The most important thing to remember when caring for your professional hair scissors is to treat them as what they are:  your livelihood.  You should always remember to clean your hair scissors after every use, or at the very least at the end of every work day.  Also take the time to look over your shears BEFORE you use them.

Always store your hair scissor in a clean, dry, safe place when they are not in use.  If they are placed, unprotected, around other sharp hair cutting tools, your hair scissors will be subject to nicks and cuts from all the other tools.  If you must store them with other sharpened tools, place each one in a separate case or container so that they can’t hurt each other.

Sharpen and lubricate your shears with regularity.  Many stylists agree that the time and money to sharpen hair scissors can be taxing and inconvenient, but in the end it will drastically improve the life of your shears.

And finally, never let someone use your hair scissors if they cannot be trusted to follow all of the above rules. If they won’t treat your hair scissors as their own, then they should not use your hair scissors as their own.  Only a person with a full understanding of the importance of these tools should be allowed to borrow them.

Paying attention to the care and condition of your hair scissors, as well as your other hair styling tools, will drastically improve the functionality and life of your shears.  Once again, they are an investment.  If you take the time to properly care for your equipment, you will not have to purchase these expensive tools nearly as often.

T.C. Kuster

Hair cutting professionals use high quality hair cutting shears or professional hair scissors.  The reason for using these hair scissors  and not the cheapest craft scissors at the dollar store is clear:  the better the scissors, the better the hair cut.

Professional hair scissors should be made from a high quality metal that is free from nicks or cuts.  It is important that the blades are sharp, and while they shouldn’t need sharpened after every use, a hair cutting professional should pay attention to how many cuts he or she can perform between each sharpening.

In order to keep their hair scissors in good shape, remember a few simple rules for their care.

Rule one: Always, always, always clean the hair scissors after each use.  Rinse them with soap and water to prevent bacteria and germ build-up.

Rule two: Sterilize the hair scissors with a non damaging formula.  It is not necessary to sterilize the hair shears after each use, but before doing so, be sure that the formula is gentle enough to prevent harm.

Rule three: Store hair scissors in a dry place.  To avoid moisture, keep the scissors in a holster or in a place where they are sure to stay away from water or any wet environment.

Rule four: Don’t be afraid to oil hair scissors if they are in constant use.  Proper and occasional oiling can prevent rust and maintain proper movement in the shears.

And finally, rule five: Never, ever use hair shears on anything except for hair.  These tools are called “hair scissors” for a reason and using them on anything else can damage the blades and prevent them from doing their job.