Hair cutting shears and razors are two of the most used hair styling tools globally. Popular as they are, though, there’s still a lot of confusion about which tool to use in which hair cutting or styling scenario—especially among clients and new stylists. Can you use either tool for just about any hairstyle or technique?
In this article, you discover when, why, and why not to use either haircutting tool. That way, you’ll know the difference between cutting hair with scissors or shears and razor cutting hair.
Hair cutting shears vs hair cutting razors: What does each tool do?
To understand the resulting hairstyle from either tool, you’ll need to understand how each one works on hair during a cut.
A razor tends to cut off individual hairs at various lengths. The result; the hair tends to show out more movement, texture, and the appearance of tapering off to jagged edges.
If you want to achieve a bit of a messy hairstyle or a style that brings out jagged edges, go with a hair cutting razor. You’ll also find using a razor produces some of the best waves and curls. That’s because razors tend to produce movement and softness.
Still, if the hair in question is heavily-textured, medium-to-long, and you need its edges soft but solid, do choose the razor.
Here are some things to note about cutting hair with a razor:
- If you have naturally frizzy or curly hair, avoid using a razor. Using one will cause even more frizziness as it can cause too much opening up in the cuticles along the hair shaft For ideal results, razor cutting hair is best applied to medium-textured, straight, fine, and softly curled hair
- Avoid razor cutting hair you wish to have permed. Otherwise, it would be tough to roll the hair around perm rods
Also, depending on your hair cutting expertise, using a razor on frizzy hair can damage hair cuticles.
However, experienced stylists can help a client achieve a particularly wild look even with razored frizzy hair.
Yet, an inexperienced stylist can easily over-razor the hair to produce a hairstyle that tappers the peak to the edges too much. And if the razor is used too close to the hair roots, it can produce a flat look because there’s not much hair left underneath to support a chunkier texture.
So, when is it best to use a hair cutting shear?
On the flip side, hair cutting scissors cut hair blunt—straight off on the edges. The result is an even cut within the hair’s layers and across its length.
So if you want to achieve a chunkier, even look on the edges, grab the shears and get to it.
Depending on your expertise and hair length, using shears for hair you intend to perm is okay.
With more experience, you can use a combination of hair cutting shears and razors to create more interesting styles successfully.
Some stylists use shears to make the basic cut. They then take the razors to thin and add texture and unique styling to select sections of the hair.
And there you have it. You can use a razor to produce movement and texture in non-frizzy hair while using hair cutting shears will give you a straight cut on the edges for a fuller look. But experienced hairstylists use both tools to produce unique styles.
