Rubbing Alcohol??

I've never heard of using it to "toughen" up your feet, but I've used it when I was doing a lot of weekly road-marches...it helps to dry your feet quickly and keeps them clean.

ROCK6
 
IPA is one of my favorite cleaners, right up there with acetone. IPA preparations are widely used for cleaning unexposed from pressure sores and under casts to under wig nasties. No surprise it is good for feet – soothing and a hostile environment to skank.

I'm surprised by this thread 'cos I thought the skin hardening thing would be as common knowledge there as it is here. Many a tenderfoot here gets the advice to toughen them up with spirit and have for as long as I can remember. I never thought of guitarists and oarsmen using it for that though.

Just to throw in a bit more-

I gather that many an acne sufferer has made their condition worse by trying to degrease with IPA preparations. Apparently the drying and the hardening of the skin locks the acne down in the pores more.

Over exposure to IPA preparations is well known as a cause for contact dermatitis with skin hardening or “adaptive” symptoms.
 
baldtaco-II said:
I'm surprised by this thread 'cos I thought the skin hardening thing would be as common knowledge there as it is here. Many a tenderfoot here gets the advice to toughen them up with spirit and have for as long as I can remember. I never thought of guitarists and oarsmen using it for that though.
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Here's the thing. Skin hardening is not the same as skin toughening. The former is a result from rinsing out the oils in the skin. The latter comes from skin growth. Skin oil, among other things, is a protectant. Excessively removing skin oils also removes some of the ability for the skin to repair itself, the result being cracking and flaking.

Skin toughening, on the other hand comes by hard use, resulting in thick skin growth. Otherwise known as callusing.

The guitar fingertip idea illustrates to me why this really may not work as intended. Having played for a few decades now, there really isn't any alternative to toughening up fingers other than just playing the guitar. Drying out the skin on the fingertips makes the skin hard, but not tough. If anything, it makes the thin skin more prone to pain and damage, because of the loss of elasticity and moisture.

I did do a google search with the key words, and what came up seemed to be the same lore repeated over and over. Because of this, I'm not impressed by anecdotal reports of folks using IPA to toughen up feet. Evidence of the ritual is not evidence it actually does what it's supposed to do. The pore tightening action is exactly what astringent does. This is the practical use of aftershave, the main ingredient of which is typically alcohol. Some men use the stuff on their face every day with no significant skin toughening.

As far as the buy who claims his nutsack went leathery after application of IPA, I'd say after cutting himself and application of alcohol, his scrotum isn't exhibiting hardened skin. It's cowering in fear for the next stupid trick the guy is gonna try.
 
I agree with shecky; I am quite dubious about claims that rubbing alcohol toughens feet.

Not to hijack the thread, but I'd be interested to hear more discussion of aftershave.

What is the purpose and value of aftershave? Why is it desirable to tighten your pores with astringent when you finish shaving?
 
shecky said:
Here's the thing. Skin hardening is not the same as skin toughening. The former is a result from rinsing out the oils in the skin. The latter comes from skin growth. Skin oil, among other things, is a protectant. Excessively removing skin oils also removes some of the ability for the skin to repair itself, the result being cracking and flaking.

Skin toughening, on the other hand comes by hard use, resulting in thick skin growth. Otherwise known as callusing.

The guitar fingertip idea illustrates to me why this really may not work as intended. Having played for a few decades now, there really isn't any alternative to toughening up fingers other than just playing the guitar. Drying out the skin on the fingertips makes the skin hard, but not tough. If anything, it makes the thin skin more prone to pain and damage, because of the loss of elasticity and moisture.




I did do a google search with the key words, and what came up seemed to be the same lore repeated over and over. Because of this, I'm not impressed by anecdotal reports of folks using IPA to toughen up feet. Evidence of the ritual is not evidence it actually does what it's supposed to do. The pore tightening action is exactly what astringent does. This is the practical use of aftershave, the main ingredient of which is typically alcohol. Some men use the stuff on their face every day with no significant skin toughening.

As far as the buy who claims his nutsack went leathery after application of IPA, I'd say after cutting himself and application of alcohol, his scrotum isn't exhibiting hardened skin. It's cowering in fear for the next stupid trick the guy is gonna try.
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I'm going to be careful to avoid swapping too many guesses with you. Having heard your anecdotal report and the rest I'm no further forward that I was before.

In short the OP asked “Has anyone ever heard of this?”. My response was yes and it is no secret here. I have stretched a bit further by throwing some info just so the notion isn't so alien, but if I am not careful some bright spark is going to try to pull me from that onto a ground at which I am forced to explain how it works. That is outside my intention. If you have read carefully you will have noticed that at no point have I claimed it does. What I have claimed is that it is commonly used for that kind of thing, and that is quite different. However, being as this is unlike faith and there is feedback clearly available to those that do try it, one is forced to wonder why so many do it if it has no demonstrable effect.

Out
 
you can accelerate the formation of deep callus by combining walking on coarse sand with soaking in salt water. So walk on the beach when you get a chance. even if it's BS that's no excuse to miss a walk on the beach. ;)
 
katdaddy...i wouldnt even worry about lore and whatnot...buy some hydropel and put it on every night before bed....having "hard feet" in shoes is pointless and could lead to possible cracking if you dont have good wicking socks or breathable shoes(or both).
 
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