Shears for Curly Hair
December 02, 2021We're here asking the age old question - Are there shears for curly hair? To put it simply, no but also yes. Sorry to confuse you like that but as curly hair cutting professionals would know, that as long as your hair cutting scissors can actually be cut, then there is no such thing as scissors for curly hair but merely shears that cut hair.
As stated above 'curly hair professionals' know exactly what they're doing when it comes to curly hair because they are well and truly trained for the job! Which is why they have a unique clientele that mainly consists of curly hair. When cutting curly hair it can not only be tricky due to the consistency of the curls but also to know what is and what isn't going to work for this particular curl. One thing is for sure though is that having the right type of shear can make the world of difference when cutting curly hair.
Should you use shears on curly hair?
Absolutely you should! Every curly haired person needs TLC on their lush locks, so why wouldn't you? As some curly hair clients are blessed and their curls behave all the time, others aren't so lucky and need the extra loving. Curly as we know is usually more on the dry side and needs extra nourishment and regular trims. Why? Well, that's because curly is harder to nourish naturally.
As all hairdressers know, the best nourishment hair can receive is from its own natural oils that make it all the way down the hair shaft keeping it nourished. However, when the natural oils try to make it down curly hair it can take a very long time. Think of curly hair as a spiral slide as opposed to a straight slide. Spiral usually takes longer to get down unlike a straight top to bottom type of slide. So rather than relying on a slippery slide of oil to nourish curly hair, that's when you can whip out your shears to give those dry curls a snip and clean up to keep them feeling fresh as a daisy. Keeping in mind that you don't need to cut the hair every time it's dry, if that were the case your curly hair'd client wouldn't have any left!
Can you use thinning shears on curly hair?
Look, you can, but we definitely don't recommend it! When cutting curly hair with thinning scissors it can cause the hair to become more frizzy and prone to split ends which essentially can cause hair to break off. But why does it do all of that!? Purely because when the thinners cut the individual strands that help weigh down other strands spring thus causing the unwanted frizz. Think of curly hair as springs - the smaller the spring the more the bounce back, whereas the longer and heavier the spring the lesser bounce. Don't believe us!? Just ask all the curly hair clients out there that have had their curls hacked at and left with 'the frizz'
Scissors to use on curly hair
Ok enough with the questions, let's get to the goods - Which shares should you be using for curly hair? Honestly, it can be any that you are most comfortable with. BUT if you're serious about being a specialist in curly haircuts, then you would want to be equipped with the best! Some will say the shorter the shear the better. Due to the curls wanting to spring back to its natural curly form you need to have a short length shear to get quick snips in before they spring back up. Below is listed our recommended shears to get those quick snips in.
If the curl is more of an afro then you wouldn't want to be combing anything out and will need to be making larger cuts to ensure all the hair is cut evenly which can be done much smoother and quicker with a longer shear - BUT each to their own, not everyone sees it that way. So feel free to make your choice from below, shorter length or longer length the choice is yours!
JOEWELL CX SERIES
Clearly we'll start with the shortest of them all which is of course the Joewell CX series. At 4.5 inches it's got an ergonomic handle design to keep maximum comfort, all while having a small enough blade to get those quick cuts in before the curl changes its form, but also Long enough to ensure a solid cut is created.
MATSUI ROSE GOLD VG10 OFFSET SCISSOR
Of course the Matsui VG10 offset shear got into the recommendation. Having the offset handle design alongside 5.5 inches premium Japanese steel, the mountain blade really helps to push the hair onto the fine razor sharp cutting edge, how can this shear do any wrong? It's a highly trusted shear whether it's used on long curly or straight hair making a great all-rounder.
YASAKA DRY CUTTING SCISSOR
The Yasaka dry cutting scissor has made this recommendation for the obvious reason - it's in the title, duh!! Sometimes cutting curly hair (especially afro hair) dry is the safest option to keep the curls in its natural form. Which is where these shears come into play. It's unique Crane drop handle helps to drop your shoulder and allow you to make free movements while working around the curly/afro hair. Being 6 inch helps too, by not cutting too much or too little at each time.
So there we have it folks! Scissors for curly hair in a nutshell. So if you're looking for curly hair scissors you'll be looking for a while because we're sorry to say but professional hair cutting shears are exactly that no matter the type of hair.