Debate: Should you use thinning shears on curly hair or not?

I had two barbers in my shop last week arguing about this. One swears thinning shears ruin the curl pattern, the other says they're fine if you use them right on dry hair. I've been avoiding them on curls for 2 years, but I had a client with thick 3B hair yesterday who wanted more texture. I tried it carefully on the ends only and it actually worked. What's your take on this? Do you avoid thinning shears on curly hair completely?

2 comments

2 Comments

stellaa6917d ago

...and honestly I've found it depends way more on the specific curl type and density than most people want to admit. I've been doing flooring for years but I've also cut my own hair and helped friends, and with really dense 4A curls you can absolutely wreck the shape if you go in blind with thinning shears. But on looser curls like 3B or even some 3C, a light touch on the ends can actually help the curls lay flatter and not look like a triangle. The big thing nobody talks about is how clean your shears are - dull thinning shears will chew up any curl pattern no matter what. I'd say skip them entirely if the hair is fine or damaged, but for thick healthy curls they're not the devil if you're careful. Just never ever use them on wet hair, that's asking for split ends.

the_robert17d ago

lol i once tried thinning shears on my wavy hair and ended up looking like a poodle.