actions.

 

[orpheus_]

- If you're able to buy any medical supplies, I recommend steri-strips (or any other brand name - the kind of sticked-on strips for closing wounds). They work quite well as a substitute of stitches, if you go.. well, too far. Saved me from a hospital visit a few times. They can also be used on more shallow wounds to prevent them from opening (and bleeding more).

- If you cut very deep and reach a layer of something that looks like yellow bubbles - that means you reached fat. Be EXTRA careful with that wound because it can get infected even more easily. Technically those wounds should be stitched but.. well, I suppose you don't want to tell anyone so at least use wound-closing strips.

- Also get band aids, even to prevent staining clothes. However. I still encourage you to keep your wounds clean and disinfect them with an antiseptic because infections are shit, even if you're suicidal and don't care about your health.

- Clean the things you cut with before and after every use. Preferrably with alcohol to disinfect them, but if you don't have it- at least use soap and water.

- Learn basic anatomy (search up human blood circulatory system, with extra detail in places where you usually cut) and keep away from large veins, and ESPECIALLY from the arteries. Cutting them will make you loose A LOT of blood.

- be very careful with blades you haven't used before. I once did the mistake of impulsively cutting with a box cutter I never used for self.harming and the blade was so sharp that it immediately made an extremely deep wound, even though I did not intend it. So make sure not to go very strong with things that are "new" or preferrably test them on something like paper.


Please be careful and take care of yourself. I'm glad you're looking for ways to make sh relatively safe and I hope this can help you!

 

[https]

I would just like to add a simple word of precaution, cutting on the biceps is a risk, especially the under part of inner side, and especially if you plan to cut deep.
From extensive use of SH in that area, and stabbing myself but that's irrelevant, I've developed nerve damage. I have lost complete sensation in my left pinky, loss of sensation in most of my hand and partial mobility loss in my ring finger of the same hand. With chronic nerve pain that is very unpleasant on a daily basis.

Also, if you are on a budget, and maybe not the best idea but, I used to use Betadine to sterilise the area I would SH on beforehand. Minimises risks of inflection, along with obvious clean blades of whatever will be used.

Be safe. And I'm sorry you have come to such actions.

Ah, I see. I will keep it in mind in case I choose to SH in that area some day.

Thank you for the tips, and I'm sorry you had to experience such thing in order to share it.