Using thinning shears correctly – what they are for

Thinning shears do not shorten hair – they remove bulk. That is the whole point of the tool, and at the same time the reason it is so often used wrongly the first time round. This guide explains what the teeth do, where in the hair to cut and how to spot a pair that suits what you have in mind.

What thinning shears are for

With ordinary hair scissors, blade meets blade – the hair is cut through along the whole line. On thinning shears, a smooth blade sits opposite a toothed one. Hair slips through between the teeth; only the hair lying over the gaps is cut.

The result: the length stays visible, the volume comes down. That makes sense with

  • thick, heavy hair that sits on top instead of falling,
  • hard steps between two lengths that should blend more softly,
  • fringe and outline transitions,
  • beard and neckline, where a straight edge looks too hard.

They are not the answer for fine or thin hair, for frizzy hair that tends to stand out, or anywhere length actually has to go. That is a job for ordinary hair scissors.

Toothed on one side or on both?

  • Toothed on one side (one smooth blade, one toothed): removes noticeably more hair per cut. The classic choice for genuinely thinning thick hair. Also sold as texturizing scissors.
  • Toothed on both sides (both blades toothed): removes less per cut and leaves a softer, less noticeable transition. More forgiving if you have little practice.

The terms “thinning shears” and “texturizing scissors” are not used consistently in the trade. Do not go by the name, go by two specifications: toothed on one or both sides and number of teeth.

The number of teeth decides how much comes off

The fewer and the wider the teeth, the more hair goes per cut. As a rough guide:

  • Few, wide teeth – heavy removal. For very dense hair and coarse thinning. Mistakes show clearly here.
  • Medium teeth – the all-rounder for home use.
  • Many, fine teeth – little removal per cut. For transitions, outlines and everything that should stay invisible.

If you are only buying one pair, you are safer with medium to fine teeth: too little taken off can be corrected, too much cannot.

How to use them: the three rules

  1. Keep your distance from the roots. Never thin directly at the hairline. Keep at least a hand's width of distance – otherwise the shortened hairs will later stand up as fluff.
  2. Work in the lower third. Lift the section, set the shears at an angle and close them once in the lower part of the length. Then comb out and look at the result before you cut again.
  3. Close once, not several times in the same place. Two cuts in the same spot take off twice as much – and you only see it once the hair dries.

Two points that are often missed: thinning is normally done on dry hair, because wet hair hides more than it shows – otherwise you regularly take off too much. And the shears are held at an angle to the section, not at a right angle; that gives a softer run-out.

How to recognise good thinning shears

  • Cleanly finished teeth. Burrs or uneven gaps tug at the hair instead of cutting it – you feel it straight away.
  • No play in the joint. The blades must not wobble sideways. An adjustable screw is a good sign.
  • Finger rest. Takes the load off the little finger during longer sessions.
  • Stainless steel. A given once the shears see moisture or disinfectant – what the various terms mean is explained in Rustproof, nickel-plated, stainless steel.

Important: toothed scissors cannot be resharpened

Thinning shears rarely go blunt in the usual sense – they start to pull. Unlike smooth hair scissors, though, this is not a case for the sharpening service: sharpening would destroy the teeth. Worn thinning or texturizing scissors are replaced, not repaired.

That is the strongest argument for buying a cleanly made pair in the first place – the price difference spreads over the whole service life, and here that life cannot be extended. It does not apply to smooth hair and nail scissors; when sharpening pays off there is explained in Having scissors sharpened.

Left-handers will find the case for genuine left-handed scissors in Scissors for left-handers.

Matching scissors

Categories: Thinning shears · Hair scissors · Beard scissors

Read on: The best beard scissors · Cutting hair at home · The anatomy of a pair of scissors

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