How to Use Hair Thinning Shears

Co-authored by Bianca Cox

Last Updated: February 27, 2023 References Approved

You can texturize your hair and remove added bulk by using thinning shears. Thinning shears are scissors that have teeth or notches on one side, while the other side is a smooth blade. Different factors determine whether you texturize hair or thin it out. You can use a variety of techniques for thinning in order to give your hair a well-manicured look. Luckily, thinning your hair is a very easy process that is actually quick and simple to learn.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Determining the Right Pair of Thinning Shears to Buy

1
Buy a pair of blending and texturizing shears. These shears are very versatile, and are able to cut about 40-70% of hair off in a few quick cuts. They can be used to add a level of texture, or naturally blend different levels of your hair. There are generally 25 teeth on this particular type of shear.
2
Add chunking shears to your array of scissors. If you have especially thick hair to cut, these are great. However, they can be difficult to use and leave holes in the cut, so only use them for very thick hair. They can take big chunks out at once (40-80%), and can cut through thicker hair than a standard pair of shears. These even work best with curly hair, which is hard to cut with normal scissors. These shears have about 7-15 teeth on them.

Advertisement
3
Get a pair of finishing shears. They remove much less hair than the other two pairs of shears. This is a great pair of shears to go back over your hair after you have already made a pass with the standard shears. They give your hair a softer, lived in look. However, you will have to make more passes with these shears, as they take so little off.
4
Find shears with adjustable screws. Most, if not all shears, are stainless steel. However, shears with an adjustable screw can make all the difference in the world. If you find that the tension is off, then the screw allows you to adjust it.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Texturizing Bulky Ends

1
Comb through your hair. Make sure your hair has been freshly washed and is still damp. Then, use a comb and pass it through your hair a few times. Run your hand through your hair when you are done combing. Check for any knots or bulges. Try and shake them loose, then pass your brush/comb through the area again.^{[1]
X
Research source}
2
Grab a section of your hair. This section of hair should be from the front of your face. Each section is usually around ½” thick. Pull the strands out, away from your body, and hold the ends in between your fingers with one hand. You will want to hold your hand about 2-3 inches away from the ends of your hair.^{[2]
X
Research source}
3
Use your other hand to hold the thinning shears. Take the shears to the outer section of the hair and cut the hair diagonally about one inch inward from the outer tips.^{[3]
X
Expert Source

Bianca Cox
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 9 May 2019.} If you want to you can flip the shears around and cut at the same spot, but with the shears facing the opposite direction.^{[4]
X
Research source}^{[5]
X
Research source}
4
Take another section of hair with your hand. This should be immediately behind the first section you just finished thinning out. Pull the hair outward and hold the section of hair in between your fingers. Take the thinning shears and cut through the section of hair, starting one inch away from the tips. Once more, you can flip the shears around and cut in the same spot for added thinning/shaping.^{[6]
X
Research source}
5
Repeat until you have gone all the way around. Make sure that you get all of your ends. To ensure you get all of them, you can do some minor overlapping cuts. You can take a few hairs from a previously thinned section and add them to the section you are about to thin. This will guarantee that you snip all of the ends to the same length.^{[7]
X
Expert Source

Bianca Cox
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 9 May 2019.} Feel free to go back, and cut again if you feel as if they are misshapen, or still too bulky, but be careful not to cut too much.
- Note that as you move from onto a new section, drop the previous section of hair except for a small section to guide the length of the cut.
6
Clean your ends off. You can either take a towel, or run through the ends with your hands. You want to make sure you loosen your hair, and let the trimmed hair fall to the ground. This would also be a great time to wash or rinse your hair, and clean the snipped hair out.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Thinning Your Hair Out

1
Dry your hair off. If you have just stepped out of the shower, or been outside in the rain, it is critical that you dry your hair off. Use a towel, and run through your hair. You can also use a blow dryer if your hair is really soaking wet. This is because thinning shears have a difficult time cutting through wet hair, which can make a person's head look very bad as a result.
2
Comb through your hair until it is smooth. You can use a brush if your hair is thick, or a comb if your hair is thin. Make at least 20-30 passes through, depending on the treatment of your hair, and its texture. After you are done, run your hands through your hair to see if there are any knots. If there are, try to take a few more passes with the comb/brush.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- If you have curly hair, you might want to consider straightening your hair. Otherwise, the thinning shears might cut your hair unevenly.
3
Separate your hair with hair clips. Each section should be about 3 inches, or 76 mm, wide. Simply grab an estimated length of hair and hold it with your hand. You can attach the hair clip against the hair bundle, or around it, as long as it remains contained and separated. Depending on the thickness of your hair, you may need to add more hair clips.^{[9]
X
Research source}^{[10]
X
Research source}
4
Remove one of the hair clips. The first one you remove should be in the front part of the head. Comb through that section of loose hair and straighten it out some more. Then gently pull the comb towards the end of your hair, but not all the way. Hold your hair high in the air, with the comb still attached at the end.
5
Begin to thin your hair. About halfway down the strand, cut that section of hair with the thinning shears.^{[11]
X
Expert Source

Bianca Cox
Professional Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 9 May 2019.} The tips of the scissors should be pointing upward towards the ceiling. Then comb out the hair. If it still looks bulky, flip the scissors around and cut at the same point with the tips of the scissors pointing downward. This will complete the thinning for this section of hair. You can now release the shears and place them on a nearby table.^{[12]
X
Research source}^{[13]
X
Research source}
6
Let the comb in your other hand loose. Go back through the sheared section, and comb through. This will release the cut hair and get it out of the way. If some hair seems to be stuck, run your fingers through it slightly to loosen them. Otherwise, you can wait until it is over to clean your hair in the shower.^{[14]
X
Research source}
7
Thin your hair out in sections. Each time you complete a section of hair, allow it to fall with the rest of the hair that has already been thinned out. Remember to do both an upward and downward cut for each section. It is better to follow clockwise, or counterclockwise. Do not do random sections, otherwise it might end up looking unnatural.^{[15]
X
Research source}
8
Comb through your hair one last time. Depending on the thickness of your hair, you may need to go back around with the thinning shears and thin more hair. This time do not cut at the same spot. Instead, do one more angular cut and then comb your hair and check it.

Expert Q&A

Question

What is thinning out hair for?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Thinning allows hair to lay close to the head, adds movement, and softens shapes. You can use thinning shears to remove bulk from thick hair or to simply soften the ends of a cut.
Question

How do thinning scissors work?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

A thinning shear has teeth along the blade that separate out some of the hair so that only intermittent pieces are cut. This creates a soft, diffused cut instead of a clean line.
Question

What is the difference between blending and thinning shears?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist in Georgia. She has been a hair stylist since 2007 and a cosmetology teacher since 2013.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

Blending and thinning shears are different terms for the same thing. Some companies call shears different things based on the spacing of the teeth, but this isn't consistent across brands.

Warnings

Always be careful when using thinning shears. They are just as sharp as a regular pair of scissors.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 4 Not Helpful 1
If you are thinning your own hair, it is okay to ask a friend or relative for help. Mirrors are hard to see in, and you might wind up cutting out too much hair, at the wrong angle.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 3 Not Helpful 2
If you are new to thinning, it is best to first practice on a wig, or a close friend. You could mess up on a complete stranger, which would lead to a bad haircut.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 3 Not Helpful 2