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Barber Tips: ​Texturising hair with thinning shears

Barber Tips: ​Texturising hair with thinning shears

Posted by Brent Riggins on 16th Jul 2019

Texturising hair with thinning shears

There are several ways to add texture and eliminate hair mass, but one of the easiest is with the use of thinner shears. The shears designed specifically for thinning have notches embedded in one side, with the other side smooth. 

These teeth allow the barber to remove less hair with each cut compared to normal. 

The positioning and angle of the shears can be used to texture the hair as needed, to provide a more refined and careful style. 

Cutting the ends may allow the hairdresser to soften and melt, while aiming the thinner shears towards the middle of the hair can reduce the mass. The preferred technique will depend on the texture and volume of the hair you are working with.

Texturising bulky ends


A possible use of thinning shears is to add consistency and shape to bulky and block ends. To use this technique, the barber can take a lock of hair at a time and remove it from the body or face. 

Hold the tips of your hair between your fingers, using the other hand to take the thinning scissors and apply them horizontally against the tips of the hair. 

Hair can be cut slightly inward from the outside corner, thinning and molding the ends as needed. This technique can be applied through each section of hair, cutting one inch at a time from the outer corner, until it has thinned and textured.

Thinning out hair


Another option is to use professional styling scissors on a wider section of the hair, rather than just on the ends. This can be useful to thin a thick or unruly hair style, giving it a more defined shape. 

To do this, the hair is separated again into sections. If you work with long or thick hair, you can use hair clips. Working with one section at a time, the barber can use a comb to hold the hair firmly and work on it, while the weight and volume are removed with scissors to lose weight. 

While the barber holds each strand of hair, the thin scissors can point the tip toward the ceiling, cutting the hair in the center of each section. 

The same section can be cut with the tip downwards. Alternating the angles with the up and down movement of the slimming scissors, the hair can be thinned with a natural regularity. Comb the hair after completing each section to see if the desired texture effect has been achieved, repeating if necessary.

Texturising tips

To get softer ends, you can separate the sections of hair with your hands instead of using a comb. Make a cut at the ends for a more natural finish.

Take it first if you cut the middle part of your hair, or it could have too strong an impact on your existing hairstyle.

Make sure to use texture scissors on the hair under the crown. The layers may be too short if you cut the hair from the top of the crown.

More tips on using hair thinning shears