Ciseaux à effiler

Thinning Shears for Reducing Volume

Thinning shears have one smooth and one serrated blade. When cutting, they only grasp a portion of the hair strand, thereby reducing volume without visibly altering the length.

This is the difference from texturizing shears, which are serrated on both sides and used for soft transitions and texturizing.

How much is removed?

The number of teeth is crucial:

  • Few teeth (approx. 15 to 25) – removes a lot, for thick hair
  • Many teeth (approx. 30 to 45) – removes subtly, for soft transitions and fine hair

The rule of thumb: The more teeth, the gentler the result.

Application

Thinning is done in the lower third of the strand – never directly at the root, otherwise short hairs will stick out later. One or two cuts per strand are usually sufficient; the result cannot be undone.

The effect on wet hair is weaker than it will be later on dry hair. When in doubt, work sparingly.

A note that often surprises

Thinning shears cannot be re-sharpened. The serration would be destroyed during sharpening – unlike smooth hair shears, which we recondition in our sharpening service. Therefore, good quality thinning shears are worthwhile from the start.

Smooth scissors for cutting shape can be found under Hair Shears.

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