How To Use Pepper Spray Effectively For Self-Defense

1. Elevate the pepper spray product to face level with your attacker and keep it at arm’s length from your body ideally.
   
   The chemical compound in mace attaches to the soft mucous membranes of the respiratory system and causes a violent allergic reaction. For this reason, it is important to aim your pepper spray at the face. Specifically, they eyes, nose and mouth.
   
   If you are in hand to hand combat with your attacker, spray it on your hands and rub it in his eyes. This keeps the pepper spray from blowing back into your own face.
   
   
2. Maintain your concentration of pepper spray on the attacker’s head, keep the actual stream steady.
   
   Expect to see your attacker begin reacting to the chemical compounds in a few moments. Gasping, temporary blindness, tearing and violently coughing are typical reactions.
   
   
3. Spray your attacker with a second burst, if needed, and then move away.
   
   
4. Exiting to a safe space is the goal!
   
   
5. Remember, pepper spray doesn’t work instantaneously. It requires a few seconds to permeate the membranes while you have given yourself an escape route from the emergency situation.

Environmental conditions matter.

Before deploying an aerosol spray outdoors, be aware of wind direction when circumstances allow. Wind can carry airborne spray back toward you or toward other people. Even products designed to reduce blowback should not be treated as completely immune to environmental conditions.

Enclosed areas present another concern. An aerosolized spray used inside a vehicle, small room or other confined space may expose you and bystanders as well as the intended target. Pepper gel produces less airborne material than conventional aerosol spray, which is one reason some people prefer gel for vehicles or indoor environments.

Whatever you carry, understand its limitations before an emergency happens.

One of the most dangerous mistakes a pepper spray carrier can make is assuming deployment guarantees incapacitation.

It doesn't.

People react differently to OC exposure, and even someone whose vision has been significantly affected may still be physically capable of moving, grabbing or striking. Distance and movement remain important after deployment.

Once you have an opportunity, leave the area and get somewhere safer. Call 911 or local emergency services as soon as you reasonably can. Give the dispatcher your location, explain what happened and follow instructions.

Your goal is escape, not apprehension. Do not pursue an attacker or remain nearby simply to see whether the spray "worked."

Secondary exposure can happen, particularly with aerosol sprays or unfavorable wind.

If pepper spray gets into your eyes, don't rub them. Move away from the contaminated area and flush your eyes thoroughly with clean water. If you wear contact lenses, remove them. Contaminated disposable soft lenses should not be put back into your eyes.

For exposed skin, cool water and non-oil-based soap can help remove residue. Avoid rubbing affected areas or applying oily lotions and creams, which can trap the irritant against the skin.

Seek medical attention for severe or persistent symptoms, significant breathing difficulty, eye injury or whenever there is concern about the person's condition.

Pepper spray should not disappear into a purse or glove compartment for years without another thought.

Periodically inspect your canister for damage or leakage and check its expiration date. Follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding testing and replacement. A canister that has been substantially discharged should be replaced rather than returned to everyday carry with an unknown amount remaining.

Storage matters too. Follow the temperature and storage instructions printed on your product. Aerosol canisters should not be left where they may be exposed to excessive heat or conditions outside the manufacturer's specified limits.

Modern defensive sprays may include features such as flip-top safeties, finger loops, pistol-style grips, UV marking dye, gel formulations and inert training cartridges. Pepper spray is also commonly incorporated into personal safety keychains alongside alarms and other tools.

For example, the Strike-n-Spray model combines a pepper spray and blade to provide two self-defense weapons on one tool. Look for a self-defense spray product that has a UV dye in it. Most of them do. The UV dye will not wash off; providing police an easily identifiable target.

The Fight Fobs® self-defense keychains are an excellent way to carry pepper spray as well as several additional personal defense tools right on your keyring, including a kubaton and panic alarm. These features can make a product easier to carry or operate, but none replaces familiarity and practice.

While UV marking dye may assist law enforcement in identifying a person who has been sprayed, its presence doesn't change your immediate priority. Get away and report the incident.

Likewise, carrying several self-defense tools does not help if you cannot quickly access or operate any of them. A simple tool you know how to use can be more valuable than a complicated collection you have never practiced with.

Effective self-defense begins before physical contact occurs. Awareness, distance, boundaries, trusting your instincts, identifying exits and leaving a situation that feels unsafe are all part of personal safety.

Remember, the priority and goal is always escape first. Justice can come later.

Know the laws governing pepper spray where you live and travel, choose a product appropriate for your needs, learn exactly how that product works and practice accessing it before you ever need it.

Carrying pepper spray is preparation. Knowing how to use it safely and effectively is what turns that preparation into a practical personal safety skill.