Pencil lead poisoning?

I accidentally got stuck by a sharp pencil and it broke the skin and made me bleed. Should I be concerned?

Believe it or not the bleeding was a good thing as it helped to wash out potentially harmful bacteria that was introduced when the skin was broken. As to the 'lead' in the pencil, don't sweat it. They are made from graphite now and it is a harmless substance that has absolutely no effect on the human body. Just keep the area clean and watch for signs of infection. Redness at the site of the puncture, pus oozing from it or evening the area getting hot to the touch. If any of this occurs get in touch with your MD right away. Take care of your self and watch out for those pesky pencils.

No. Pencils now-days are made with graphite, not lead. You'll be fine.

Nothing to be concerned about. There's is no elemental lead in a pencil... and even if there were, that amount wouldn't harm you.

I agree with the above answers. Pencil tips are made of graphite because lead is poisonous. Don't be concerned. Hint Hint: Just keep it clean so it won't become infected. Good Luck; ; )

me too!! right on the palm of my hand. Mine still hurts even after 8hrs.

Hi Deanne, pencils do have lead in them but a small amount, they are mostly graphite now. The bleeding cleans out the wound pretty good, I would use something like iodine, or a hydrogen peroxide solution or saline solution on it to make sure any particles are out of it to avoid infection but you should be ok. Clean it, then cover it until it heals over to avoid infection and you should be ok. If it does get infected, go to the doctor, and buy some iodine to soak it in, pure iodine and warm water soaks will help if it does infect and you can't get to the dr because of the oncoming weekend.