Thinning Hair Scissors

Blending, volume reduction and texturizing are all jobs for thinning hair scissors. These professional scissors with comb-like blades are used to transform thick and curly hair into lighter and much more manageable locks, while for thin and fine hair, thinning scissors can blend the layers for a softer look.

Thinning hair scissors come in all brands, sizes and designs, but there are a few types that vary depending on the hair texture you intend on using them on and the style you are trying to create. But before explaining them, keep in mind that when it comes to thinning scissors you can choose between single-sided or double-sided where the first only has one toothed blade and the second has both blades lines with teeth. The amount of teeth also depends on your styling needs since more teeth favor thin and fine hair whereas less teeth favor thick and curly hair.  Generally, the more teeth, the less hair removed with each snip.

Now for the types, these can be either for chunking, blending or thinning. Here’s a brief explanation of each one.

Chunking scissors: These are used to remove bulk which is especially useful for thick, curly and coarse hair types to relax them and make them more manageable for the customer. Also called notching scissors, these usually have from 7 to 15 teeth widely spaced to remove up to 80% of hair in one snip. With these scissors you should think twice before using them on thin or fine hair as you may end up with a style that is hard to blend or that is left excessively thin.

Blending scissors: If you’re a less experienced stylist then this is a great choice. These scissors have around 20 teeth or so and are the most practical and versatile of them all. Blending or texturizing scissors remove up to 60% hair in less than three snips while leaving a soft edge. They work on all hair types and are ideal if you’re still not sure of what your cutting style is.

Finishing scissors: These are ideal for a clean finish as they remove up to 50% of bulk which is just enough for volume removal but not too much for blending very thin hair. These have up to 40 teeth and the cuts may not be too visible but don’t take this as a sign to keep snipping.

A golden rule that applies to any kind of thinning hair scissor is to not overuse them as this can leave the customer with an unbalanced style. To use thinning hair scissors correctly, you’ll need to know how much bulk they remove with each snip and at what angle to use them for the best result.