That irritated spot on my neck, and alum hurts

Been at this for a week. Best badger brush, razorock sensative skin green tea, razorock alum, nivea shave balm, gillette mach 3.

I picked up the bad habit of going ATG using glop. First couple days went ATG, and got a really irritated part of my neck that has always been problematic. I did not shave for two days and this time used my brain, WTG, XTG. And irritation again. What is going on?

Plus, alum really hurts. Is that normal?

I switched to DE over the Mach 3 for that very reason. I have chronic neck irritation when I shave with a cartridge. So, about 6 weeks ago I stumbled upon DE shaving, found this website, and switched. The cartridge razors such as the Mach 3 (which is what I was using also) cause the problem. The pain from the alum is because you have razor burn from the Mach 3. When I shave nicely with the DE the alum does not hurt at all. Really helps in fact.

I would stick with WTG for a while and see if you can get that irritation under control.

Alum block will hurt if you've really irritated the skin. Maybe the alum is causing you some irritation? Maybe try stopping it for a few days and see if that helps. The alum should sting/burn for a few seconds then settle down.

It's very easy to use too much pressure with a cart because they are so light. You will find very few DE shavers here who liked the cart better. Besides, you haven't spent any money in a week.

One more reason to look for a DE I guess. So why the neck? Based on the similar threads list at the bottom the neck is a complicated area.

Welcome! Sorry, I forgot what a cart is like

Using a DE razor gave me terrible neck irritation in the beginning. I took 2 days off and shaved only with the grain. I still got neck irritation but only for a few more shaves. Now everything is good to go. It just took more time for me. Good luck.

Neck is a delicate area. Definitely stick to WTG for the indefinite future -- until you consistently come away with no irritation. Only then should you experiment with XTG or ATG, and bear in mind that many people can't go XTG or ATG on the neck at all. Give yourself time -- weeks, or even months -- to get used to the DE angle, and to find out what "no pressure" really means. Your patience will be richly rewarded.

Alum shouldn't really hurt. Maybe half of my shaves, I get a sting from the alum on my jawline or the top of my neck, if I was a little too aggressive, but just that: a sting that passes in a second or two.