What do texturizing shears do?

So here we are, on the topic of what do texturizing shears do? Not sure if we should be worried if you're about to get shear happy and texturize away or if you are going to be using them for what they are meant to be used for which is well texturizing. So naturally, when we hear the word thin or texturize we automatically freak out (well at least most of us do) many stylists either love or hate to use any form of thinners or texturizing shears.

Thinning shears or texturizing scissors can be called the same thing by some but by others, there is a huge difference. Thinning shears are great to use when needing to take the bulk out from a haircut/style, blending out a men's haircut/fade or for general thinning out of thick hair. Whereas texturizing shears are used for exactly that, Texture!

There are many different techniques used with the shears to create different looks; it just depends on the look you or the stylist is trying to achieve.

How do texturizing shears work?

Texturizing shears work in a way to help the stylist add more texture and shape to the haircut which can allow more movement creating the hair to not be a boring straight cut. Texture shears are designed generally with 7 - 15 teeth on one side of the blade and a straight blade on the other side.

As you may know by now to texture the hair and to thin the hair are two very different things and you want to make sure you are using the correct shear for the right job.

When using your texture shears it's important to remember that when taking a section of hair it's going to remove a much greater chunk of hair as opposed to what thinning shears would remove in the first cut of the hair and may take you by surprise, so it's best you know and check the shears teeth before creating your texture look.

Texture shears can be used to thin very, very thick hair but I use this term loosely as it's not for all types of hair, as said before only thick hair is best if you are going to use your texture shears for thinning. However, we don't actually recommend this but we know hairdressers are the biggest rule breakers.

Is texturizing hair the same as thinning?

The biggest question of them all which is so debatable but so obvious - texturizing and thinning. Let's first take into account that yes, they do similar things and can at some point do the same thing but they are so very different when it comes to the shears that create either texture or thinning they need to be recognized as 2 different shears.

Thinning shears are designed with up to 40 teeth on the one shears as said above texture scissors are designed with as little as 7 - 15 teeth on the one shear. Thinning shears are generally best used on dry hair but can also be used on wet. If used on wet you need to be extra careful to not overuse them as once the hair is then dry the style/cut can be completely lost or even ruined! So best to use with dry hair as they are only really designed to take every 2nd, 3rd or 4th strand of hair as opposed to the texturizers that are designed to take more chunks rather than strands of hair. Thinning shears are also great to help take weight out of a short haircut or section by using the scissor over comb method to help make blending your cut easier.

The point, Slithering or notching are some of the types of terms used when using thinning shears. Point cutting is as it seems – pointing the shears into the hair and making your cut. It’s used to take weight out with also creating a softer layer and leaving curly hair with a softer textured look. Slithering unlike point cutting is where instead of cutting we hold the scissors slightly open to the hair and simply slide away from the length of the hair. Best used on straight, soft waved hair so it’s more subtle. Notching is very similar to the point cutting only used on much shorter hair. Typically short pixie cuts or men’s cuts are the right fit for this method to give a very textured messy look which as well can remove unwanted weight and create a lighter feel to the cut.

Texture scissors however are also best used on dry hair as the techniques that can be used with these shears are the type that needs to be seen dry to ensure enough movement is made in each section of the hair and can be able to create the desired look. Whether it’s to enhance the length of the hair by showing more movement in each layer or to create a section of the hair to have much less bulk or weight in the hair it’s best to know what you want from the style before you chop away.

Unlike the thinning shears, texture shears remove so much more hair than the thinning shears and will remove a great amount of hair as the teeth in the texture shears a much wider apart, and instead of removing less hair like what the thinning scissor would, these bad boys will remove a whole chunk. Which I'm sure someone with finer or thinner wouldn't want and isn't as easy to fix so you might as well start digging that hole and make your way in from that disaster, but let’s hope you're smarter than that and have read this article properly.

When cutting with either shear I always have my comb in hand to get a clean combed section of where I will be cutting or blending or taking the weight off. Once I have my section I transfer my comb to my other hand and hold it there and with my other hand, I then make the cut with the shear of choice.

In a busy salon, I tend to use my thinning shear to help blend and take weight out in a more timely manner so I can provide a quicker service for not only my client but also my employer. When blending with either shear I tend to use the scissor over comb method as it makes the blending process so much quicker and comfortable to use plus its less contact being made since the whole covid pandemic happened with us hairdressers not being able to come in contact with clients, So scissor over comb to do my blending is what I rely on most these days!

Either thinning shear or texture shear won’t really clean off all ends of the hair. If you are wanting all ends cut you would be better off cutting the ends with a straight blade scissor. If using your texturizing shears for blending it’s best to go an inch or two away from the baseline of the hair if it’s on long hair, whereas if it’s on short hair you won’t need to worry about what inch away from the baseline you can just start to blend away.

Is Texturizing scissors bad for your hair?

Another debatable question, texturizing scissors aren't necessarily bad for your hair. If you the stylist choose to use texture shears on your clients hair we would like to assume you have chosen the correct texture shear for the hair type and the best way to choose that is again by the teeth on the shear.

Having the right amount of teeth on the shear will determine how much hair will be coming off and how the hair responds to being textured. If your client is wanting the texture shear used every salon visit, whether it’s for weight removal, blending, or to simply add a bit of texture to the hair each time you use them, you can cause the hair to be weakened and cause the hair to be fragile.

This however isn't the case for all hair, it again comes down to the type of hair, if it’s thick or thin, fine or coarse, Which is why it’s best to make sure using these scissors are the right idea for the hair. In saying that, Creating texture in the hair is essentially creating movement and shape for hair that may be lacking either of those two. With the fashion of today, you simply cannot go wrong with having a texture shear in your collection of shears.

Much like a normal shear, it’s always a good option to carry a few different shears with different teeth. That was one or many tips I received when doing my training because no two haircuts will be the same and you will always need a different shear to provide each client the service and cut they want.

Taking that into consideration it’s so easy to give the client what they want but sometimes the hair doesn't always work with you and can be stubborn or hard to work with. That's why as I was saying it’s best to have multiple choices of shears. In my personal case I have a cutting shear, a shear for weight removal/ blending, one to texture and one shear that's my best all-rounder, oh and of course my cutting comb, that way I'm never stuck on not being able to provide my client the best service or cut possible.