So, just found out I need to have rotator cuff surgery and it'll mean a couple months with my dominant arm in a sling. No way I'm going to quit shaving for that long though. I figure when I shave with a straight I use my left hand for half my face so I can do my whole face with a safety razor. I'm sure I'm not the first to deal with this so anyone have any good tips?
I was lucky, when I had my rotator cuff surgery it was on my non dominant hand/arm. Go ahead and start practicing now. Sleeping in a good recliner was helpful as it keeps you from attempting to roll over on that side. The docs will tell you don't lift any thing over X amount of lbs for X amount of weeks.....Add 2 weeks to that . I listened to the dr and was washing my car at the end of the time period.When I lifted the wash bucket something in my shoulder popped like a rubber band, since then I've been limited as to the amount of weight it can handle.Bench press is especially troublesome.But it no longer pops out of joint anymore and my hand no longer opens involuntarily when pulling at certain angles, i'm pretty happy about that. Good luck
Thanks. That all sounds like good advice. I'm definitely a side-sleeper so that won't be easy. But it will be nice when it's not popping out of its socket anymore.
I think I would go with a mild razor (or a razor that would be very hard to nick your self) until you feel confident shaving with your non-dominant hand. You may want to consider how you will load your brush and lather your face. A shave stick might be helpful. You can make one out of a soap you like if you don't like the options you can buy. Maybe a brushless cream would be helpful.
Yes, I’ve been there. My dominant arm was the first for rotator cuff repair, a very nasty injury ripped it to shreds. Unfortunately, my left arm is partially disabled from a serious auto accident a few years earlier, and I lacked the fine motor skills in my hand to handle a razor. My wife did a very credible job of one pass shaves, usually every couple of days. At the time I was using a cart, which made it easier for her. Had my left arm not been injured, I would have certainly tried it left handed.
I'm pretty well stocked on shave sticks and use them often so I was thinking that may be the way to go. I think I can make that work. I'm also wondering how I'll load a blade in a razor. I'm used to loading them with two hands and not sure how to make any of them work one-handed.
Man, that's pretty rough. It's good to have a great wife to help you through these times though . I was thinking I might use a cart at first until I get a little feel for it.
That might be a pretty good solution to consider. I now greatly prefer a DE, but in that circumstance a cartridge can be useful.
I ask because I really don't know...does the surgery render the hand useless? I'm sure you'll be in a sling, but can you still move your fingers and grip, albeit with a weaker grip? Either way, I pray all goes well and you recover quickly!
You might consider using a Schick Injector. Excellent shavers and the blades last longer (in my experience). So less need to reload a blade. Shaving sticks seem to be quite a good idea to me as well. Just my $0.02 And best of luck with the surgery. May the recovery be swift and uneventful!
From what the doc told me, I shouldn't use my hand for anything for a few weeks. After that, I can use it a little to help with small things while it's in the sling. So really it's the first few weeks that I'll be pretty much one-handed.
I've been using my Schick Golden 500 for the past week and I can usually get around that long from an injector blade so I was thinking that might be one way to go. I was also thinking I've got one of those Chinese sort of Futur looking razors with a magnetized head. I might be able to load that one-handed.
With most rotator cuff surgeries, even when you can use your fingers, you most likely won’t be able to raise your arm very much.
I second, getting a good recliner. I bought a big plush leather one. I had my left shoulder operated on. I had 2 pins put in, with rotator cuff clean-up. I slept in that chair for 3 weeks.
I think a butterfly-type head might be easiest to open with one hand (but I will defer to others who may know better.) I use my non-dominant had a lot, because you have to, when shaving legs. There will be some spots you just can’t reach with the dominant. But this will feel new to you. If you are really hesitant, start with a pretend-shave. That is, lather up and then go over your face with the razor in your non-dominant hand, but no blade in it.
