What are contour shears?

When we hear the word 'contour' if you're like me, you probably straight away think of makeup and contouring of the face. Look, you're not wrong in thinking that way either, by google definition -'Contouring is a makeup technique that uses cosmetics to define, enhance and sculpt the structure of the face or other body parts', However, we're not make-up artists here and we certainly won't try to be. So what are contour shears? And what do they have to do with hairdressing?

Like anything these days we can easily throw a word into something and use our creativity to start a new trend or a new phrase or whatever your heart desires, there are no rules anymore if we're honest. If you search Contour shears you won't find much but a bunch of scissors on the website. So what are they? Contour shears are essentially a cutting shear with a 'contoured' handle design. Generally they are an ergonomic handle design used to help support and give control to stylists with their cutting skills.

Why would you need a contour shear?

A contour sheer is great for stylists that have any injuries or oncoming injuries related to hairdressing like Carpal tunnel or RSI (repetitive strain injury) and of course the obvious - having the wrong shear design. Typically hair cutting shears come in four different designs and they are:

• Classic
• Offset
• Crane
• Swivel

The classic handle design is more of an older design, typically used with your middle finger and thumb in the finger holes. Which as we know isn't the best way to hold your scissors and can lead to RSI or carpal tunnel. The offset design is exactly that, offset. This particular design is more common amongst stylists due to the handle allowing you to drop your shoulder a little without dropping your elbow for a more relaxed feel. The crane is much like the offset only it's design to allow your shoulder and elbow to drop a little further - this design is recommended for stylists with underlying issues that need more support. The swivel however (my personal fav) is designed to, yep you guessed it - swivel! The swivel design allows you to open and close your hands in the most natural state possible therefore relieving any discomfort and allow you to cut freely in any position you're in with complete control at hand.

As I'm sure you're aware if you've read any of our other blogs, Scissor tech is all about the health and safety of our hairdresser and barber customers with the products we produce. Which is why only high quality products are what we stock.

What is a contour shear?

A contour shear as mentioned above is an ergonomic handle design used to help support and give control to stylists with their cutting skills. But what is an ergonomic handle design you ask? Well that's simple - An ergonomic shear design is a design that puts the least amount of strain or stress on the hand, wrist, arm, even shoulders for that matter when the stylist is cutting there for it provides comfort, control and support.

Now in saying that, it doesn't actually matter what length the shears are as it's all in the handle design. The length of the shear is purely for cutting purposes and what the stylist prefers or provides them with the most control to get their desired results of the cut they are trying to achieve.

So basically the offset, Crane and swivel design can be considered a 'contour shear' because essentially they are all considered an ergonomic design, and as we learned above a 'contour shear' is an ergonomic design. Let's be real, contour sounds way cooler than ergonomic, right? So, what are you waiting for!? Go shop your contour shear now!