Left Handed Hair Shears

When you're a left-handed stylist, finding the perfect pair of shears can be a problem. It's very important to begin cutting with a genuine left handed shear so that you don't develop problems later and this can begin at school with left handed scissors instead of forcing a right handed pair into your left hand.

When we talk about shears for left handed stylists, we're talking TRUE left handed shears, designed specifically for left handed people. We don't mean a right handed shear that can be flipped and put to use with your left hand with a finger resting in the other ring, or with the tension knob facing the customer's head.

How can you identify left handed shears? Look at the blade where you place your finger, it should be on top. The blade where you place your thumb should be on the bottom or underneath the blade where your finger goes. Some brands offer reversible tension systems on their shears that allow you to switch from right handed shear to a left handed one. These are fine for those who like to cut with right handed shears and not have the tension knob face the customer's head, but this is still a right handed shear and not designed for leftie stylists.

If  you've used a right handed shear previously and switched to a true left handed shear, you may have encountered some problems while cutting, this is common. Sometimes instead of cutting cleanly the blades will force the hair to bend, therefore lengthening the process of the hair cut. When you switch to a true left handed shear, there are a few tricks you must learn to cut properly with it. You need to cut by not moving your fingers, using only your thumb to make successful cuts. This may be difficult but you have to practice until you get it right.

Another change you must make is refraining from pushing your thumb all the way through the thumb ring, which is a habit picked up by using right handed shears. The pressure will cause the hair to bend, and the way to solve this is by placing a rubber insert into the thumb ring to make you get used to cutting with just the tip of your thumb. This will also prevent cramps and possible snagging. Squeezing your fingers together gently as you hold your shears and are about to cut is another method which helps to isolate the thumb, letting you operate with it only and not your fingers. It takes time and practice but you'll get it right.

If you're a left handed stylist always use left handed shears when you work, this will save you a lot of problems in the future.