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How Barber Should Use ​Hair Thinning Shears

How Barber Should Use ​Hair Thinning Shears

Posted by Brent Riggins on 25th Jul 2019

Hair Thinning Shears For Barbers | Cutting Tips

Barber shears are the number one tool you should learn to use when you learn to be a barber. Becoming an expert in cutting shears will give you an understanding of the principles of haircut like no other tool. 

Not long ago there was no electric hair clipper.


In this blog I will talk about the thinning / texturing of barber scissors and the purpose of the different number of cutting teeth and how to handle each other's drawings. 

A good barber who thins / textures the shears varies in number of 15, 28, 40 and 44 teeth. Different manufacturers produce them with slightly different numbers, but these are the standard.

The lower the number of teeth, the more hair is extracted from the scissors. The higher the number of teeth, the less hair is extracted from the scissors. 

The handles may vary from a straight, displaced or rotating grip.

You should have two hair shears to thin / texture with in your toolbox: you need a hair thinner of 28 teeth to lose weight / texture for a more structured look.

Idol Haircuts

This hair thinning shears can be used for shorter and more pointed tips and for idol haircuts with long hair for teenagers. 

The hair shears for barbers work best with scissor techniques on the fingers. 40-44 thinning / textured scissors are ideal for blending tones, blurring areas where hair is different and areas in short haircuts where the surface of the scalp is not uniform.


The scissors handle for thinning / texturing: less expensive scissors are supplied with a straight handle.

The thumb and finger grip are parallel to each other. The barber scissors of moderate price have an ergonomic off-center handle.

The thumb and the handle are displaced with the ring handle under the thumb grip. 

The most expensive barber scissors have a displaced grip with a rotating handle. The thumb grip is swivel and also moves to provide maximum comfort.

Shears For Thinning

A brief note on scissors for thinning / texturing the barber: the use of these scissors requires continuous training and practice by the barber. 

It is very easy to remove too much hair and leave holes and uneven areas in the haircuts. These scissors should be used to mix only after using the scissors and the nail clipper to mix properly. 

These scissors should never be used instead of these steps, just to give the finishing touches to haircuts when necessary.