I'm currently writing a story about a girl in a car accident. The character hits her face on the dashboard and gets a gash on her forehead. Does anyone know how long it would take for the blood to dry if it is in her hair and on her clothes and face? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
It depends on volume. A thin smear of blood will dry within minutes. A thick pool might take hours. Temperature and whether the blood is contained also matters. Blood in the tubes I draw for labs won't dry for weeks.
A Google search for "How quickly does blood clot" produced the following...since you say she's a girl, I'm guessing the "over 60" doesn't apply, but the pill might. Or, or... 1/ Normal clotting time for blood is 3 - 15 minutes, but clotting time is extremely individual and can be affected by certain diseases such as hemophilia and some leukemias and various medications including blood thinners. 2/ Older people clot faster, diabetics slower 3/ Conditions that cause coagulation problems include liver disease, thrombophilia (excessive clotting), and hemophilia (inability to clot normally). 4/ Bleeding Time Test This test analyzes how quickly small blood vessels in your skin close up and stop bleeding. It’s performed differently than the other blood tests. A blood pressure cuff will be placed on your upper arm and inflated. Your healthcare provider will make a couple of tiny cuts on your lower arm. The cuts are not deep and generally feel like a scratch. The cuff is then deflated. Blotting paper is briefly placed on the cuts every 30 seconds until bleeding stops. Bleeding usually lasts between one to nine minutes. The test is considered safe and carries few side effects or risks. 5/ Your risk (of having a blood clot) is also increased if you: are taking the contraceptive pill have been inactive (e.g. long-haul plane flight) for some time are over 60 years old are overweight or obese have had a blood clot before are having hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are pregnant or have recently given birth are dehydrated have cancer or are having cancer treatment have a condition that causes your blood to clot more easily than normal, such as antiphospholipid syndrome
Clotting differs from drying. Clotted blood doesn't have to be dry blood. The clot is the clumping together of the red cells. The serum (plasma) doesn't clot.
