Help What is the proper way to cut?

[NeoN0va]

Hey guys, im a guy who's really scared of selfharm, but ever since my close friend told me about her story, i just felt like i need to do it to show her that she's not alone in that pain she must have felt back then. The place im looking forward to cut is at the ankles, but my question is: what is the proper way of cutting without cutting a vein and just overall risking it to be a very bleedy situation. The only sharp things i have access to are a pack of safety razors that i use for shaving, a razor from a pencil sharpener, and a kitchen knife. I believe that the safety razors will be the best option since they are very sharp? but how do i actually cut myself? do i just have to press the edge of the razor to my skin to cut it, or do i have to slice it? as i said, it'd be best not to cut any veins so that it doesnt get too bleedy, or else i'd probably pass out. Looking forward to some pieces of advice!

 

[Dot]

Slf wld nevr recmmnd slf hrm t/ n.e1 bt pls d/ nt slf hrm fr thse reasns espclly

Thre r othr wys 2 spport ur frnd

 

[lonergirl_26]

Don't do it! I repeat don't do it!
Once you start it will be difficult to stop.
No offence but it's stupid to cut yourself in "support" it will probably make things worse you can support her in other ways
Don't do it

 

[NeoN0va]

Don't do it! I repeat don't do it!
Once you start it will be difficult to stop.
No offence but it's stupid to cut yourself in "support" it will probably make things worse you can support her in other ways
Don't do it

Don't worry, it will be a one time act only. I never found cutting a good way of dealing with problems, not to mention that my mental health is pretty alright i'd say. I've never cut myself before and am not planning to do it consistently only because of how painful it seems. Whenever I tried to do it i'd freeze in fear and could not proceed to do it. It always ended at the moment i wanted to put the razor near the place i wanted to cut, so im not really worried about myself falling in addiction with cutting myself or selfharming as in general

 

[EmptyBottle]

Don't worry, it will be a one time act only. I never found cutting a good way of dealing with problems, not to mention that my mental health is pretty alright i'd say. I've never cut myself before and am not planning to do it consistently only because of how painful it seems. Whenever I tried to do it i'd freeze in fear and could not proceed to do it. It always ended at the moment i wanted to put the razor near the place i wanted to cut, so im not really worried about myself falling in addiction with cutting myself or selfharming as in general

Even if one time, that isn't a healthy way of showing support. It may actually encourage her to SH more, increasing risks for her. Talking and listening is a better way of showing support.

 

[mariannelle]

my mother did this when i revealed that i had done sh. it really made me upset because i love my mom and i would hate to cause her pain.

a lot of things do not need solidarity. I stressed over my mom's mental health more and more which made me sh more; i didn't feel more connected to my mom after her show of support, and I didn't feel any better. It is immensely stressful to learn that someone you like is actively harming themselves. i do not think you should add more stress to your friend's life plate.

there is a lot of ways to comfort and show support for people-- please, please try something else. this is a good way to fuel her problem, and a good way to lose a friend.
then again, I don't know anything about your guys' relationship. Listen to all advice and try and make the right call. i love you.

glory glory. -mari

 

[nonameno5]

im definitely not the person to be giving advice im still new to sh and dont go past what i deem cat scratches, however all i have access to for sh is a old eyebrow razor, exacto knife, and shitty lighter so those are the things i use. for the razor and knife i just slide it across my skin, usually pretty quickly. it doesnt go deep, like i said, cat scratches, but it still bleeds and you can feel the sting for a while after. with the lighter i either just put the flame near my skin or i heat a bobby pin and press that against my ankle. if you ever find out HOW to go deeper with cutting please let me know, im still not even sure how to go about it.

however im going to WARN you, once you start its so hard to stop. itll only worsen even in small amounts. i never intended to self harm, for a long time all it was was scratching my arms with nails or objects or occasional paper cuts but then i started using blades and lighters. my biggest fear was and still is scarring and even with my baby cuts you can still see faint scars if you look close enough— luckily im the only one who can notice for now.

self harm is a trap. it will never make you feel fufilled or valid enough. there will always always always be a person whos harmed themselves worse than you and it will never be enough. be careful and please find other coping mechanisms. you do not need to connect with your friend in this way, please. i dont doubt for a second that they wouldnt want you to sh as a way to be closer with them

Don't worry, it will be a one time act only. I never found cutting a good way of dealing with problems, not to mention that my mental health is pretty alright i'd say. I've never cut myself before and am not planning to do it consistently only because of how painful it seems. Whenever I tried to do it i'd freeze in fear and could not proceed to do it. It always ended at the moment i wanted to put the razor near the place i wanted to cut, so im not really worried about myself falling in addiction with cutting myself or selfharming as in general

this is how is starts dear. this is exactly how it started for me. started as a one off and being terrified of even being around any sharp object to needing to sh in some form on a daily basis. eventually anything and everything will become a trigger and youll start to get so paranoid and uncomfortable living around people in fear of how theyd react. atleast in my experience, and im sure most others

 

[CutToRelease]

I self harm a lot and don't really have any one who supports me but I will say this the ankle is probably a bad spot to cut lots of important stuff there and the skin is thin so not much in the way. Upper arm is my go to spot not the shoulder but just below that area and above the elbow. Skins thick not many veins near the surface to cut through. Best of luck don't die. Clean your wounds once they stop bleeding.

 

[Forveleth]

Slf wld nevr recmmnd slf hrm t/ n.e1 bt pls d/ nt slf hrm fr thse reasns espclly

Thre r othr wys 2 spport ur frnd

Quoting this because I feel the same. If you want to be supportive of someone's mental health, taking up their bad habits is the worst way to do it.

 

[NeoN0va]

I self harm a lot and don't really have any one who supports me but I will say this the ankle is probably a bad spot to cut lots of important stuff there and the skin is thin so not much in the way. Upper arm is my go to spot not the shoulder but just below that area and above the elbow. Skins thick not many veins near the surface to cut through. Best of luck don't die. Clean your wounds once they stop bleeding.

I was thinking of the ankles because that's where she did it, only because of that. but just the view of how many blood vessels i have there is scaring me as fuck.

 

[nonameno5]

I self harm a lot and don't really have any one who supports me but I will say this the ankle is probably a bad spot to cut lots of important stuff there and the skin is thin so not much in the way. Upper arm is my go to spot not the shoulder but just below that area and above the elbow. Skins thick not many veins near the surface to cut through. Best of luck don't die. Clean your wounds once they stop bleeding.

is burning your ankle fine? im guessing it is since its not cutting but just wanna make sure.

 

[gottacheckout]

I'm assuming that you are only burning until it blisters, hopefully not until tissue death. In that case burning your ankle shouldn't give long term issues. I was never much of a cutter but did burn. My method was to heat up a coin with a torch, red hot for thick body parts but not for thin skin like found on the ankle.

If you ever need someone to listen to you I'm available.

 

[CutToRelease]

is burning your ankle fine? im guessing it is since its not cutting but just wanna make sure.

I agree with gottacheckout depends on the intensity of the burn and how big the damage is. But for small aras of damage think the size of a nickel as long as u keep the area clean there should be no problems. But be aware I am a super heavy cutter I only tried burning every now and again hottest thing I used was a warmed up glue gun on my arm witch left a very dark scar. So my advice on burnning is not nearly as informed

 

[PaperStar]

Please don't do this! To me this sounds like a really bad way to show your support for her. If a friend of mine knew about my self-harm and cut themself to show support it'd make me feel awful.

Plus it's really hard to stop self-harm once you start. It's really scary, I've seen the way it can escalate really fast (I've met people whose cuts look like cat scratches and then a few months later end up with cuts to extremely deep fat). Your ankle also isn't a good spot since skin is much thinner there.

If you end up going through with it, don't press too hard on the blade or swipe really fast. Those are things I and other people do to try and go deeper, and obviously that's not a good thing. Blades can sometimes be a lot sharper than they look, ESPECIALLY razor blades for shaving. Be extremely careful if you end up using those since putting too much pressure could end up in you having a deeper cut than you wanted. Also, with the swiping fast thing, I understand that might be easier because doing it slow can hurt a lot. But, swiping fast gives you less control and in my experience you're more likely to cut deeper. Please make sure to properly take care of the cuts if you end up doing it too.

Again, best case scenario is you don't end up cutting yourself. Stay safe

 

[NeoN0va]

Please don't do this! To me this sounds like a really bad way to show your support for her. If a friend of mine knew about my self-harm and cut themself to show support it'd make me feel awful.

Plus it's really hard to stop self-harm once you start. It's really scary, I've seen the way it can escalate really fast (I've met people whose cuts look like cat scratches and then a few months later end up with cuts to extremely deep fat). Your ankle also isn't a good spot since skin is much thinner there.

If you end up going through with it, don't press too hard on the blade or swipe really fast. Those are things I and other people do to try and go deeper, and obviously that's not a good thing. Blades can sometimes be a lot sharper than they look, ESPECIALLY razor blades for shaving. Be extremely careful if you end up using those since putting too much pressure could end up in you having a deeper cut than you wanted. Also, with the swiping fast thing, I understand that might be easier because doing it slow can hurt a lot. But, swiping fast gives you less control and in my experience you're more likely to cut deeper. Please make sure to properly take care of the cuts if you end up doing it too.

Again, best case scenario is you don't end up cutting yourself. Stay safe

Im about to try to do it for the first time. Yesterday i tried, but pressing against my skin was all I could do, too scared to slide it on my arm. Ill try doing it on a thigh today. if I wont be able to cut, ill try closing my eyes. im scared as fuck. but i need to do it.
i cant do it no matter what i cant do it no matter what im exhausted i need ro take a swhoer im tied

 

[EvisceratedJester]

Please don't do it. As somebody who self-harms, if someone were to SH to show me their solidarity it would probably just make me feel horrible rather than not alone. There are cases where people try SHing out of curiosity only for it to end up turning into an addiction for them. Just don't do it.

 

[Dot]

Im about to try to do it for the first time. Yesterday i tried, but pressing against my skin was all I could do, too scared to slide it on my arm. Ill try doing it on a thigh today. if I wont be able to cut, ill try closing my eyes. im scared as fuck. but i need to do it.
i cant do it no matter what i cant do it no matter what im exhausted i need ro take a swhoer im tied

Spportng a frnd = helpng t/ rais thm up - nt t/ slf-sabtge

 

[shroomia]

Have you talked to your friend on how to best support her? Ofc I don't know her but I personally cut as well and it would make me feel really bad to know someone else is cutting themselves because of me.

 

[NeoN0va]

We've had an argue not so long ago. We decided that it's best for me to give her a break from telling her about all of my problems. she said that its too much for her to handle alone, and that i should give her a bit of time to recharge her battery. i was also feeling really really down these past 2 weeks. ive cut on my thigh, but nothing too serious, they're all cat scratches. most of the cuts are starting to fade, im clean for 4 or 5 days i think. i didnt tell her about my cutting, because i understood thats not the way to support her, and instead i give her support through hugs, listening to her problems and trying to be there for her whenever she needs me.

 

[Cauliflour]

I think there's a big artery at the ankles so maybe think somewhere else.

Y'know how one scans a debit card with the swipey swipey movement? Like that, multiple times, in the same spot. I also like to stretch the skin out to get the blood out easier (idk if that actually does anything though). Although I feel like this is something that takes practice and also if you're only doing it out of support for someone else, please don't. Self harm is a touchy subject for those who do it and going "look! i feel your pain too!" really isn't gonna help. Probably make you look pretentious actually. Also cutting makes dopamine release which can lead you down an addiction so don't bother if you actually don't want to.

 

[NeoN0va]

Ive returned to SH 2 days ago. For some reason i dont really fear it anymore, like all of my cuts are now into the dermis layer, while when i started they were all cat scratches and i couldnt get any further.

How do you guys cover such cuts? Do you just let them be free under the clothes, or do you sanitize them and keep them under some gauze or something? Since I dont really want my pants to have blood on them. let me know.

 

[Anura]

Ive returned to SH 2 days ago. For some reason i dont really fear it anymore, like all of my cuts are now into the dermis layer, while when i started they were all cat scratches and i couldnt get any further.

How do you guys cover such cuts? Do you just let them be free under the clothes, or do you sanitize them and keep them under some gauze or something? Since I dont really want my pants to have blood on them. let me know.

For deeper/bleeding cuts I usually clean with antiseptic and put a band-aid over them so my clothes cont get dirty. As soon as they close up, though, I just let them heal on their own (if I don't make them worse lol). For shallow cuts I usually let them be, they scab up quicker than deep ones and don't need a band-aid. Hope this helps ^^

 

[systemspace]

When I was self-harming, I would rinse my dermis cuts with water then sanitize them with iodine. Do not use rubbing alcohol, it can be counterproductive to the healing process. Covering them is recommended.

Please be careful. It becomes much harder to take care of your wounds the deeper you go. The next layer requires stitches.

 

[NeoN0va]

For deeper/bleeding cuts I usually clean with antiseptic and put a band-aid over them so my clothes cont get dirty. As soon as they close up, though, I just let them heal on their own (if I don't make them worse lol). For shallow cuts I usually let them be, they scab up quicker than deep ones and don't need a band-aid. Hope this helps ^^

How does the band aid cover up your cut? Like it doesnt cover even 1/3rd of the cut for me, that's why i use gauze, but i think its good too.

When I was self-harming, I would rinse my dermis cuts with water then sanitize them with iodine. Do not use rubbing alcohol, it can be counterproductive to the healing process. Covering them is recommended.

Please be careful. It becomes much harder to take care of your wounds the deeper you go. The next layer requires stitches.

I tried to rinse it with water, but it makes it hurt so much. Like it just stings so much whenever it comes in contact with water. I never really disinfected my cuts before, but i think its a good idea to do so at the dermis layer, so that nothing bad happens.

 

[Anura]

I buy large, cut-to-size bandaids, so i can adjust the length to fit the cut (now that I'm checking it, the correct name is dressing strips). But if you have bigger areas for cover, I agree gauze is the way to go

How does the band aid cover up your cut? Like it doesnt cover even 1/3rd of the cut for me, that's why i use gauze, but i think its good too.

I tried to rinse it with water, but it makes it hurt so much. Like it just stings so much whenever it comes in contact with water. I never really disinfected my cuts before, but i think its a good idea to do so at the dermis layer, so that nothing bad happens.

 

[NeoN0va]

I buy large, cut-to-size bandaids, so i can adjust the length to fit the cut (now that I'm checking it, the correct name is dressing strips). But if you have bigger areas for cover, I agree gauze is the way to go

Oh I see it now, they seem so much better than the gauze. tysm for the info!

 

[NeoN0va]

I buy large, cut-to-size bandaids, so i can adjust the length to fit the cut (now that I'm checking it, the correct name is dressing strips). But if you have bigger areas for cover, I agree gauze is the way to go

Ive got them yesterday and they work way better than the gauze! They might be a bit more expensive, but they are way more effective. Tried them on my new cuts and they work perfectly!