Proper Maintenance of Hair Cutting Scissors
As professional hair stylists, the quality of our professional cutting shears is just as important as the physical capabilities of our hands. As such, regardless of how much effort you put into cutting a client’s hair, you’re likely to see less-than-desirable results if you don’t care for your scissors. Still, for those newer to the industry, performing the proper upkeep can be a bit daunting when you’re unsure about what the process involves. These are the steps for the proper maintenance of hair cutting scissors and how each component contributes to tool longevity and performance.
Clean, Oil, and Sanitize Shears Regularly
Cleaning, oiling, and sanitizing your hair cutting shears are the most frequent types of care you’ll perform. These actions remove any hair, product, or bacteria that may have clung to the blades and ensure that they’re ready to use for your next appointment. Cleaning and sanitizing your shears involve wiping down each blade, and depending on your state regulations either wiping or submerging them in a sanitizing solution. We don’t recommend spray solutions but they can be used. You should always apply a small drop of oil to the blades after sterilizing and distribute it evenly to keep the joint mechanism opening and closing smoothly. Using specialized shear oil will ensure that it doesn’t leave a sticky residue.
Sharpen Your Blades To Prevent Dulling
Sharpening is also a key component to the proper maintenance of hair cutting scissors. In fact, without it, they get dull and begin affecting the quality of your work. Dulled shears require more effort to cut with, putting more strain on your hand with each cut. You also often have to recut sections since the hair slides away from the edge meaning more work. They also cut less evenly and can leave jagged edges where you meant to create cleaner lines. Because of this, it’s best to get your shears serviced by the manufacturer whenever they start to push the hair away instead of cutting. They will need service more often if you’re using lower-quality tools. This is why it makes sense to invest in quality shears.
Check and Adjust Shear Tension
If you notice that your shears are folding the hair between the blades sometimes, this means they are too loose. This also can slow you down and make you work harder. Keep tension adjusted by checking it regularly. To check it, hold the thumb handle of the shear in one hand with the blades horizontal. Then lift the finger side till it is at 90 degrees and let it fall. If it falls at all, add one click or one slight turn of the screw and test again. The goal it to find the minimum tension required to keep the blades open. Do this test at the start and finish of every day and you will always have your shears adjusted properly. Here is a help Tension Adjustment video.
Store Shears in a Protective Case
Last but not least, store your freshly cleaned shears in a case to protect them from falling or sustaining nicks from the environment. If you’re using a multi-tool carrying case, make sure that every item has its own pocket to reduce direct contact with one another. These pockets will also keep your shears dry, preserve their performance, and extend their life.
For more information on how to properly maintain your hair cutting shears, reach out to us at Sensei Shear Systems. We’ve been striving to perfect the art of shear crafting and care for over 30 years and seek to educate you on the best ways to keep them working flawlessly. So whether you’re working with our professional swivel shears for optimal comfort or our crane handle models for proper form, we can guarantee that, with maintenance, they’ll last for years to come.
