- Wipe shears after every use and clean them at the end of each day. Chemicals can dull your blades, while hair and dirt left on your shears can cause rusting and pitting.
- Oil shears daily in the screw area.
- Check tension daily and adjust as needed. (If the shear bends hair it usually means that the shear is too loose. New shears will need adjustment after the first few cuts as the screws and washers set in place.)
- Keep blades closed when not in use or when setting the shear down. An open shear exposes the fragile edges to nicks or bends.
- Only cut hair. Any other material can bend or nick the edges.
- Store shears in a case.
- Check edges for nicks by gently running the tip of your finger nail along the blades.
- Service when needed.
How often will my hairdressing scissors need sharpening?
This depends entirely on how much they are used, what type of cutting you do, how you look after them and what type of blade you are using. Basically all scissors should be serviced at least every year although many people have theirs checked over every 3-6 months.
Be very careful who sharpens your scissors. You need special training and specialist equipment to sharpen convex blades. Many sharpeners have neither and you could end up with scissors that are very different to their original state.
Looking for more advice?
Our blog offers a growing library of hairdressing advice but if you'd like to talk more about your choice of scissors or anything related to hairdressing then please don't hesitate to contact the Ellipse team or view our range of hairdressing training courses.