Why Do We Cut Our Hair?

Some say that getting haircuts makes them feel refreshed. The feeling of a new haircut can give your look a little zip and make everything seem crisp since it’s a new cut. There are also theories stating that if you trim your ends every six to eight weeks it can help your hair to grow faster. Some say this theory can’t be true, however, because it may seem hard to make hair grow if it’s always getting cut. There are many reasons why people cut their hair but there are also people out there who think haircuts are overrated. Why would you want to cut your hair when you can keep it growing to be luscious and long.

One of the reasons to cut hair regularly is because the ends get messy and tend to break easily if they aren’t treated. The suggested length to wait between cuts is six to eight weeks because the hair follicle needs a little time to grow back out before it can be reshaped. If you have extremely dry and damaged hair, you need may need to make your regular cut every four to six weeks so the hair can be repaired more often and maintain some health. As long as you bring out those hair shears more than twice a year, you can help your hair keep its body.

We, as Americans, are a much cleaner group of people than those in some foreign countries. Not to say there is anything wrong with other cultures and their traditions but in our specific society, we tend to care of our bodies more often and in heavier ways. For example, the average American will cleanse his or her hair and body once each day whereas it is more traditional in places like Rome to shower every three or four days. The fact that we are slightly higher on the hygiene scale reminds us that we tend to have cleaner cut hair too. Most Americans say that a good haircut should come every once in a while just to feel cleaner about themselves.

As odd as it may seem, some people even get a haircut just to gossip! That’s right, some ladies need a little time away from their husbands or children so they get a quick trim at the salon just to be around other women who talk about similar things! This may even be one of the more popular reasons for women to get a haircut. On the other hand, some men could care a less about their hair being cut and what type of shears are being used on them, etc. They get haircuts because their wives force them to after so long. The typical things they’ll hear from their wives include, “You look like a girl!” or “I can’t believe how long you’re letting your hair grow…I’m calling my hair lady!”

There are some reasons for getting a regular cut that make more sense than others. Who would think a place like a beauty salon would be a go-to place to get your mind off of things. For some women, it’s the perfect place. Then there are reasons like giving the hair cuticle a fresh start every once in a while. This is smart if you want to keep hair growing at its best. If you don’t get a regular trim with a quality pair of shears, the growth rate gets trapped by split ends and makes it come to an abrupt halt after so long.

5 Things You Should Know About Hair Scissors Before Purchasing

Wouldn’t it be nice if styling our hair were as easy as waking up and walking out the door? So many people search and search for hairstyling tools that will make their hair routine easier. But when it comes down to it, is there really one product that will actually help you style your hair in so many small steps? Think about the pair of hair shears sitting in your medicine cabinet and the things they can do for you. You may think you know all about them and what they do to keep your hair routine short whenever you need a trim, but there are a few things that you should know about them.

Before using your shears regularly, you must familiarize yourself with everything the tools have to offer. One of the most important parts of a pair of hair scissors is the grip on them. Your comfort is so crucial when you are cutting hair because if your fingers aren’t comfortable in the holes of the shears, you cannot perform well as a haircutter. Your cuts won’t be precise, your shears can slip in the middle of a cut, and your fingers could also cramp up. All of these could cause your client to become unhappy with their hairstyle. To ensure that your grip is good enough with the shears, you can either break the shears in if they are just slightly uncomfortable, or you can test them out for a bit before making a final purchase. Just remember, as long as your fingers are happy, so will your clients be.

You should also familiarize yourself with the blades of your hair scissors. The sharpness of these compared to your scissors for your office is a big difference. Hair shears are designed to cut precisely through hair as smoothly as possible. The blades are not designed for paper, in fact cutting through paper with hair scissors could permanently damage the blades. Not only should you be careful about damaging the blades, you should also be aware of the sharpness for your own safety. One wrong snip could slice through your skin and cause infections down the road. Safety always comes first when it comes to the blades of hair scissors and is one of the most important things to take care of when cutting hair.

When purchasing a pair of hair shears, the cost is typically one of the make or break factors in deciding what to buy. It is important to weigh all options between each pair you see. Make sure you know things like warranty information, all features, and durability. If you are purchasing a pair of hair scissors, you must know all about them so you can be sure that the investment will be worth it. You should know exactly what you’re getting yourself into with every purchase you make, especially something as expensive as a pair of shears so be sure to ask plenty of questions.

The fourth thing you should know about hair scissors is what others think of them. Make use of your internet and look up reviews of scissors before you purchase them. When you know what others have experienced with the same tools, you can have a better grasp at what you could expect. If you buy something without knowing anything about it, how will you know if it will work for you or not? Reading reviews is one of the smartest things you can do before purchasing anything because of all the opinions and background information that is provided.

The final thing you need to get straight before investing in a new pair of hair scissors is your own feelings. You have to make sure that you know you will love the shears and the affect they have on you as a hairstylist. Also remember that it’s not like a shirt where once you get sick of wearing it, you can just throw it away. Hair shears have so much value to them and must be dealt with in such a careful way. They definitely aren’t cheap and need to be something that you know you can stick with forever.

After getting everything straight, you know you can purchase a great pair of shears. They must be the right kind for you that will perform great jobs as you continue your styling. Whether it’s your hair that you’re cutting or another client’s hair, it is very important that you know all of the things mentioned above so that you are getting your money’s worth in the purchase of hair scissors.

Do Regular Trims Really Encourage Growth?

Is it really true that trimming your hair makes it grow faster? Is this a fact or is it just an old wives’ tale? Well, neither. Or both, depending on how you look at it. For some hair types, trimming up the ends each month can be very beneficial when it comes to growth. On the other hand, some hair types will not benefit at all from this regular snip snip every couple of months.

The average person experiences about ½ inch of hair growth per month. Moreover, people can lose more than 100 individual hair strands every month.  It’s important to determine which type of hair you have in order to decide whether you should be doing a regular trim.

If the ends of your hair tend to break off regularly or you experience damaged hair, you are part of the group that should spend some quality time with some hair scissors. Unhealthy hair will experience split ends on a regular basis. These ends will break off, causing your hair to seem as though it’s never growing. Ask your hair dresser to use high quality professional hair scissors to trim only the very ends of your hair and this should encourage healthy, happy growth. These are the people who view the “trimming will help your hair grow faster” idea as fact.

On the other hand, if you have healthy, strong hair, you may not be doing yourself any favors with the monthly trims. If you have few split ends and little breakage, trimming the hair will likely cause more harm than good in your hair growing efforts. These are the people who view the “trimming will help your hair grow faster” idea as a myth.

Decide with your hair dreser whether or not you fall into the category of “split ends” and whether or not you need regular trims. Talk to him or her about “micro-trimming” or “dusting” your ends. This is a process that can be done with an extremely sharp pair of hair scissors. The hair scissors MUST be extremely sharp for this process to work.

This trim removes less than ½ inch of hair with each snip. It is ideal for trimming split ends without losing length. No type of trimming will actually make hair follicles grow faster, but in some cases it can improve the appearance of hair and help extend the length by preventing breakage.

A Guide to Selecting Hair Shears

Spending day after day cutting and shaping and blending and thinning can put a lot of stress on your muscles, but the right hair scissors provide every comfort enhancing feature available.

Because you’re learning, you’ll try out your hair scissors on many styles of hair and use them for many different cuts.  This makes it vital for you to have quality hair scissors that will last.  Hair scissors are your equipment; they are your most important tool.

The Kamisori 5.75”Ergonomic Student Shears are made from 440C high chromium Stainless Steel.  It is made with special corrosion resistant properties to ensure that they don’t rust or become damaged and this metal provides the highest durability so these student hair scissors will last throughout all of your training.

It’s important to use the proper blade for each hair cut.  Convex and Bevel blades are the most used types.  Bevel blades have been around for a long time and are the oldest style used today.  Because of it’s older design, scissors with bevel blades need more forced to open and close.  It can easily add pain and strain to your hand and fingers.  Just consider how many times you open and close your shears during one hair cut.  The convex blade is a newer, updated blade and is used on nearly all training shears.  It is a state of the art, smooth blade that requires less force.  Convex blades are required for slide cutting because bevel blades will leave the hair choppy and gapped.

To make shears more easily adjustable, tension systems have evolved and grown to be the most efficient possible.  There are five tensions systems on professional hair shears:  The Coin Adjustable, Round Click Dial Adjustable, Leaf Spring Assembly, Rotating Thumb Ball Bearing and Ball Bearing Pivot System.  The purpose of a tension system is to allow the hair stylist to adjust how the shears open and close.  If the tension is too tight, the shears will cut the hair poorly and it will cause a lot of unnecessary damage to the hair shears.  If the tension is too loose, the blades will simply bend the hair rather than cutting it. The coin adjustable system is the oldest tensions system available; it is considered an industry standard and very dependable.

Round click dial tension systems are more precise because the scissors make an audible click with each adjustment. The leaf spring adjustable tensions system is modified version of the previous two styles that allows for much more control and accuracy when adjusting the tension.  The balance it offers to hair shears results in a longer lasting set of scissors.  Both of the ball bearing tensions styles allow for more stability and movement when using the hair scissors.

Finger rests are an option feature available on most hair scissors and provides a new level of comfort and/or stability.  It can reduce muscle stress and prevent injury, especially CTS (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome) and RSI (Repetive Strain Injury).  There is no hard-fast answer for using a finger rest.  Its use is based on the desire of the stylist. Because of this, some professional hair shears come with a finger rest and some don’t.  On some shears, the finger rest is removable, allowing each student to try cutting hair with and without the rest.  No matter what their preference, students will be able to work comfortable with these kinds of shears.

The final feature discussed in this article is the thumb ring, or swivel thumb ring. Many scissors are manufactured with stationary thumb rings, but for a new hair stylist, it is important to use scissors that can adjust to his or her preferences.  It’s also valuable in that it give a student the opportunity to try using the scissors at different angles to help decide what works best.  Many high quality shears have a thumb ring that adjusts to any angle to increase comfort and leverage and to provide options to each new stylist.

Professional hair shears come in a vast variety of shapes, sizes and designs.  They range from very inexpensive and very low quality to extremely expensive and the highest quality.  This tool is an smart investment, and hair scissors are not something that can be taken lightly.  The least expensive pair of professional hair shears is almost never the best option; with poor quality scissors your will deliver poor quality cuts and hinder your career.  It’s important to invest in the best tools not only for your career, but during your schooling as well.

Getting Great Cuts For Thick Hair

Women who have thin hair look at those with thick tresses and wish they had hair like that, but those with that really thick hair sometimes struggle to get good looks with so much hair to work with. To those with thin hair it may sound amazing but too much hair can actually be hard to style and weigh itself down so you do not look your best.

Of course for women who have this problem the solution is very simple and that it thinning. For these women a pair of hair thinning shears in the hands of a skilled stylist can mean getting the easy to manage looks that will have them appearing their absolute best. Thinning shears are specially designed to remove only some of the hair with each cut to do exactly as the name applies, to thin the hair out. This means there will be less hair weighing down the style that will result in more volume even though that sounds like it should be totally opposite. A good thinning can make the style of women with really thick hair pop so that it can looks its best and a stylist with thinning shears can make this happen for a great look.

Choosing Quality Scissor Steel

When it comes to buying hair shears or scissors do you know what you’re doing? Sure, if you’re a professional stylist you should have a pretty good handle on this already, but do you know how to choose quality scissors? What type of steel should you choose and how often should you have your scissors sharpened? Your scissors or shears are the single most important tool that a hair dresser has, and all too often, stylists don’t pay enough attention to this very important tool.

 

What did you learn at your beauty school, or the salon where you trained? Did you learn the difference between the types of steel that are used in scissors and shears? Unfortunately, too many stylists don’t learn the necessities when it comes to shears and scissors.  And don’t you think if it’s the most important tool in the salon, you should pay closer attention to it?

 

When it comes to the steel that you use, you are going to want to choose a material that is strong and resilient because this will determine how often you have to sharpen your scissors. There are two types of stainless steel shears, 440 and 420 which is sometimes known as J2. The differences between the two types are dependent on the amount of carbon and chromium in the metals. A higher quality of stainless steel will have a good amount of both carbon and chromium because the carbon makes the steel strong while the chromium gives it resistance to rusting. So you may want to choose scissors that are made with a good combination of both.

 

Of course there are differences between these types as well. When it comes to 440 steel there is a rating system from A to C. 440A is the cheapest and isn’t very strong, 440 C is the most expensive steel but is also the strongest, and 440B falls in the middle of the category.

 

The other stainless steel J2 has a lot of chromium in it but has very little carbon which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Because the steel is soft it can be sharpened to a razor sharpness giving you a very accurate cut. This is often the steel found in Japanese style manufactured shears. These shears will often have a convex edge on them as well which gives the scissors an even sharper performance. Some shears have a titanium coating on them which increases the strength and also creates a sharper edge for cutting.

 

Be careful when you are choosing scissors and shears and ask questions about the steel type of the tool you are considering. You will have to weigh the benefits of a less expensive pair that you will have to sharpen more frequently versus a bigger cost up front. In fact, a cheaper pair of scissors will often cost you more in the long run because of the extra sharpening you will have to do. Start with a quality pair of shears and not only will your clients be happy with their cuts, you will be happy with their performance. 

No More Uneven Bangs with the Right Shears

Have you ever decided to give yourself a little trim in between salon visits? Perhaps you thought you could trim your daughter’s bangs for her so you could avoid a visit to the hair stylist? If you have ever thought that you could cut your own hair, or anyone else’s hair, you are probably guilty of scissor misuse. Come on. Admit it – you’ve done it.

 

If you’re like most people who think that they can trim their own hair, you’ve probably grabbed any old pair of scissors that you have lying around to do the task. Oh sure, you may have grabbed a “good” pair of scissors, maybe a brand new pair, or a pair that you only use for cutting fabric. Using the logic that these scissors are sharper than any other ones. After all, you wouldn’t cut your hair with the same scissors that your kids use for craft projects right?

 

Stop! If you feel the need to cut or trim your own hair for any reason, you must have the right tools for the job. Just like any other job, you must prepare yourself with the right tools. After all, you wouldn’t use a screwdriver to hammer in a nail would you? Just like you shouldn’t use your kitchen scissors to cut your hair. Instead, invest in a quality pair of hair cutting scissors or shears.

 

So what’s the big deal? Why do you need special scissors? Well for starters, a proper pair of hair shears will cut your hair cleanly and smoothly. Ordinary scissors will tear, or pull your hair. They won’t result in a clean, smooth cut. You’ll end up with damaged and jagged ends. And even worse, your hair will be uneven. Have you ever seen someone who has really short bangs, and they’re still uneven? Sure you have. That girl didn’t use the proper scissors and kept trying to correct her mistake until she ended up with awful bangs. Don’t be that girl.

 

A proper pair of hair shears will make your simple trimming jobs easy and smooth. You will be able to comfortably and easily make slight adjustments to your hair, take care of any split ends or trim your daughter’s bangs. Of course you should still visit the hair salon for major cuts and styles, but little jobs can be done very well with the proper pair of shears.

 

Look for a student set of basic shears. You don’t need anything fancy, or any special scissors for thinning your hair, or texturing your hair. Keep it simple for your first set of shears. Look for the right set for your hand. If you are left handed there are scissors that have been designed with you in mind. Try them out if you can. Hold them and get a feel for them before you buy.

 

Once you have the right tool for the job, the easy trims will be simple and enjoyable and you won’t ever have to worry about being the girl with the uneven super short bangs.

Do They Make the Cut? The Case for Quality Shears

Most people go to a hair salon to get their hair cut or styled. But there are a few that like to do it themselves, or maybe just do the occasional bang trim or split end clean up without the hassle of a trip to the salon. If you even occasionally cut your own hair, trim your bangs or maybe take the scissors to your child’s hair – you should really invest in a pair of good quality hair scissors.

But my kitchen scissors do the job just fine. Why should I buy scissors just to cut hair?

The easy answer to this question is – why shouldn’t you? What do you use your kitchen scissors for? If you’re like most people, you probably use them for cutting wrapping paper, opening plastic bags and packages, and maybe even cutting plants. Do you really think that those will be the sharpest, best scissors for the job of hair cutting? No.

When it comes to your hair, you deserve to treat it right. After all, your hair and your appearance is one of the first things that people notice about you and if you present yourself to the world with shaggy, damaged hair that looks like it’s just been chopped with a pair of kitchen shears, what does that say about you?

Quality hair shears sport extremely sharp blades that give you precise, clean cut that won’t leave your hair looking damaged. Just using a pair of poor quality scissors once can give you split ends, tear your hair and give you an uneven cut, so even if you plan on only occasionally cutting your hair, you should invest in a pair of hair scissors so you no longer need to share with the kitchen drawer.

So what should you look for when it comes to quality scissors? Well, obviously price is an indication of a good pair of scissors, but it doesn’t have to be the only factor. If you only need hair shears for occasional use, you don’t need to break the bank. What you should look for is a sharp set of blades. An accurate cut depends on perfectly sharp blades. Generally for occasional trims, you won’t need any fancy blades such as beveled or convex blades; straight blades should be just fine.

You will want a comfortable handle and grip. This is especially important if you’re a lefty. There are specific hair shears designed for left handed people, so be sure that you find a pair that works for you. You aren’t doing yourself any favors if you cannot properly hold the tool. Thumb grips are largely a personal choice; many are removable and can be changed out.

Quality hair shears range in price anywhere from $60 to over $500, but you don’t have to go all out with your first pair. Starting with student shears is a great way to get a feel for what you need in a pair of scissors for a less expensive price. Also, if you are only using them occasionally – you likely don’t need the top of the line. However, remember not to sacrifice quality, even for occasional use. A quality pair of scissors will give you an even, precise cut without damaging your hair. Also, they will be comfortable and extremely durable. Quality is important, because your hair is worth more than the same pair of dirty scissors that you keep in your junk drawer!

Hair Scissors

There is something new here at my hairstyling tools…SCISSORS. Professional hair cutting scissors. One of the most important things to have when you want to be assured of a good quality haircut. The wrong scissor could actually be painful, depending on what style your wanting. Here are some of the new items we are offering. For item pricing you can go to our website My Hair Styling Tools

Included Items:

• Professional 5 1/2″ Blue Titanium Hair Stylist Shears Kit.
• 5 1/2″ cutting shear with finger rest.
• 6 1/2″, 33 teeth thinning shear with removable finger rest.
• Padded pouch.

Size/Teeth: 5.5 in. (14 cm) / 33 teeth
Steel Grade: Stainless Steel – 440B
Hardness: Rockwell – HRC60
Coating: Blue Titanium

Features adjustable tension control dials.

Features:

• Top of the line 5.5″ Hair Shears with removable finger rest.
• Triple tempered stainless steel.
• Ergonomically designed handle.
• Spring leaf for precision tension adjustment.
• For right-handed stylists.
• Velvet protective case.
• Oil Lubricant.

Size: 5.5 in. (14 cm)
Steel Grade: Stainless Steel – 440C
Hardness: Rockwell – HRC62

Ninja Swordsman shears are made of the highest quality Japanese steel to maintain blade sharpness.

Included Items:

• Professional 5.5″ Titanium Hair Stylist Shears Kit (1 cutting shear and 1 30 teeth thinning shear)
• Protective case.
• Oil Lubricant.

Size/Teeth: 5.5 in. (14 cm) / 30 teeth
Steel Grade: Stainless Steel – 440B
Hardness: Rockwell – HRC60
Coating: Titanium

I remember when I got my first “real” pair of hair cutting scissors, I was 16. I had no idea that they were priced from $ 100.00 to $ 1,000.00. My mom invested in a pair for me and I was the happiest new hairdresser in town. A good pair of scissors will slide cut like no other (you hairdressers know what I am talking about) A bad pair of scissors and a client wanting fringe around the face could send them away screaming.

It is very important to only cut hair with your scissors, and find someone who has had a lot of good feedback in regards to sharpening. I had mine sharpened once by some “unknown” I used them once afterwards and they broke. I found out it would be more expensive to fix them than to replace them. I was devastated. Took me years to get over…Okay slight exaggeration, but you get my point.

Your haircutting scissors become your pet, no one can touch them, and oh my gosh, talk about the first time I saw my child using them to cut paper AHHHHH! Yes, he is still alive, but I definitely got a higher hiding place, and well, a lock and key, can never be too careful!

So come and check out our new line of professional hair scissors, you won’t be disappointed. Make one your pet today!

Niki