I have a cast on my right arm and can't shave

[Go West Young Man]

You can use your brush with either hand....

[Theprofessor]

Sorry mate, cant help you in the electric shaver department.
Wish you a speedy recovery !

[Pietro]

Try a cartridge razor and a can of barbasol. I find it very hard to cut myself with a good cartride razor (Gillette Sensor, mach 3 or fusion). I am right handed and I broke my right forearm a few years ago. I used a mach 3 and barbasol to shave because I was in the military and I had to be clean shaven. It took about 3 shaves to get used to doing it with my left hand but I caught on to it. I would spray the barbasol into a bowl and then I would wipe it on my face. It worked good for me.

[icculus79]

While you are recovering, I think it may be worthwhile to try out the Gillette Guard. I've been interested in trying it out myself. It's the new revolutionary cartridge system which doesn't clog, and has a guard so it's almost impossible to cut yourself. This may be perfect for you at this time, especially if you have to shave with your left hand. I found it being sold at westcoastshaving.com. Hope this helps.

I've just got a Gillette Guard and have two shaves under my belt with them (testing candidates for my TSA-approved kit.) I will post a full review of them after a few more shaves. They do work and I would pick them over a Bic disposable, but I find I can easily get a better shave with my DE after the same number of passes. On the upside, you can get away with quite a bit of pressure with them which is good for you since you don't have a free hand for skin pulling and you could compensate by using more pressure.

As for electrics, I've used 3 or 4 different ones over the years and never found one that would provide me with a decent shave. I ended up using one if I had not shaved in a couple of days. I would knock it down with the electric and then do a pass with my cartridge, although I do have a fairly heavy beard. I wouldn't feel presentable enough to go to work after just using an electric.

I know it is sacrilegious to mention it, but you might be best off using a multi-blade cartridge. I can get a good shave with a Fusion, but don't do any buffing or multiple passes with it or you will get irritation. The trickiest part to shaving with your cast might be the lathering. I'd try to find a cream that lathers easily (T&H creams lather the fastest that I have found) and use a brush to face lather.

[Snargle]

Face-lathering a cream is the way to go. Other than that change, there's no reason you couldn't shave one-handed with a DE or SE razor. I'd probably avoid a straight razor, though.

[_JP_]

Aww... I can shave with my off hand with my other hand tied behind my back if I use a cartridge razor! Or a DE.

[PugslyCat]

Let's look at a couple of options:

I have always done the ambidextrous shaving thing, even with the couple of straight razor shaves I've done, so I don't quite understand the problem. It really isn't that difficult.

Instead of spending the money on an electric razor that won't get much use after this event just buy a pack of a dozen or so carts or disposable razors. They may not see much use in the future either, but it's always good to have a few on hand and at less expense than buying a good electric razor. Buying a cheap electric razor just doesn't make good sense.

Either use canned goo or a puck of soap in an open cup as a lathering product. They don't even have to be good soaps as you aren't making a lifetime commitment to the stuff. Another option would be to scoop a quantity of shaving cream into a container you can open yourself. Again, not a lifetime commitment so it doesn't have be a particularly flashy container.

[BigBull]

That's no fun man, I'd go with growing a beard! What better excuse do you have to be "lazy"...

All I can tell you about electric's is you get what you pay for...my pop's used them his entire life. He also always used "Lectric Shave" as a preshave...knowing how those things work, there's no way I'd just go at it with the heads on my skin.

Hope you heal well and quickly!

[Slash McCoy]

First choice... don't shave. Think of the fun you will have when you are able to shave normally again!
Second choice... a nice mild TTO DE. Use canned goo. It won't kill you and nobody has to know.
Third choice... a single blade disposable. It won't clog as easily and it will give a shave closer to what you are used to than a multi-blade.
Fourth choice... one of the cheap throwaway electrics sold at walgreens. You will need to follow up every 4th or 5th day with a cart or disposable to get the stray hairs that the electric misses.
Fifth choice... get SWMBO to shave you. She has to live with you so she will probably work more carefully than a barber, and cheaper. She's already paid for.

Don't try to shave with a straight with only your left hand. Without stretching, and without the coordination of your dominant hand, your shaves will really suck. Barbers mostly suck these days, and a barber shave is getting crazy expensive. Plus they mostly, depending on your local regulations, have to use Franken-razors instead of proper straights.

[phillylion]

I had elbow reconstruction surgery last Thursday and, while can reach my entire face with my left hand, i cannot shave with it. I can't open the shave cream, much less do anything else. I was thinking about getting an electric razor to shave with. I don't know much about them and they are probably expensive- I should be able to shave normally in 6-8 weeks. Any suggestions, I was wondering if there are sort of multi tool electrics that do more than 1 thing as well.

Thanks

I would go slow with a cartridge razor or a mild DE (not an R41). I'd bet after a few shaves, you'd get pretty proficient.

Hope you have a speedy recovery.

[tracman]

Thanks to all, I just finished shaving, my wife loosened the top om my shave cream this morning. I used a T&H Carlton DE, not terribly aggressive, T&H cream-it's time in the rotation, and a semi dull Feather blade,needs tp be replaced. I got a good shave, not BBS but good enough, only 1 nick and since I have plenty of Oxycontin in me I don't feel it, I find beer goes well with medications

[Bengal Tiger]

Can you change DE blades?

If not, then +1 for the KMF pump cream and gilette sensor. Sensor cartridges are cheaper than most others and work very well. Should be easy enough to change one handed. If you are bent on using your creams and a brush, smear some cream on your face and then face lather if the bowl doesn't work out.

[nrv216]

Congrats! Knew you could do it! Good luck recovering and building skill with your "off hand."

nrv216

[gus1942]

I had elbow reconstruction surgery last Thursday and, while can reach my entire face with my left hand, i cannot shave with it. I can't open the shave cream, much less do anything else. I was thinking about getting an electric razor to shave with. I don't know much about them and they are probably expensive- I should be able to shave normally in 6-8 weeks. Any suggestions, I was wondering if there are sort of multi tool electrics that do more than 1 thing as well.

Thanks

No problem. Get a shave stick and face lather. You can quickly learn to shave with your off hand.

[phillylion]

Congrats! Knew you could do it! Good luck recovering and building skill with your "off hand."

nrv216

+1 to that. And they say that by using your other hand, it actually improves brain function/coordination in some way.

[jwilock]

I read an article recently about keeping the brain young. It said to use your off-hand for routine things like brushing your teeth with the off hand. Of course there's no blood lost if you screw that up. Nonetheless, you could try shaving with your other hand. In the end if you could develop that skill you could use your right hand on the right side of your face and your left hand on the left side of your face, and never have to backhand either side.

[Pebcak]

Sure you can. I don't have a cast on my right arm but I do have a whopping huge dressing on my right elbow which restricts it nicely. Today I had to save completely with my left hand, wasn't the best shave I ever had but I'm relatively clean shaven and there were no cuts, nicks or weepers. Showering was actually harder then shaving.

I did however chicken out and not use a straight but went with a DE.

Just go slowly and carefully.

[tracman]

Taking A shower is a 2 hour ordeal, I found a Mach 3 razor in one of my bathroom drawers and decided to get some blades so i don't nick myself and I hate bleeding. i bought a pack of 5 at Walgreen's on sale for $13.95. Holy Crap now i remember why I switched to a DE 10 years ago, I bought a stack of blades when I started shaving and am still using them. I used a $200 Simpson brush with Trumper Lavender cream and a Mack 3 and Got a damn good shave- I admit it. I will go back to my DE after this is over, but I got a good shave with the Mack 3, and will admit it.

[BallisticBurrito]

I personally would have got some decent disposables (I have some 2 blade Personnas that are decent.) and hunt down some lanolin Barbasol..minimum investment and would have been 'decent enough' for the time being.

Also apparently I like the word 'decent' a lot.

[tracman]