How to Maintain Your Hair Shears

It’s no secret that quality hair shears, or hair scissors, often come at a steep price, and rightfully so. Hair shears are an investment and a cosmetologist’s most important tool, so why wouldn’t you treat them as such? 

Properly maintaining your hair shears is not only about keeping them clean, it’s also about keeping them in pristine condition so you can get better use out of them for an extended period of time. Check out our five best tips for maintaining your hair shears below! 

How to Maintain Your Hair Shears

Routinely cleaning and sanitizing your hair shears not only keeps your shears in working condition and helps them last longer, it is a required practice that all professional hairstylists need to follow for reasons involving both hygiene and state laws. Other than keeping your shears clean, proper hair shear maintenance requires that you use and store them in the appropriate manner.

1. Be Cautious When Handling Your Shears

Hair shears require gentle handling and proper use throughout the day. You can cause some serious damage to your shears if you throw them down too hard on your vanity or drop them on the floor accidentally. The impact can cause the cutting edge of the blades to become dull and can ruin the alignment of the blades. Causing any damage to hair scissors will require servicing and repairs that can be costly.

2. How to Properly Clean Your Hair Shears

Hair scissors need to be cleaned and sanitized daily. The requirements may vary but have no doubt that every salon and barbershop has a specific set of procedures that stylists must follow. Most salons will require that stylists clean and sanitize shears between each client. At the very least, you should regularly wipe off the shears during every haircut so that hair fragments and sweat from your hands don’t interfere with the cutting performance of your shears. Additionally, you should never let sweat, cleaning solution or water dry on hair shears. This can cause them to look dirty and residue build-up deteriorates the scissors’ surface and sharp edges.  

To properly clean your hair shears, you must soak them in rubbing alcohol or sanitizer solution, rinse them with soap and water, and thoroughly dry them off.

3. Oil Your Shears Daily

Oiling your shears once a day will help ensure that your shears are kept in working condition a lot longer. By rubbing oil onto your shears, you’re preventing them from rusting or becoming stiff, which can cause discomfort in your hand and give a choppy, uncontrolled cut. The oil will also help remove hair fragments that may be stuck inside of the shears that cleaning and sanitizing can’t reach.

It’s best to oil your shears at the end of the workday when they won’t be in use for a few hours. When using the oil, make sure the shears are opened at a 45-degree angle, placing a small droplet in the center joint that holds the blades together. Then, use a soft cloth to gently rub the oil into the shears. Be careful not to use too much oil so you don’t accidentally drop them.

4. How to Adequately Store Your Shears

Once you’ve cleaned, sanitized, dried, and oiled your shears, you want to make sure they’re adequately stored to keep them in good condition. Store the shears in a protective case that has a soft, absorbent lining to keep them from getting unwanted moisture and other environmental factors. Never store shears loosely in a drawer or bag containing other tools as the blades can be damaged by knocking them into things.

5. Sharpen Your Shears When Needed

Dull blades don’t only cause bad haircuts, they can also cause a lot of discomfort in your hand during use if the tension isn’t right. Hair shears that are too tight or too loose can gravely affect their cutting ability. It’s best to leave the sharpening to the professionals so that the proper tools and techniques are used.

Looking for high-quality shears that will provide amazing results and last? Want more information and advice on all things hair? Visit us at Saki Shears to learn more!