Thread: Help with Anxiety

People make way too big of a deal about how dangerous it is or whatever. There is no reason at all to be nervous.

Treat it with the respect that the sharp blade that it is deserves, and there is no reason to be afraid at all.

To answer your specific questions.. I agree with above, don't strop before shaving the first time. You'll probably nick yourself no matter how hard you try, but the amount of pressure should be maybe like the amount you would use writing with a magic marker. Don't worry about the nicks... they will be like paper cuts basically. Go to the local drugstore and get a styptic pencil or styptic nick relief. This will sting for a second, but stop the bleeding, no big deal. I think it took me 4-6 weeks of shaving every day before I could reliably never nick myself and get a comfortably close shave. Now a couple months later I'm still nailing down the intricacies and I'm sure I will be for several months (years?) to come. I don't know how long it takes to get to where it's like driving a car or walking. I sort of hope it never does... I enjoy it too much for it to become mundane.

Originally Posted by pjrage

I don't know how long it takes to get to where it's like driving a car or walking. I sort of hope it never does... I enjoy it too much for it to become mundane.

That is what I MEANT to say above with my ham-handed babbling response!

I've only been doing this for about a week, but my anxiety is all but gone now.

I'll admit I was very nervous the first time, it's easy to let your imagination run wild and start picturing some nightmarish scenario that ends with you bleeding out on the floor.

What finally took away all my apprehension was actually giving myself a decent nick. These things are so sharp you really don't feel it, you just notice you're bleeding a bit. Once you get it out of the way, there's no need to worry about it any more.