Asymetrical Shave

[moses]

I have been noticing this for a while. Finally convinced it is for real. The left side of my face shaves better than the right. No, really, it does. After the first stroke from the sideburn down, it is always much cleaner than the right. This continues through the shave. My right jawline I can never seem to shave against the grain without problems, while I am usually fine on the left. My right cheek takes more work and T&C to get smooth than my left. What is going on here?

First thought: Technique influenced by hand position. I have to admit it could boil down to this. There is no way to truly eliminate this variable (shaving half with the left hand would just introduce more variables, I think). Still, I have really focused on angle and pressure for specific cuts, and still had this problem. The first stroke really should be fairly easy to control, as it is just straight down, but I have noticed the difference every single time I have shaved, regardless of all my experiments with angle and pressure. Likewise, there is a certain part of my right jawline that I have NEVER been able to get a smooth ATG cut on, without the razor catching and stuttering.

Second thought: Maybe the hair growth direction is different. Seems likely. But then, surely is just straight down right below the sideburn? And the jawline problem happens regardless of trying slightly different directions of attack.

Third thought: Is it possible the hair texture is actually different?

Anybody else have a similar experience? I am puzzled by my face.

[Ashe]

I sort of have the same experience but I think that's purely related to my hand position.

My beardhairs grow in in my opinion the good directions:
- sideburns grow downwards, just like my complete chin and under my nose.
- the lower part of my neck grows upwards but only a very small part
- the lower left and lower right parts of my neck grow to the left and to the right
- under my left jawline and the mid left part of my neck the hairs grow to the left and under my right jawline and the rigt mid part of my neck to the right

I think I described the majority of my facial hair growing directions. It is equal all over the place and all hairs grow in the same direction relative to a central point on my face (depending what side of the face they're on).

I always have better results in a first pass on my right side of my face because I'm right handed. While I can get rather good 1st pass results on the left side it's always a bit less. I tell myself this is because of the fact that I need to hold the razor in a less comfortable way to shave the left part of my face.

After a 2nd pass the majority of the shaving differences are gone and I can start touching up where necessary (typically right under the chin and my utter left and right neck area.

[jfm]

My "good shaving" side switches back and forth on a two or three week cycle. I suspect it is due to my adventures in techniques.

Outside of those variations, my right cheek area is always the smoothest area after a shave, regardless of what hand/starting point/technique is used.

[Scorpio]

With me it's the left side of my face(cheek) as I have to come across with my right hand maybe having influence in the angle of the razor. I just have to feel that side carefully when I touch up so I don't miss it.

Rafael

[mparker762]

This is common and seems primarily due to some combination of hand dominance and eye dominance. Different levels of pressure, different blade angles, different shaving direction depending on which hand is holding the blade and how well we can see what we're doing. A similar dynamic occurs in straight razor shavers where there is anecdotal evidence that we tend to nick ourselves more (or at least worse) when holding the razor in our dominant hand or shaving the side of our face opposite our dominant eye.

With practice this effect diminishes, which is again evidence (though not proof) that it is technique related.

[guenron]

Despite the subject, this is JUST SHAVING! Here's an interesting experiment for you the next time you are standing in front of the mirror in the shaveshack..
Caution, this is meant to be performed by trained professionals only!

1. Place your left index finger immediately under your left ear.
2. Then place your right index finger immediately below your right ear.
3. Without tilting your head, compare the height of your fingertips in the mirror..

Find it surprising that the line between the fingertips is not absolutely horizontal? Gents, bilateral symmetry is a polite fantasy, i.e. the right side is not identical to the left side. Just as you recognize that you have a dominant hand, eye, etc.. so are there differences in the pattern, texture, and even growth rate of the beard on the two sides of your visage. This is one of the reasons I divide the shaving area into quadrants. It makes it somewhat easier to deal with those differences.
BTW, the great equalizer for these beard differences is good prep. Well softened whiskers fall easily before the hot steel of a sharp blade no matter which side of the nose they reside!

[moses]

Despite the subject, this is JUST SHAVING!

Somehow, I don't recall ever discussing anything so simple in so much depth.... Are you sure it isn't really more complicated than Rocket science? Not so different either, I'll have you know - angle, pressure, timing, good preparation, the right "mix" all critical in both.

[jfm]

Gents, bilateral symmetry is a polite fantasy, i.e. the right side is not identical to the left side.

My grandfather claimed this to be an accurate measure of one's political tendencies. But the lack of symmetry causes me some problems with sideburns. How does everyone else keep them even between barber visits? (Sorry for the slight thread hijack.)

[fuerein]

My grandfather claimed this to be an accurate measure of one's political tendencies. But the lack of symmetry causes me some problems with sideburns. How does everyone else keep them even between barber visits? (Sorry for the slight thread hijack.)

I determine where to trim my sideburns based on my glasses. I use the arm of the glasses as a suedo level. Probably not the best bethod, but I don't look completely off kilter.

[Ashe]

I base myself on the little openings from my sideburns towards my ears.

[Joedy]

I've noticed the same phenomenon.

One thing to try is to use the left hand of the left side of the face and the right hand for the right side of the face.

Seems to work for me. Felt strange at first, but feels natural now.

-joedy

[jfm]

I base myself on the little openings from my sideburns towards my ears.

Can you explain that one step further for me please? Are you using the gap distance between ear and sideburn?

Sincerely,
Mr. Scared of Uneven Sideburns

[ada8356]

Somehow, I don't recall ever discussing anything so simple in so much depth.... Are you sure it isn't really more complicated than Rocket science? Not so different either, I'll have you know - angle, pressure, timing, good preparation, the right "mix" all critical in both.

and you haven't even gotten to the 'correct' lather yet...

[Ashe]

Can you explain that one step further for me please? Are you using the gap distance between ear and sideburn?

Sincerely,
Mr. Scared of Uneven Sideburns

Justin,

Let's see whether I can describe it properly in English (don't know all the correct terms I'm afraid).

If you look at either left or right side of your face, you'll see a small gap where your ears become your cheeks. The area which links my ears to my face is approx 3cm's high and in between that there are small gaps. I simply choose one of those gaps (those are identical on both sides) and base the hight of my sideburns on that.

If I didn't shave for a few days, then I trim them separately prior to starting my shave, making it easier to distinguish what needs to stay and what can go.

If you go to this thread you'll see a picture of me where my right ear is visible. You may want to use that together with my description.

If my explanation didn't make anything clearer then accept my apologies, I'm a non native English speaker.

[_C_]

It just so happens that I had a very similar problem, only it occured on both sides of my face.

To curb the problem, I started closing my eyes just after I started each stroke. I know what a good shave stroke should feel and sound like. Whenever I made a mistake, I was able to immediately correct it, and note not only where the razor head was in relation to my face, but also where my elbow, shoulder, hand and arm was positioned.

Now, I no longer close my eyes. And my shaves still are not perfect, but this went a long way to making sure that I have near perfect shaves all the time.

Chris

[mrob]

I suspect that the unevenness of our shaves may have to do with the fact that although we attempt to shave the right side of the face by reversing the direction of the strokes on the left side, this doesn't take into account the likelihood that our hair does not grow in a mirrored pattern all over the face.

So when I'm shaving SN and sweeping clean the NS hairs growing on the right side, a SN pass on the left side doesn't cleanly nip the pesky EW, WE, and SN hairs over on that side of my face.

Make sense? You'd think that 4 passes in each of NS, EW, WE and SN would get 'em all, eh?

[Joedy]

I suspect that the unevenness of our shaves may have to do with the fact that although we attempt to shave the right side of the face by reversing the direction of the strokes on the left side, this doesn't take into account the likelihood that our hair does not grow in a mirrored pattern all over the face.

So when I'm shaving SN and sweeping clean the NS hairs growing on the right side, a SN pass on the left side doesn't cleanly nip the pesky EW, WE, and SN hairs over on that side of my face.

Make sense? You'd think that 4 passes in each of NS, EW, WE and SN would get 'em all, eh?

This might be well why the Slant seems to work well for me. I switched back to the slant this morning.

Only two passes and BBS. The results put the Futur to shame - it's not the razor, it's the technique.

I've seemed to have found a perfect solution for me.

Seriously though, they're only 30 dollars new. Buy one and try it. You'll surely be able to sell it on the forum for most of what you paid for it if you are not happy with the results of the Slant. If you never try, you'll always have that nagging felling, "Maybe the Slant is for me?"

-joedy