When your hair gets too long or damaged beyond repair, a haircut is the first solution that comes to mind.
We have had many people ask about thinning shears- the specific type of hair scissors that hairstylists and barbers use to thin out thick and curly hair or to shape and texturise- and whether or not they will cause damage to your hair.
The simple answer is a Yes! Thinning scissors can cause damage to your hair. Thinning scissors or shears can ruin your hairstyle and potentially cause long-term damage to the strands of hairs or the hair roots.
If misused, hair thinning scissors can ruin your hairstyle and cause damage that can take months or years to repair.
Read more about how to use hair thinning scissors here! Or find the Top 5 Best Thinning Shears Guide Here!
What exactly are thinning shears?
Thinning scissors have only one blade and a side with notched guides that allow only a limited amount of hair to be cut. They're great for blending and removing bulk.
Thinning shears are great for blending thick hair, men's fades, or anything short.
Do thinning shears cause damage, breakage, and split ends? Overusing thinning scissors can cause styling issues because the hair is all different lengths. As for razors, they're a tool that needs an advanced education.
Thinning shears are great on dry hair and suitable for personalising the cut post-styling.
Can hair thinning scissors or texturising shears damage or permanently ruin my hair?
The main question we hear about thinning scissors and texturising shears is “will thinning scissors damage my hair?”, and they are right to be cautious as a pair of scissors are only as good as the hairdresser.
A bad haircut with thinning scissors or texturising shears can damage your hair or simply ruin your hairstyle, but they cannot destroy the structure and density of your hair.
After a bad haircut, your hair should grow back in a matter of weeks or months.
This doesn’t mean your hair is completely safe from any permanent or long-term damage, though.
Most hairdressers and barbers will thin out and texturise hair to achieve a particular style at the end of your haircut (last 10%).
If the hairdresser knows what they are doing, and the scissor is sharp and well maintained, you should not have any irreversible damage, split-ends, or issues with the hair roots.
Thinning out your hair can also leave the hair-tips more exposed to the elements, including the sun, water, general heat, wind, etc.
Usually this wouldn’t be much of a problem, but if the thinning scissors ruined your hairstyle, then that could expose more of your hair to damage over time.
One common repeating issue with a poor hair thinning job is where the hair ends break off.
People refer to this as “permanent thinning”, as it appears as if your hair has lost its weight.
There are dozens of factors that affect the health of your hair. Younger and healthier hair will grow faster and thicker. The older we get, the thinner our hair becomes, making it harder to regrow after damage.
To recover after thinning scissors have damaged your hair, you will want to give your body the boost it needs to have healthier and stronger hair.
Make sure you are in-taking the right amount of vitamins and minerals; you can use heat protection products and high-quality shampoos and conditioners as well to protect your hair as it recovers.
How to recover from damaged hair due to thinning scissors or texturising shears
It happens to the best of us. A bad haircut that has caused damage to your hair can be a short-term problem if you are approaching it the right way.
You can talk to a hairstylist who is familiar with various hair thinning techniques, and they can help advise you on repairing the damage to your split ends, frizzy hair, and other damage caused by thinning scissors.
A few basic tips to help your ruined hairstyle bounce back:
- Take vitamins and minerals needed to help your hair recover
- Use heat protection protects to help protect your exposed hair tips from the elements
- High-quality shampoos and conditioners
- Stay hydrated
Damaged hair is temporary if you are ready to tackle the problem head-on. There are plenty of hairstyles that thinning shears have ruined, but they always bounce back after a few weeks or months.
Make sure you are giving your hair what it needs to be healthy, thick, and fast-growing!
Can Low Quality Thinning Scissors Damage Hair?
The short answer is yes! Low quality scissors of any type can cause damage to the hair. This is especially true of thinning shears because they already can damage the hair if they aren’t used properly.
The way thinning shears are designed make them very tricky to use. You must know what you are doing before cutting with them. One of the blades has “teeth” or small grooves, allowing the scissors to “thin” as you cut. But, if not used properly, the hair can snag, and you can be left with holes in the hair or hair that is too thin. If you use the scissors too close to the root if the hair, this can result in spiky hair that can take forever to grow back.
When used improperly, thinning scissors can cause more damage than good. But, when used correctly, they can leave the haircut in a better place.
But What about Quality?
The quality of the scissors themselves makes a huge difference too. You want to make sure the shears are sharp, and the grooves are spaced properly so you can create the perfect cut. With so many brands out there, it is difficult to know which ones are the best quality. Remember, price doesn’t always tell the truth. Just because a pair of scissors is highly expensive it doesn’t mean it is the best one out there.
So, How Do You Tell if Thinning Scissors are Good Quality?
This is important! Because hair thinning scissors are an essential part of every stylist’s toolkit, we want to make sure we have the best quality pair so we can provide the best value for our clients. It is also important for people who want to cut their own hair at home to know what thinning scissors are best. The difference between high- and low-quality thinning shears can cost you your dream cut!
If you are looking for the best thinning scissors, we have ranked the top five here, so you don’t have to put in the research!
- Best Professional Thinning Scissor ($$$): The Juntetsu Offset Thinner
- Most Popular For Hairdressers ($$$): Yasaka Offset YS400 Thinning Scissor
- Best Value Entry-Level Professional ($$): Ichiro Offset Hair Thinning Scissor
- Best Stylish Design ($$): Ichiro Rose Gold Hair Thinning Shear
- Best For Beginners & Home-Use ($): Mina Hair Thinning Scissor
What Do I Do If Thinning Scissors Caused Damage to My Hair?
Unfortunately, bad haircuts happen! If you are suffering from a bad cut due to too much thinning or bad quality shears, the good news is it won't last forever. There isn’t a cut that can permanently damage your hair. It will grow back. But, what can we do in the meantime?
You may consider going to an experienced stylist and asking for help. He or she can help blend the damage. A few other things to help damaged or split hair recover include:
- Take vitamins to help strengthen hair, including Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E.
- Use heat protection spray when using any heat at all.
- Invest in high quality moisturizing shampoo and conditioner.
- Keep your body and hair hydrated.
Comments
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I would recommend skipping heat altogether. I’ve had my fair share of accidents, being cut-related or color-related and a total pause from heat along with using as little products as possible did wonders for it. This along with vitamins – those that are aligned with your body’s needs – and professional hair care products will regenerate your hair in no time.
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I had no idea this was a thing! I got an awful quarantine haircut from a girl that did home haircuts – since salons were out of bounds – and the result was shameful to say the least. Now I have to wait for it to grow and then visit my usual salon. I am beyond pissed!
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