Thread: Ambidextrious?

15 months down the track using both hands. Just starting to do what I want with my off hand. Must be that most un ambidextrious person going round, but always making progress.

Brian

New at this but I find it impossible to shave the left side of my face with my right hand, just can't see what's going on. Surprising as I can do very little with my left usually.

I use both hands, not at once.

I defer to Eddie Murphy on this one and it really helps.

"Free your mind, your a## will follow"

Its true. Turn off your brain and concentrate on the task at hand not about the fact that you are or are not left or right handed. Enjoy the experience.

YMMV

Originally Posted by Tonsor

I've been str8 shaving about 2 mos. I decided to give the off-hand a go when I started. It was very awkward at first, but now I cannot imagine not using both hands. Try using your off-hand WTG on your cheek only at first. As your confidence builds, add the neck WTG, then cheek XTG, finally ATG. That's how I did it, in stages and it worked for me.

This is really the way it goes for most people. Take little steps and the more you use your off hand, the easier it will get.

Lynn

Now I use both hands. When I started I tried to only use the right hand, and it was real hard to get in there with just one hand.

Now I use left hand and gotten pretty good at it. The only thing I just havent worked out yet is when you do the last pas on the right side of the face using your left hand. But im gettin there.

Just do it slow and look in the mirror trying to imitate the right hand moves. Its not that hard ones you get a little pratice. But it will take some time to get it 100% right.

Originally Posted by the wanderer

Another thing that helps when learning to shave with your "off" hand is doing other stuff with it as much as possible. I remember someone mentioning that in a similar discussion when I first started, and was having difficulties using my left hand. So I started brushing my teeth left-handed which was awkward as heck at first. But I soon noticed that I was getting better at both much more quickly.

Just my $.02

Thats a good point about brushing your teeth. I heard a Taiko drummer (a Japanese drum style) suggesting trying things with off hand. Eating brushing your teeth, many things you can try to develop your off hand.

I know 2 people from different circles that had broke there right hand close to the same time. Girls would ask "how do you brush your teeth" guys would always ask "how do you wipe your a++"
Both advised everyone to practice things with left hand as you never know when you'll need it, including wiping your backside.

I would suggest at least making a concerted effort at shaving with your off-hand, the "stupid side" as I usually refer to it. I've tried things that are nearly impossible with my left hand, while other things just are more natural with the stupid side. In those cases I usually learn more about technique than I do with the right hand.

For example, I get a closer and less irritating shave on my neck with my left hand. I've been able to take that knowledge and improve the shave on the right side. It never seems to work as well the other way around though . I still feel I may whack off my goatee and maybe my chin at any point with my worthless left-handed trimming skills

My point (about time I know) is even if you end up a one-handed shaver, you may just learn something from your stupid side that you would have otherwise missed out on.

I have tried shaving with both hands and with one hand. I think it's mostly personal preference. Although it took me a while to get use to shaving with my left hand, I am now able to get a closer shave and an easier shave in many places. This is due to the fact that I have a goatee and sideburns to work around, and my right hand often got into my field of vision when crossing my face. Once I became proficient with both hands, I no longer had this problem

However, I am still a newb, so left handed under the jaw and neck is still a little harder, but I find it to be more advantageous to me personally.

Well, I'm still at the stage where my goal, after getting a close shave, is not cutting myself. After seeing someone shaving with both hands I had to try it and quickly cut myself. I am right handed but use my computer mouse with my left, but I'm not secure enough to try that again. I wish I had a stage prop razor to practice with.

I started str8 razor shaving about 6 months back. I started with both hands after reading these forums and watching Lynn's DVD. Since everything was new, training the left hand just got lost in the shuffle. One thing that helped was holding a pencil the way I would a razor and practicing the path I was after. Now I think shaving one handed I'd loose flexibility in ways to get at those pesky hairs that are hard to clip.