When it comes to choosing the right hairdressing scissors size, you need to take a lot of things into account.
- How are they measured?
- What is the best size for your needs?
- How do you measure scissors' size?
- Which scissor length is best for you?
In this article, we will answer all of these questions and more!
The size of hairdressing shears affects the length of the blade and does not change the size of the handle itself.
When looking for different hairdressing shear sizes, you will only find the length of the blade changing and not the handle size.
- Most hairdressing shears are measured in inches and typically range from 4.5” to 8”.
- The most common sizes for hairstylists in American salons are 5”, 5.5”, and 6” inches in length.
- Barbers often use longer blades (6", 6.5" or 7") for scissor-over-the-comb techniques.
To find out if a scissor size fits you, measure the length of the blade against your middle finger, and the total hair shear length against the palm of your hand.
This helps you understand how each scissor fits the size of your hand, and how it will feel when cutting hair.
Let's jump into this article to find out more about choosing the best scissor size for hairdressing, barbering, and for cutting hair at home!
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Let's jump into what scissor does do you use in Salons, Barbershops, At Home and More!
What Is The Best Scissor Size To Buy For Hairstylists & Hairdressers (Salons)?
When it comes to choosing the right size of scissors for hair cutting in a salon, the most important thing to consider is comfort.
Your scissors should feel comfortable in your hand and they should be the right size for the type of haircutting techniques you will be performing.
In general, most hairstylists in the United States use scissors that are around five (5.0") to six (6.0") inches long.
If you are unsure which size to choose, then 5.5" is the perfect choice for hairstylists and haircutting techniques commonly found in salons.
Some of the most common haircutting techniques in salons are:
- Blunt cutting
- Point cutting
- Sliding
- Texturizing
- Thinning or removing bulk
Each of these techniques requires a different length of blade, so it is important to find the right size scissors for your needs.
If you are just starting out in the hair industry, it might be a good idea to purchase a set of scissors that includes multiple sizes, so you have something that will work for every technique.
As you become more experienced, you can start to narrow down the types of scissors you use and find the sizes that work best for you.
What Is The Best Scissor Size To Buy For Barbers (Barbershops)?
Barbers typically use scissors that are between six (6.0") to seven (7.0") inches long.
The longer length of the blade gives barbers more control over the scissor-over-the-comb haircutting technique.
Barber hair shears have more powerful blades that make cutting thick and coarse hair an easy task.
Similar to hairstylists, barbers have various haircutting techniques where the size of the scissors may be important.
The most common barber techniques include:
- Scissor Over Comb
- Scissor Over Fingers
- Fading
- Taper
- Undercut
The size of the barber scissors you use for each technique may vary, so it is a good idea to have a few different sizes in your arsenal.
When choosing the right size of scissors for barbering, it is important to consider the type of hair you will be cutting.
Thick and coarse hair requires a powerful blade that can easily cut through the hair.
If you are cutting thinner hair, you might want to consider a smaller size scissor that will give you more control over the haircut.
What Is The Best Scissor Size For Home Haircuts?
If you are planning on cutting hair at home, then the best scissor size for you will depend on the type of haircut you want to achieve.
For most home haircuts, a five and a half inch (5.5") or six inch (6.0") scissor will be the best size. These are perfect all-rounders that can perform any haircutting technique on yourself, or others at home.
This size gives you enough blade to easily cut through hair, without being too large or unwieldy.
If you are cutting very thick hair, then you might want to consider a six inch scissor, but for most people, a five and a half inch scissor will be the perfect size.
HowDo You Measure Hair Scissors Against Your Hand?
As we mentioned earlier, most hairdressing shears are measured in inches and range from four and a half (4.5") to eight (8.0") inches long.
To find out if a pair of scissors is the right size for you, you should measure the length of the blade against your middle finger and the total length of the scissors against the palm of your hand.
This will give you an idea as to how each scissor feels in your hand and whether or not they are a good fit.
Keep in mind that everyone's hands are different, so what might be a good size for one person may not be comfortable for another.
It is important to try out a few different sizes before you make your final decision.
Step by step measuring scissors with your hand:
- Place the ruler on your left hand palm
- Now measure it with the ruler or a scissor
- While measuring, place the tip of the scissors at the end of the middle finger
- Now check out the measurement of your middle finger against the ruler or the blade of the scissors
- This will give you an idea what size of the scissors is right for you
- If the ruler says the length of your middle finger is 2 inches, then a pair of 5 inches long scissors may be perfect for you.
- This size of the scissors means that the length of the blades will be 2 to 3 inches while the overall length of the scissors will be 5 inches.
Conclusion: What Size Scissors Do Hairdressers, Hairstylists, Barbers and People At Home Use?
Hairdressers, hairstylists and barbers use a variety of scissors sizes depending on the techniques they are using.
The most common sizes for hairdressers are five inches (for precision cutting), five and a half inches (for all-round cutting) and six inches (for general cutting).
Barbers typically use scissors that are between six and seven inches long, while people at home usually find that a five and a half or six inch scissor is the best size for their needs.
When choosing the right size scissors for home-use, it is important to consider the type of haircut you want to achieve as well as the length of your own hands.
It is also a good idea to try out a few different sizes before making your final decision.
Happy cutting!
Read How To Choose Hairdressing Scissors By Size At JapanScissors.com.au here!
Read about the different sizes of salon scissors At SalonScissors.com.au
Read about the Joewell Japan scissor size lengths at Joewell.co.jp
Read about the different types of scissor sizes At ScissorHub.com.au
The Scissor Selection Guide At Fiskars.com