Thread: Dominant vs Non Dominant Side

Hey Guys,
I've been shaving with my since Christmas and have noticed something I would like some help with.

I shave my entire face with my right hand. However, I get a closer and less irritating shave on the left side of my face than I do on the right. And it's not really a contest. Aren't you supposed to be better at shaving the right side of the face if you're right handed? Any idea why I might be struggling with this?

Thanks!

Interestingly enough, I see the same results. I find shaving the left side of my face w/ my left hand VERY awkward. BTW, you wouldn't be on the job, would you? Just asking, judging by your screen name.

Believe it or not when I was still in the early learning stages, and shaving both sides right handed, I asked the same question. To prove it here is the thread. At the time I figured my whiskers must have been tougher on one side than on the other but now since I get an equally good shave on both I know it is a matter of blade angle and stroke. As your technique develops the difference will disappear IME.

Yup I get the same result. I believe it is because it is easier to do the ATG on the left side. On the left side I do more of a ATG and the right side gets more of a X pattern shave. But with practice the quality of the right side seems to be getting closer to the left.

This is an excellent example of why it can be a tremendous advantage to learn with your non-dominant hand. If you learn to do the same with either hand then everything is symetrical and both sides come out the same. At least it worked that way for me.

Originally Posted by TrilliumLT

Yup I get the same result. I believe it is because it is easier to do the ATG on the left side. On the left side I do more of a ATG and the right side gets more of a X pattern shave. But with practice the quality of the right side seems to be getting closer to the left.

I think that is exactly why the left side seems better. It also brings up another interesting point. If we do use the non-dominant hand and it becomes proficient at the task of shaving the non-dominant cheek, we can then use it to perform the ATG pass on the dominant cheek, improving the shave on that side.

However, if that is possible, then it seems also possible to take this approach to the obvious extreme. That is, we could try shaving with two razors simultaneously, using each hand on the opposite cheek to perform the ATG, and all this at the SAME TIME. Not only would this technique cut the shaving time in half, but it might cut our faces in half at the same time as well! Has anyone ever tried shaving with two razors at the same time?

Originally Posted by ace

I think that is exactly why the left side seems better. It also brings up another interesting point. If we do use the non-dominant hand and it becomes proficient at the task of shaving the non-dominant cheek, we can then use it to perform the ATG pass on the dominant cheek, improving the shave on that side.

However, if that is possible, then it seems also possible to take this approach to the obvious extreme. That is, we could try shaving with two razors simultaneously, using each hand on the opposite cheek to perform the ATG, and all this at the SAME TIME. Not only would this technique cut the shaving time in half, but it might cut our faces in half at the same time as well! Has anyone ever tried shaving with two razors at the same time?

That gives new meaning to the word multi-tasking.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Believe it or not when I was still in the early learning stages, and shaving both sides right handed, I asked the same question. To prove it here is the thread. At the time I figured my whiskers must have been tougher on one side than on the other but now since I get an equally good shave on both I know it is a matter of blade angle and stroke. As your technique develops the difference will disappear IME.

Originally Posted by Ogershok

This is an excellent example of why it can be a tremendous advantage to learn with your non-dominant hand. If you learn to do the same with either hand then everything is symetrical and both sides come out the same. At least it worked that way for me.

BIG +1 to both comments here . Perfecting your technique and learning to shave with your non-dominant hand will improve things dramatically

When I started using the Shavette, I figured the experience was so different from a DE that I might as well use my left hand on the left side of my face as well. I'm quite right-dominant, but I found it fairly easy to make the transition. Now I can shave my left cheek with my left hand while fending off the cat when it tries to lick up the spilled blood.

Interestingly, being right handed, I can't use a DE with my left hand, but routinely straight shave with both hands (not at the same time, as was mentioned earlier). Go figure.