Hidden Hazards

During shaving this week I watched a slice in the bottom of my nose gush blood, and I was extremely irritated. Costco had recently stopped carrying my faithful Gillette razors, so a few weeks ago I opted to try ‘Harry’s’ razors instead. I've been struggling ever since. 

I was on my sixth nose cut of the past few weeks, and no matter how gingerly I approached the nostril area, I still seemed to find a way to nick the bottom. You’d think I was a fourteen year old learning to shave for the first time. I even tried to examine the plastic of the blade to see if there was some abnormality that was snagging me. 

Nothing obvious. 

It made no sense. 

At work as I recounted the story to Randall, and my embarrassment at being so incompetent at shaving. He immediately inquired “The precision blade?”. 

To which I responded, “What is a precision blade?”

Apparently in an attempt to design the ultimate shaving experience, razor companies have attached a reverse facing blade on the top of the razor head, meant for those hard to get spots… like under the nose.

At home that evening I examined the head with extreme scrutiny, and sure enough, barely visible to my 45 year old eyes, was this hidden hazard.

I rewound the tapes in my brain, visualizing myself sliding this tiny blade across the base of my nose each time I shaved… ewe!

I felt angry all over again, partly at Harry’s for not making it clear that there was this special feature, but mostly at myself, for not figuring it out. 

Cut me once, shame on you, cut me six times, shame on me!

An outside perspective is critical to illuminate our ‘blind spots’, especially the tiny ones on the wrong side of the razor.

• Now that’s a peak ethos.