Ok, I hope you don’t ever need to use this cayenne pepper home remedy to stop bleeding, but if you do, well, it’s a good one to know about.
This is my son Gabriel. He likes to climb trees, tinker with things, fix things, ride horses, ride his bike really fast, read Calvin and Hobbs and cook!
He was fixing his bike, spinning the wheel around really quickly and his finger got caught in the disk brake. OUCH.
He ran into the house, “Mommmmmmmmmmm!”
Blood everywhere. I couldn’t see how bad it was… Let’s go to the sink…
I ran tepid water on his finger for a minute and just let it bleed, with the room temperature water running gently on his middle finger.
Ok, it looked kind of bad, part of his finger was missing, the bleeding didn’t look like it was going to stop anytime soon and Gabriel was screaming. I needed a home remedy to stop bleeding and get him settled down if we were going to get to the ER to stitch this mess up.
Cayenne Pepper: A Home Remedy to Stop Bleeding
I had him lift his finger up and I started pouring cayenne pepper on the finger. I just kept pouring on the cayenne pepper, about ½ cup. Then the blood stopped. Presto, the bleeding stopped. Whew.
I must confess, over the years, I have helped many people with this home remedy to stop bleeding, like with simple knife cuts while cutting veggies in the kitchen, so I really trust the remedy.
However, I hadn’t ever used cayenne on this big of a wound. When I first started pouring the cayenne pepper on Gabriel’s mangled finger, I thought, “I hope this works…”
The really amazing thing about this remedy is that it also helps reduce the pain. I know. Hard to believe, but it does. So now Gabriel was sitting down, no blood, not as much pain, but it was clear that he needed stitches.
Dad held him and started telling Gabriel about when he was just about Gabriel’s age, how he broke his nose… 8 stitches later, well, this week is going to be a little different than we thought.
Cayenne Pepper Precaution
Now, the biggest precaution I want you to really hear me on is this: with all the chaos and high stress that comes with a bleeding finger, well, you just start to forget that you have cayenne pepper on your hands.
If anyone involved even slightly rubs their eyes, well, let’s just say it is very painful to have cayenne pepper in your eyes…
Make sure everyone washes their hands thoroughly and no hands in your eyes!
So Gabriel has been kind of lying around all week and is on the mend. No riding horses for a while…
There you have it. Cayenne pepper, hemostatic superstar. The spice that stops bleeding.
Cayenne pepper can stop bleeding and reduces pain, not just for minor cuts, but lacerations, which are deep cuts that have gone into the fat tissue.
I wonder if cayenne pepper would also work on a dog that was bleeding?
It would, but beware, they may try to lick it which wouldn’t be fun for your four-legged friend!
Thanks Kami, for the info on cayenne. I would have thought it would burn terribly. We always use Yarrow. But I will sur remember this for sure.
Some years ago I was working on some shrub that I wanted transplanted which also was quite close to a T-post. I came down hard on the shovel and it deflected my right “ring finger” onto the T-post and tore a gash which immediately started to gush. I instinctively grabbed it hard and at the same time instructed my young teenager to run to the cupboard and bring the cayenne (tincture and ground). I told her sister to stay with me as I lay down on the grass (feeling myself go shocky). I had just enough energy to tell my… Read more »
Thanks for sharing these stories Cheryl!
I cut across my finger nail deep with a kitchen knife , blood everywhere- It was summer time luckily I had yarrow in the garden , so I covered my whole top finer with pulp of yarrow also wrapped comfrey leaf & secured with plaster – it definitely stopped me going into shock & reduced the pain – I did this for a few days – miraculously it healed so quickly x thanks Kami I am 100% going to make sure I have a good supply of cayenne pepper to hand in my kitchen & first aid – what a… Read more »
I prefer yarrow, but I talk about cayenne in this article because most people have it in their kitchen, so it is a good one to know about
I can attest to the miraculous wonders of cayenne pepper. The most unbelievable herb (alone with Knitbone) on the planet. My husband had ALL four wisdom teeth extracted at once probably 30 plus years ago. Once we drove out of dentist parking lot he pulls out one packing at a time and I dumped a can of cayenne pepper into each hole. I did this to every socket. The bleeding instantly stopped and he was in zero pain. When he went back the following week for check up the dentist was shocked at how well every socket had healed beautifully.… Read more »
Thanks for posting but can you give your son a big hug please?! Hope he mends quickly. x
Of course, lots of hugs!
Cayenne pepper under the tongue can stop a heart attack so you can transport the person to a hospital for treatment.
Thank you for sharing so generously. I appreciate
Good to know!!!
My grandpa was a medic in wwII; my brother almost lost his leg in a farm accident, grandpa dumped cayenne in the wound, half his thigh was cut through. It stopped the bleeding and i keep cayenne pepper/powder in the first aid kit and use it for big wounds to stop bleeding
Thanks for the info. Love this stuff
I once used this remedy for a very deep – and painful kitchen mishap with a knife and my finger. The blood was pouring out of my finger and I was starting to panic when I remembered hearing about this, but all I had was an old spice jar half full of cayenne pepper…so I poured it all on the wound, and voilà; both the bleeding and the pain ceased within a few seconds. I am wondering if cayenne is also antibacterial as that wound healed much faster than expected.
Thanks so much for that remedy. I never heard of cayenne pepper to stop bleeding. I hope I will remember that for future reference.
Oh my! Had I known this 7 years ago when my fingers got cut on a glass punchbowl that broke in my hand while I was drying it… It bleed so much that the nurses had a really hard time getting the bandaging on. I never would have gone to the hospital at all if it hadn’t refused to stop bleeding (and if I had had three hands instead of only two with one injured), Thanks for this very useful information!
But definitely no cayenne in the nose either… haha, ouch! There, yarrow is the perfect helper!
Did they have to wash off the cayenne to stitch the wound?
Yes, they cleaned the wound like they would any wound.
First of all….thank you for the tip for stopping bleeding!
secondly….he has grown sooooo much since I saw him last in the canyon! Yes, it’s me, Tina lol! Getting my apothecary garden going for sure this past year….looking forward to reading your blog more so ! Hope your and yours are doing well!
Hi Kami:
Thank you for this tip I had forgotten about it! I use yarrow fresh or dried–I was weeding in the garden and cut my hand on a piece of wire lots of blood so I grabbed a few pieces of fresh yarrow pressing it into cut—it stopped bleeding almost immediately and heal quickly leaving now scarring at! We need to rely more on Natures natural herbs for healing instead of reaching into our med cabinets (just suggesting). Thank you again for another great informative post Kami.
Yvonne
I have always used black pepper to stop bleeding so good to know about Cayenne
Been using cayenne for bleeding for 30 years, and yes it reduces eliminates most of the pain. Given orally it will also stop the injured from going into shock, their eyes will actually roll back to where they belong. No stitches required, even for arterial bleeding, within 3 days new skin will form. The skin grows so fast the scar will still have pepper in it for a while. About time someone got the word out – good job.
My family has used coffee grounds to stop bleeding which worked wonders for my sister. She probably would have needed butterfly stitches otherwise.
I make a cayenne & black pepper & ginger pain relieving muscle rub and it works great!
Years ago my husbands best friend was showing how he could throw a knife and stick it in a tree. Well he threw it and laid his hand open. We covered it in corn meal to stop the bleeding
I see quite a few people commenting on the pain the cayenne causes, and the use of yarrow and spider webs. What info does anyone have about tumeric, i have read this works in the same way without the pain.
Yes, turmeric also works well to stop bleeding, but without the initial stinging of cayenne. Also helps to speed up healing. Good for the skin when used externally, and to reduce inflammation when used internally for things like sore muscles. Be aware that it does stain clothes etc.
I have used cayenne pepper on myself many times for kitchen cuts. It works beautifully. I have wondered if it would work on more serious cuts, like really deep cuts. I’d say missing a chunk of a finger is pretty serious! Glad to know this home remedy works on deep cuts as well!
Thanks Kami! I have used cayenne and yarrow for small cuts and it works great. If I cut myself outside, I just grab a yarrow leaf stem and wrap it around the cut. Comfrey leaf works too.
I also use cayenne oil externally for arthritis pain.
Good info about the NSAIDS.
Good info for arthritis too….. I have arthritis all over and osteoarthritis; in many areas…. of course, I AM going on 80 yrs; still enjoying gardening 🙂 I’m glad you mentioned the oil. I’m thinking that I’ll try Yarrow oil (if I can find it). And, I definitely will be planting Yarrow in my garden. Tks to all here. Blessings 🙂
I will put a little tin of cayenne pepper in my first aid kit along with the dried yarrow I have in there. It is great to have both natural styptics on hand. Thanks, Kami! I didn’t know about the cayenne being a styptic.
Yarrow is excellent and it doesn’t sting, but many people don’t have yarrow on hand, so this is a spice rack remedy with something that most people already have.
How would you apply yarrow Kami? Does it need to be fresh, or is it something I can maybe dry, powder and store?
You can powder and store yarrow for about a year.
Yes I have used this quick remedy many times for severe bleeding. It works wonderfully. I keep a large container of it handy. I have one in kitchen and in bathroom first aid kit.
I keep in my car too, u never know .
I had read about this treatment before but was a bit skeptical, however, managed to slice my thumb open a few days ago and thought, well might as well try it. Didn’t have cayenne but took some Thai chili powder (I’d made from my own chilis) and it worked like magic. No stinging which I’d kind of expected, bleeding stopped almost immediately and healed up really well.
Speedy recovery to Gabriel, and good to know it works on more serious injuries too.
Thank you for sharing! I have heard of cayenne being used this way. Have you ever tried Yarrow for the same purpose? I understand it can be used to stop bleeding, pain, and is also antibacterial. I haven’t encountered an accident that required this type of first aid, yet, so haven’t been able to test it. 🙂
Yarrow is excellent and it doesn’t sting, but many people don’t have yarrow on hand, so this is a spice rack remedy with something that most people already have. AND… hopefully you won’t need to test it!
I have both yarrow and cayenne in my house. I am so glad I have both options open to me. If one doesn’t do it all the other one will. Thanks for reminding me about the cayenne.
My husband cut his thumb one time really badly and did need stitches but refused to go to the ER. So, I did what I could! I cleaned it really well, used cayenne to stop the bleeding, then I used tea tree oil and kept it bandaged. The only time the bandage came off was to check it and make sure there was no infection and to reapply the tea tree oil and bandaging. He never even had a scar!!
Absolutely! Cayenne Pepper has always worked for me. I think my great grandmother told me about it stopping bleeding.
Great information. I had no idea. Thank you.
I used cayenne several time on wounds. With deeper wounds it can sting, but just for a short time. Always have it at hand!
I also have a “grown up” Gabriel, so your story hit me right in my heart ❤️ I’ve just recently made a pain salve using cayenne powder and although I knew it to be helpful for muscle aches and pains, I’m not sure I’ve ever heard about using it to stop bleeding! Great to know, thanks for sharing! And Mr. Gabriel is one tough young man…that kind of injury would make anyone scream!
Wow Kami – thank you for this information. Now if I can just keep it in my mind if an emergency comes up……… In a panic I can sometimes forget what is needed. Ty again.
Wow – very interesting – I did not know this remedy.
I’ve used cayenne many times to stop bleeding. I have also used turmeric, when I couldn’t find cayenne, and it works good, too, though not quite as well.
I used cayenne pepper once when I had a nasty finger cut but I had an opposite reaction; it burned like heck, although it did stop the bleeding.
Yep, that happens for some people. It is amazing how many different experiences there are with the cayenne!
Some people feel nothing at all, some people it hurts, some people it hurts for a little bit and then stops hurting… it always stops the bleeding….
Have you heard of black pepper working the same way? It may not sting as much cayenne for those who are sensitive.
No, i dont use black pepper this way. Use yarrow instead
I have read people using yarrow fresh. Can you use yarrow for bleeding in a dried form?
Yes, dried and powdered yarrow flowers can be used.
Loved reading this! I learned this trick from a botanical medicine course I’m taking. Last week on Christmas morning I’m chopping veggies and my knife slips and sliced a small bit off the top of my thumb. I had no idea how bad it was due to all the blood. I did the same as you by running water over it and then it hit me, Cayenne! It worked wonderfully! Thanks for posting this and getting the word out.
Thank you for this remedy, Kami. About a month ago I sliced my finger really well while cutting veggies. Water and Pressure worked really well to stop the bleeding. Because I had just sharpened the knife it was a clean, deep cut. Now u know cayenne can be a good first aid strategy.
Have you ever used yarrow? I have used it orally in the past to stop severe menstruales bleeding.
Now that I am reading further along I see someone else has used yarrow topically with success. Good to know!
I dropped an 8” kitchen knife on my lower thumb knuckle and it was a deep cut, probably worthy of a couple stitches. Bled a lot and wasn’t stopping with pressure. I had a yarrow tincture macerating for about 3 weeks and spooned some onto a piece of cotton. Stopped the bleeding almost immediately! I used it every time I changed the bandage and the would closed up in a week. Had no idea about cayenne though!! Hope I won’t need it any time soon but good to learn this today!
Ouch! Glad you healed quickly
Yes you absolutely can use yarrow. For some people, cayenne feels painful, for others it doesn’t.
I talk about using cayenne because many people have it available in their kitchen. Many people do not have yarrow on hand. My husband worked as a sous chef and he said everyone in the kitchen knew about using cayenne….
Thank you so much for sharing….this is really unique but effective product.
I cut myself today movie doors at work for the auction department. My finger was heavily bleeding. After few minutes of pressure and the bleeding did not stop, i’ve added the cayenne pepper to the wound. What a miracle herb cayenne pepper is. The bleeding stopped after few seconds. I do however have to confess that a lot of articles that i’ve read all stated that the cayenne pepper does not burn or sting and that it actually stops the pain. Bad news for you folks, upon adding cayenne pepper, it actually burns, and not just a little. I am… Read more »
HI Sergi,
I know some people say that this remedy is not painful at all and some say it is very painful!
If you don’t want to find out for yourself, you can also use dried yarrow powder!
I’ve used cayenne for a long time to stop bleeding on my kids, my animals, and myself. It stung briefly when I used it on myself, but always stopped the bleeding.
Yes, I understand how it feels! Just a while back I sliced my thumb. It was a deep cut that requires at least two to three stiches and it bled a lot. However, cayenne pepper was on board and stopped the bleeding. How blessed we are to have these seasonings and/or botanical plants in our homes for emergency cases. I am so glad he is better!
Cayenne worked on my dog’s too short dewclaw when the blood stop powder for that purpose did not.
Hi. Thank you for sharing this. My son was helping me in the kitchen and he sliced the end of his finger off. I had just finished a course that gave the same advice as yourself and I poured it onto his finger. Immediately he said the pain increased 10 fold. He couldn’t bear it and had to wash it off. I was so disappointed and thought I must have got it wrong. Maybe I didn’t put enough on. Do you have any suggestions? His finger has healed really well now. I love your site and learn so much. Thank… Read more »
Hi Donna, if you’ll notice on this page, there are lots of different responses to the cayenne.
For some people it hurts
For some people it hurts a little at the beginning
Some people report no pain, including me.
You can also use yarrow powder, since now you know this isn’t the right remedy for your son
I used it on myself. Bleeding stops but it burned like hell! I washed it off. Maybe some people are more sensitive than others?
Amazing! I have never heard of this. Thanks so much for sharing. I am sure a cayenne covered finger was something new for the ER staff 😉
Yes it was!
I have used this on humans and goats. A really old time remedy if cayenne is not available are spider webs. It does the same thing.
Wow!