A running locked is good for hemostasis and can used for something quick and dirty but I wouldn't use it on the face unless it was coming out in a few minutes.
This. Running sutures tend to put more pressure on the wound margin. But if you tie your knots tight enough, any suture can be "hemostatic." This may be necessary for diffuse bleeding, but it's generally bad for wound healing, so you should keep these sutures for a bit longer, and avoid them like the plague in aesthetically sensitive areas. Remember that "hemostatic suture" and "ischaemic suture" are two names for the same thing!
Facial lacerations often bleed profusely, but it really pays off to spend a few extra minutes compressing the bleeding wound. When I was swamped with consults and floor calls, I'd sometimes infiltrate with 1% lidocaine (I never use lidocaine with adrenaline, but YMMV), clean the wound, and apply a compressive wound dressing and an ice pack (and possibly send patient off for ATT or something). Then I'd go off to see a consult or two, and return 30-60min later to find a wound which I could then suture sans cumbersome bleeding.
Scalp lacerations, which may also bleed profusely, can usually be sutured with running locked sutures, with relative impunity (unless patient is bald!). Same goes for perineal lacerations - however, keep an eye out for the proximity of important structures (urethra, rectal sphincter) which may be injured. When in the least doubt, take the patient to the OR for exploration and repair under mild sedation; better safe than sorry, and I speak from personal experience.
This really brings me back to my glory days and sleepless nights in the acute care service. Aah the memories.
