To the untrained eye, hairdressing scissors may look like any pair of scissors that could be used for other cutting purposes. However, if you have been to a hairdressing school, you will know that this isn’t the case. They do look slightly different, and because of their function, they do need to be held differently to the kitchen or craft scissors.
If you’re a hairdressing professional, you will have already been taught the importance of handling your hairdressing scissors properly. But if you need a refresher, or if you’re an amateur using hairdressing scissors at home, here are a few helpful pointers.
Buy The Right Size Hairdressing Scissors
Holding your hairdressing scissors correctly is simple, although you do need the right scissors, to begin with. They need to be able to accommodate the size of your hand and fingers, as if they are too small, you will obviously struggle to hold them correctly. You also need to make sure they aren’t too big, as you won’t be able to grip them effectively when you’re cutting hair, and you might accidentally drop them! To avoid any problems (and injuries) then, ensure the hairdressing scissors you buy are of the right size. It doesn’t matter if they are a little bit too big as you can put inserts into the finger holes, but they shouldn’t be overly large or too small for your fingers.
Holding Your Hairdressing Scissors
Before using your scissors, make sure you are familiar with them first. There are two finger holes, the largest of which is for your thumb and the smallest of which is for your ring finger. You will also notice a curved protrusion coming from the small finger hole. This is called the ‘tang,’ and is the part where you rest your pinky finger. Its purpose is to give you added grip while cutting hair, and it should always be positioned to the top.
Your index and middle fingers can then rest on the back arm of your hairdressing scissors, and you might notice that there notches in front of the small finger hole on which to place them.
Once you are familiar with where to place your fingers and thumb, you will know how to properly hold your hairdressing scissors. However, when cutting, don’t make the common mistake of moving your thumb and ring finger to open and close the blades. This can cause repetitive strain injury and could cause your hand to get tired when you’re cutting your family member or customers hair. The safest option is to only use your thumb, as you will use fewer muscles this way, and you will be able to cut the person’s hair more efficiently.
Conclusion
There are other ways to hold hairdressing scissors, though the method we have discussed is by far the most common. Once you have the hang of holding them in a relaxed and ergonomic way, you will be a far more efficient hairdresser or barber when using them for an extended period of time. Of course, if you’re not comfortable with the solution we have suggested, do check out the other methods of holding your hairdressing scissors online.