Mailbag: Seeing the back of your head

I have looked on several different websites and I have yet to find an answer to this simple question: how does everyone see the back and the side of their heads to get a clean shave? I know the answer is a mirror, but is there a special mirror or technique?

First off, you don't need to be able to see the back of your head in order to get a close shave. Personally, I shave by feel in all the areas that I can't see in the bathroom mirror without a problem. This takes a little practice, but it's not too hard to pick up; in fact, I sometimes shave in the shower without any mirrors at all. Your wet fingers running over the surface to be shaved will find any rough spots, which you can then go over again with your razor.

You can see the back of your head if you use two mirrors. The simplest method is to use a handheld mirror and your bathroom mirror. Turn your back to the bathroom mirror, and hold the handheld mirror in front of you, adjusting it so that you can see the reflection of the back of your head. You can shave with the razor in one hand and the mirror in the other hand. This is awkward at first, but it can be done with practice.

Some people are fortunate enough to have a set-up wherein they have multiple adjustable mirrors in the bathroom. A friend of mine had one where the mirror folded (on hinges) at two points, so you could fold the mirror in such a way that you could accomplish the same thing described above, but without having to hold one of the mirrors.