Signs Your Hair Shears Are in Need of Sharpening

There are a few key elements of maintenance for any pair of hair shears you use regularly, and keeping shears sharp is one of the single most vital. Sharp shears ensure quality cuts and happy customers; on the flip side, shears that have dulled or are in any way lacking in sharpness could risk poor quality, unhappy clients and even potential injury to the stylist. 

At Scissor Mall, we're happy to offer a huge range of hair shears for varying needs, from point cutting and edging shears to thinning shears like the Shisato Orion 3500. In most cases, it's easy to tell when your shears need some sharpening - they'll give off some direct signs that it's time. Here's a rundown on why keeping shears sharp is so important, plus some of the key indicators that your shears could use a sharpening.

Why Hair Shear Sharpness is Vital

For starters, it's important to understand why sharpening shears is so important. After all, if your shears are still cutting hair - even if not as well as they used to - why should you go through the process and expense of getting them professionally sharpened?

As it turns out, there are a few key reasons:

1. Dull shears can cause cuts and nicks - Not only will dull shears make it harder to cut hair cleanly, but they can also cause the blades to slip. This could lead to nicks and cuts not just in the hair, but also on the client's scalp. Ouch!

2. Poor quality cuts - When your shears are dull, you'll have a harder time making precise cuts. This can lead to uneven, jagged or otherwise poor-looking haircuts that will leave your clients less than thrilled.

3. It takes more effort - Trying to cut hair with dull shears is not only harder on the blades, but it's also harder on your hands and arms. After a long day of cutting hair with dull shears, you may find yourself with some serious fatigue or even pain in your wrists and arms.

4. Dull shears can damage hair - In addition to making it harder to cut hair cleanly, dull shears can also cause damage to the hair itself. This is because the blades can snag or pull on the hair, which can lead to split ends, breakage and other damage.

Luckily, your shears will usually give you some pretty clear signs that they need to be sharpened. Our next few sections will go over these.

Hair Pushing Away

During certain kinds of cuts, such as blunt cutting or straight cutting, you may find that your shears push the hair away rather than slicing through it. This is a pretty clear sign that your shears are dull and in need of sharpening.

When shears are properly sharp, they should slice through the hair cleanly without any pushing or pulling. If you find that your shears are pushing the hair, it's a good idea to have them sharpened as soon as possible.

Squared Off Tips

One of the telltale signs of dull shears is squared off tips. When viewed from the side, the tips of sharp shears will be nice and pointy. However, when they've become dull, the tips will appear to be more squared off or blunt.

If you notice that the tips of your shears are looking less than pointy, it's a good idea to have them sharpened as soon as possible. Squared off tips can make it harder to make precise cuts, and they can also cause the blades to slip, which could lead to nicks and cuts.

Hair Snagging or Pulling

Another pretty clear sign that your shears are in need of sharpening is if you notice that the hair is snagging or pulling when you're cutting. This is usually a sign that the blades are dull and/or damaged, and it can lead to split ends, breakage and other damage to the hair.

If you notice that your shears are snagging or pulling on the hair, it's important to have them sharpened as soon as possible. Not only will this help to prevent further damage to the hair, but it will also make cutting easier and more enjoyable.

Hair Feels "Crunchy" During Cuts

If you've ever had a haircut with really dull shears, you may have noticed that the hair feels sort of "crunchy" when being cut. This is because the blades are actually crushing the hair rather than slicing through it cleanly.

Not only does this feel pretty unpleasant, but it can also lead to split ends and other damage to the hair. If you notice that your shears are leaving the hair feeling crunchy, it's definitely time to have them sharpened.

Significant Strain While Cutting

In other cases, the shears themselves won't necessarily give you any clear signs that they're in need of sharpening. However, you may notice that cutting is becoming more and more difficult, and that it's taking a significant amount of effort to make even simple cuts.

If you find yourself having to put a lot of strain on your hands and arms just to make basic cuts, it's a good idea to have your shears sharpened. Not only will this make cutting easier, but it will also help to prolong the life of your shears.

For more on the common signs that it's time to sharpen your hair shears, or to learn about any of our quality shear options, speak to our staff at Scissor Mall today.