How To Use Hair Thinning Shears (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Use Hair Thinning Shears PDF download Download Article Explore this Article parts 1 Determining the Right Pair of Thinning Shears to Buy 2 Texturizing Bulky Ends 3 Thinning Your Hair Out Other Sections Expert Q&A Video Tips and Warnings Related Articles References Article Summary Co-authored by Bianca Cox

Last Updated: June 17, 2025 Fact Checked

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This article was co-authored by Bianca Cox. Bianca Cox is a Hair Stylist, Licensed Cosmetologist, Owner of The Hair Throne, and Co-Owner of Bianchi Salon. Her salons pride themselves on their modernity, individuality, art, and professional services. You can check out The Hair Throne and more of Bianca's hairstyling on Instagram @hairthrone and on her personal Instagram @biancajcox. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,035,958 times.

You can texturize your hair and remove added bulk by using thinning shears. Thinning shears are scissors that have teeth or notches on one side, while the other side is a smooth blade. Different factors determine whether you texturize hair or thin it out. You can use a variety of techniques for thinning in order to give your hair a well-manicured look. Luckily, thinning your hair is a very easy process that is actually quick and simple to learn.

Steps

Part 1 Part 1 of 3:

Determining the Right Pair of Thinning Shears to Buy

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  1. Step 1 Buy a pair of blending and texturizing shears. 1 Buy a pair of blending and texturizing shears. These shears are very versatile, and are able to cut about 40-70% of hair off in a few quick cuts. They can be used to add a level of texture, or naturally blend different levels of your hair. There are generally 25 teeth on this particular type of shear.
  2. Step 2 Add chunking shears to your array of scissors. 2 Add chunking shears to your array of scissors. If you have especially thick hair to cut, these are great. However, they can be difficult to use and leave holes in the cut, so only use them for very thick hair. They can take big chunks out at once (40-80%), and can cut through thicker hair than a standard pair of shears. These even work best with curly hair, which is hard to cut with normal scissors. These shears have about 7-15 teeth on them. Advertisement
  3. Step 3 Get a pair of finishing shears. 3 Get a pair of finishing shears. They remove much less hair than the other two pairs of shears. This is a great pair of shears to go back over your hair after you have already made a pass with the standard shears. They give your hair a softer, lived in look. However, you will have to make more passes with these shears, as they take so little off.
  4. Step 4 Find shears with adjustable screws. 4 Find shears with adjustable screws. Most, if not all shears, are stainless steel. However, shears with an adjustable screw can make all the difference in the world. If you find that the tension is off, then the screw allows you to adjust it.
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Part 2 Part 2 of 3:

Texturizing Bulky Ends

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  1. Step 1 Comb through your hair. 1 Comb through your hair. Make sure your hair has been freshly washed and is still damp. Then, use a comb and pass it through your hair a few times. Run your hand through your hair when you are done combing. Check for any knots or bulges. Try and shake them loose, then pass your brush/comb through the area again.[1]
  2. Step 2 Grab a section of your hair. 2 Grab a section of your hair. This section of hair should be from the front of your face. Each section is usually around ½” thick. Pull the strands out, away from your body, and hold the ends in between your fingers with one hand. You will want to hold your hand about 2-3 inches away from the ends of your hair.[2]
  3. Step 3 Use your other hand to hold the thinning shears. 3 Use your other hand to hold the thinning shears. Take the shears to the outer section of the hair and cut the hair diagonally about one inch inward from the outer tips.[3] If you want to you can flip the shears around and cut at the same spot, but with the shears facing the opposite direction.[4] [5]
  4. Step 4 Take another section of hair with your hand. 4 Take another section of hair with your hand. This should be immediately behind the first section you just finished thinning out. Pull the hair outward and hold the section of hair in between your fingers. Take the thinning shears and cut through the section of hair, starting one inch away from the tips. Once more, you can flip the shears around and cut in the same spot for added thinning/shaping.[6]
  5. Step 5 Repeat until you have gone all the way around. 5 Repeat until you have gone all the way around. Make sure that you get all of your ends. To ensure you get all of them, you can do some minor overlapping cuts. You can take a few hairs from a previously thinned section and add them to the section you are about to thin. This will guarantee that you snip all of the ends to the same length.[7] Feel free to go back, and cut again if you feel as if they are misshapen, or still too bulky, but be careful not to cut too much.
    • Note that as you move from onto a new section, drop the previous section of hair except for a small section to guide the length of the cut.
  6. Step 6 Clean your ends off. 6 Clean your ends off. You can either take a towel, or run through the ends with your hands. You want to make sure you loosen your hair, and let the trimmed hair fall to the ground. This would also be a great time to wash or rinse your hair, and clean the snipped hair out.
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Part 3 Part 3 of 3:

Thinning Your Hair Out

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  1. Step 1 Dry your hair off. 1 Dry your hair off. If you have just stepped out of the shower, or been outside in the rain, it is critical that you dry your hair off. Use a towel, and run through your hair. You can also use a blow dryer if your hair is really soaking wet. This is because thinning shears have a difficult time cutting through wet hair, which can make a person's head look very bad as a result.
  2. Step 2 Comb through your hair until it is smooth. 2 Comb through your hair until it is smooth. You can use a brush if your hair is thick, or a comb if your hair is thin. Make at least 20-30 passes through, depending on the treatment of your hair, and its texture. After you are done, run your hands through your hair to see if there are any knots. If there are, try to take a few more passes with the comb/brush.[8]
    • If you have curly hair, you might want to consider straightening your hair. Otherwise, the thinning shears might cut your hair unevenly.
  3. Step 3 Separate your hair with hair clips. 3 Separate your hair with hair clips. Each section should be about 3 inches, or 76 mm, wide. Simply grab an estimated length of hair and hold it with your hand. You can attach the hair clip against the hair bundle, or around it, as long as it remains contained and separated. Depending on the thickness of your hair, you may need to add more hair clips.[9] [10]
  4. Step 4 Remove one of the hair clips. 4 Remove one of the hair clips. The first one you remove should be in the front part of the head. Comb through that section of loose hair and straighten it out some more. Then gently pull the comb towards the end of your hair, but not all the way. Hold your hair high in the air, with the comb still attached at the end.
  5. Step 5 Begin to thin your hair. 5 Begin to thin your hair. About halfway down the strand, cut that section of hair with the thinning shears.[11] The tips of the scissors should be pointing upward towards the ceiling. Then comb out the hair. If it still looks bulky, flip the scissors around and cut at the same point with the tips of the scissors pointing downward. This will complete the thinning for this section of hair. You can now release the shears and place them on a nearby table.[12] [13]
  6. Step 6 Let the comb in your other hand loose. 6 Let the comb in your other hand loose. Go back through the sheared section, and comb through. This will release the cut hair and get it out of the way. If some hair seems to be stuck, run your fingers through it slightly to loosen them. Otherwise, you can wait until it is over to clean your hair in the shower.[14]
  7. Step 7 Thin your hair out in sections. 7 Thin your hair out in sections. Each time you complete a section of hair, allow it to fall with the rest of the hair that has already been thinned out. Remember to do both an upward and downward cut for each section. It is better to follow clockwise, or counterclockwise. Do not do random sections, otherwise it might end up looking unnatural.[15]
  8. Step 8 Comb through your hair one last time. 8 Comb through your hair one last time. Depending on the thickness of your hair, you may need to go back around with the thinning shears and thin more hair. This time do not cut at the same spot. Instead, do one more angular cut and then comb your hair and check it.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question What is thinning out hair for? Laura Martin Laura Martin Licensed Cosmetologist Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University. Laura Martin Laura Martin Licensed Cosmetologist Expert Answer Thinning allows hair to lay close to the head, adds movement, and softens shapes. You can use thinning shears to remove bulk from thick hair or to simply soften the ends of a cut. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 37
  • Question How do thinning scissors work? Laura Martin Laura Martin Licensed Cosmetologist Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University. Laura Martin Laura Martin Licensed Cosmetologist Expert Answer A thinning shear has teeth along the blade that separate out some of the hair so that only intermittent pieces are cut. This creates a soft, diffused cut instead of a clean line. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 3 Helpful 43
  • Question What is the difference between blending and thinning shears? Laura Martin Laura Martin Licensed Cosmetologist Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University. Laura Martin Laura Martin Licensed Cosmetologist Expert Answer Blending and thinning shears are different terms for the same thing. Some companies call shears different things based on the spacing of the teeth, but this isn't consistent across brands. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 3 Helpful 39
See more answers Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement

Video

Tips

  • Go back in 2-4 months and thin your hair out again. It is important to regularly clear out excess hair, thereby keeping your hair and scalp healthy.[16] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • Use thinning shears with one row of teeth when you have thick or curly hair. This is because this type of thinning shears is helpful at removing quantities of hair. Thanks Helpful 22 Not Helpful 8
  • When you only need to remove a little bit of hair, buy thinning shears that have two rows of teeth, instead of one row of teeth. The more teeth a pair of thinning shears have, the less hair they remove. Thanks Helpful 44 Not Helpful 27
Show More Tips Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • If you are new to thinning, it is best to first practice on a wig, or a close friend. You could mess up on a complete stranger, which would lead to a bad haircut. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 4
  • If you are thinning your own hair, it is okay to ask a friend or relative for help. Mirrors are hard to see in, and you might wind up cutting out too much hair, at the wrong angle. Thanks Helpful 4 Not Helpful 3
  • Always be careful when using thinning shears. They are just as sharp as a regular pair of scissors. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 5
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References

  1. ↑ http://www.hairfinder.com/hair/hairthinningscissors.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.londonschoolofbarbering.com/texturising-hair-thinning-scissors/
  3. ↑ Bianca Cox. Professional Hair Stylist. Expert Interview
  4. ↑ http://www.londonschoolofbarbering.com/texturising-hair-thinning-scissors/
  5. ↑ http://www.hairfinder.com/hair2/thinningshears.htm
  6. ↑ http://www.hairboutique.com/blogs_p/index.php/2009/10/27/thinning-shears-are-a-no-no-for-curly-or-frizzy-hair/
  7. ↑ Bianca Cox. Professional Hair Stylist. Expert Interview
  8. ↑ http://www.hairfinder.com/hair/hairthinningscissors.htm
  9. ↑ http://www.londonschoolofbarbering.com/texturising-hair-thinning-scissors/
More References (7)
  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEqi7qfZyOY
  2. ↑ Bianca Cox. Professional Hair Stylist. Expert Interview
  3. ↑ http://www.londonschoolofbarbering.com/texturising-hair-thinning-scissors/
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEqi7qfZyOY
  5. ↑ http://www.hairfinder.com/hair/hairthinningscissors.htm
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEqi7qfZyOY
  7. ↑ https://hairstylecamp.com/when-should-i-thin-out-hair/

About This Article

Bianca Cox Co-authored by: Bianca Cox Professional Hair Stylist This article was co-authored by Bianca Cox. Bianca Cox is a Hair Stylist, Licensed Cosmetologist, Owner of The Hair Throne, and Co-Owner of Bianchi Salon. Her salons pride themselves on their modernity, individuality, art, and professional services. You can check out The Hair Throne and more of Bianca's hairstyling on Instagram @hairthrone and on her personal Instagram @biancajcox. This article has been viewed 1,035,958 times. 9 votes - 78% Co-authors: 12 Updated: June 17, 2025 Views: 1,035,958 Categories: Hair Care Tools Article SummaryX

To use hair thinning shears, separate your hair into 3 inch sections. Next, hold the shears diagonally with the tips pointing up at the ceiling and grab the first section of hair. Place the shears about halfway down the section and cut into the hair with the shears. Then, flip the scissors around so the tips are pointing down at the floor and cut into the section at the same halfway point. Do this for the remaining sections, then comb your hair out thoroughly! For tips on choosing the right type of thinning shears for your hair type and style, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Jurita Forrester

    Jurita Forrester

    Jun 4, 2020

    "My daughter has very thick/frizzy/curly hair and because of Covid-19, she decided to let me try to thin her hair...." more
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Bianca Cox Co-authored by: Bianca Cox Professional Hair Stylist 9 votes - 78% Click a star to vote Co-authors: 12 Updated: June 17, 2025 Views: 1,035,958 Jurita Forrester

Jurita Forrester

Jun 4, 2020

"My daughter has very thick/frizzy/curly hair and because of Covid-19, she decided to let me try to thin her hair...." more Joanna Lawson

Joanna Lawson

May 23, 2017

"I wear a chin length bob haircut and wanted soft layered bangs after the thick straight across style I wore for..." more Daniel Brow

Daniel Brow

Apr 13, 2020

"Very helpful on thinning out hair. I went over it a couple of times and will read it a couple more times. There..." more Sheryl Steinruck

Sheryl Steinruck

Oct 14, 2016

"This article helped me immensely, as I needed this help to thin my hair! Thank you so very much! " L Funk

L Funk

Mar 19, 2017

"Thank you. I needed a visual of how to thin my hair and shape it. Very helpful article!" Rated this article: Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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