Thread: Touchdown Nicks

I was sitting down yesterday with my son when he noticed a few nicks below my left ear. I remember feeling a slight bite of my razor once or twice, but I didn't see any red so I thought I hadn't actually nicked myself, but it seems that I had. They were spaced evenly along the back corner of my jawline, and when I looked at them in the mirror I remembered when I must have done it. This morning I was particularly attentive when it was time to shave that area and I discovered why I had repeatedly nicked myself. Although I'm confident holding my razor in my left hand, my left hand is my non dominant hand. I noticed that when I reach back to that section below my left ear, I tend to try and rest the razor on my skin before I the downward stroke to remove the hair. While the blade is resting on my face, the slightest horizontal movement was causing a nick. What I learned from all this is to resist the urge to rest the blade anywhere on your face. Whenever the blade touches your face it should already be in a very slight shaving motion. By trying to steady the blade on my face before starting the shaving stroke, and while using my non dominant hand, and in an awkward spot below my ear, I was setting up the perfect storm for a nick. Of all the factors involved, the one that I believe was the most controllable factor was not allowing the blade to rest on my face prior to starting the shave stroke. Lesson to the newbie:
Resist the urge to compensate for awkward razor positions or lack of dexterity by attempting to rest the blade on your skin first. The blade you hold in your hand is likely the sharpest thing you have ever held in your hand. The slightest movement along the blade while it is resting on your face will likely leave a mark. Just about every pass of your razor should be in slight motion before the blade touches your face. That intentional safe motion is usually enough to prevent an unintentional unsafe motion.
A Touchdown Nick is the nick you get when you attempt to land the razor on your face before you are ready to start a shaving stroke.

Same principle at the end of the stroke. Lift away at the end and never come to a complete rest other wise you end up with a nick there as well. Basically just never let a razor lie idle in contact with you. Just asking to end up in cut of the day

You know, I had been SR shaving since 2006 when, last year, I started getting evil red lines left after the shave from time to time. Drove me crazy until I diagnosed it as late-onset Resting Blade Syndrome.

No idea why my hand started doing it, and with a little renewed attention, it passed.

Slurryer and Eddy79, thanks for the great insight...also shout to Slurryer's sharp-eyed son. I've never thought about the beginning and the ending of the stroke, but I think I do tend not to start the stroke, then make contact.

Great tip...I wonder why I've not encountered it in all the reading I've done.

Much appreciated,
mhughes

Never take your eye off that edge.

You may be distracted by preparing to do a "next" step and leave the blade resting on the skin.

Dave

Originally Posted by eddy79

Same principle at the end of the stroke. Lift away at the end and never come to a complete rest other wise you end up with a nick there as well. Basically just never let a razor lie idle in contact with you. Just asking to end up in cut of the day

Great point. So beware of Tuchdown and Takeoff nicks.

While we're at it, changing your stretch or facial contortion while the blade is on the skin also can cause a bleeding problem.