Thread: Alum blocks.... what is your style?

pixelfixed that's a pretty sweet amount for a very sweet deal!!!.... so is the benchmade. I should go checkout my local asian markets and see if i can get lucky.

these are some pretty cool routines everybody. Keep em coming people! great ideas are coming to fruition!

FE

Look in the Spice dept,Alum is used more in cooking and pickling than shaving by far.

Originally Posted by JordanM

I like the alum block, but currently it is giving me ingrowns.

Sorry, but alum will not cause ingrown hairs, nor will any other lotion or chemical. Ingrowns are the result of shaving hairs below the skin line, exasperated by too much pressure, steep razor angle and ATG shaving. If you are having issues I would respectfully suggest to evaluate your beard growth and technique.

Alum block...
Works wonders for skin stretching
works well for nicks/cute
I can't rub it on my face..to the depths of fire on my face..it's similar to a salt mineral...doesn't like sensitive skin...

Originally Posted by Ryan82

Sorry, but alum will not cause ingrown hairs, nor will any other lotion or chemical. Ingrowns are the result of shaving hairs below the skin line, exasperated by too much pressure, steep razor angle and ATG shaving. If you are having issues I would respectfully suggest to evaluate your beard growth and technique.

Ok so I don't know how to shave. Regardless if I use alum I get spots where these areas I don't know how to shave get ingrown hairs. I assume because it makes my pores close up too quick. If I don't use alum I get nice smooth non irritated skin with no bumps or ingrown hairs what so ever.

Yes my technique needs work which I already stated, thanks for pointing it out again. Me giving the hairs potential to ingrow and them actually ingrowing are two different things entirely though. If alum takes these hairs with potential and pushes them to ingrow, which they would not do without it, that is enough for me to identify alum as the larger part of the issue. It is a straw that broke the camels back type of situation. So I could rephrase that statement as, with my current shaving abilities alum is giving me ingrown hairs. Accept I already said that in a different manner. Thank you for quoting me out of context to show your superior shaving knowledge, it is helping me tremendously.

Originally Posted by JordanM

Ok so I don't know how to shave. Regardless if I use alum I get spots where these areas I don't know how to shave get ingrown hairs. I assume because it makes my pores close up too quick. If I don't use alum I get nice smooth non irritated skin with no bumps or ingrown hairs what so ever.

Yes my technique needs work which I already stated, thanks for pointing it out again. Me giving the hairs potential to ingrow and them actually ingrowing are two different things entirely though. If alum takes these hairs with potential and pushes them to ingrow, which they would not do without it, that is enough for me to identify alum as the larger part of the issue. It is a straw that broke the camels back type of situation. So I could rephrase that statement as, with my current shaving abilities alum is giving me ingrown hairs. Accept I already said that in a different manner. Thank you for quoting me out of context to show your superior shaving knowledge, it is helping me tremendously.

I dont think Ryan82 was trying flex his knowledge other than provide some useful tips, suggestions and feedback. I myself get irritated skin using alum but it is just in areas where i have probably gone over a little to rough. i have sensitive skin though... anyway whatever works works.

Maybe though it is causing your pores to close fast over the top of the hair.... does anyone else have this happening or had it happen? any other suggestion to avoid this guys? maybe exfoliating beforehand? i know there are a lot that feel exfoliating strips away natural oils... but hey let see what people say!

FE

I can only speak to my own experience but I exfoliate before shaving using facial scrub. Once doing this, I get a great shave. Now that I've started using DE's and straights, I don't get ingrown hairs any more. My beard is coarse and curly so I'm very prone to ingrowns, especially on my lower neck. YMMV.

Edit: I use alum after every shave, as part of my routine.

Ed

Originally Posted by JordanM

Regardless if I use alum I get spots where these areas I don't know how to shave get ingrown hairs. I assume because it makes my pores close up too quick. If I don't use alum I get nice smooth non irritated skin with no bumps or ingrown hairs what so ever.

Me giving the hairs potential to ingrow and them actually ingrowing are two different things entirely though. If alum takes these hairs with potential and pushes them to ingrow, which they would not do without it, that is enough for me to identify alum as the larger part of the issue. So I could rephrase that statement as, with my current shaving abilities alum is giving me ingrown hairs.

Ignoring the facetious comments for second, it sounds like your skin is reacting adversely to the alum. So while alum itself will not be the direct cause of ingrowns (its astringent properties will actually help to reduce infection in irritated areas) it is also possible that it is the cause of secondary problems such as allergic reaction. In your case if alum isn't working for you don't use it

I'm certainly no stranger to ingrowns, it was a problem that plagued me for years. Once I started using a straight razor and paid better attention to things like prep and beard direction they went away for good. I also found alum to be extremely beneficial in the process of curing me of the "scourge". Of course, YMMV.

Sorry, difficult for me to process someone else saying what I am experiencing is not possible. It does seem to only happen in areas where I have stubborn stubble and have to get a bit more aggressive with the razor. I think I remember someone else talking about how alum can make your pores close up too quick and cause ingrowns. At any rate I plan on holding out on the alum until I have less irritation, we shall see what happens after that.

Originally Posted by JordanM

Sorry, difficult for me to process someone else saying what I am experiencing is not possible. It does seem to only happen in areas where I have stubborn stubble and have to get a bit more aggressive with the razor. I think I remember someone else talking about how alum can make your pores close up too quick and cause ingrowns. At any rate I plan on holding out on the alum until I have less irritation, we shall see what happens after that.

Jordan,

You have found the most friendly, informative and helpful site on the web! Welcome!

I believe that you will find as I did that we are trying to re-learn an ‘Art’ that was nearly lost! In the days gone bye when a young man’s facial hair would start to come in, a father would instruct his son on the proper use of the razor, strop, brush, shaving prep etc. the father would also be there to offer advice and corrective criticism!

We all mean well when we offer advice! While we are all ‘different’ we are still from a common gene pool (“if you prick us do we not bleed”?)!

Please keep us posted when you stop using the Alum!

I look at every shave as an ‘Experiment’! I might be using a newly honed razor that I did or one that a good friend had done. I might be trying a new stropping regime! I find that everything is in ‘motion’!

The ‘Art’ takes time, give it that time! The alum and you may not be compatible! As I said, it’s all an on going experiment!

At the end of the journey (if there is one) it’s well worth the experiments and the testing, along with the results!

Gute Rasur /glatte Rasur, mein Bruder der Klinge

(‘Good Shaving My Brother In Blades’)