How to Thin Hair
Purchase a pair of thinning shears., Begin with clean, dry hair., Choose a fist-sized hank of hair to thin., Use the thinning shears to cut your hair down the shaft., Comb the thinned section of hair., Repeat with the rest of your hair.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Purchase a pair of thinning shears.
This tool is often employed by stylists in salons.
Thinning shears look like scissors with a thick, serrated edge.
They are designed to cut about 15% of the hair, resulting in hair that still holds its shape and style but has less volume and density.
Thinning shears are available from beauty supply stores and the hair care section of department stores. -
Step 2: Begin with clean
When you get your hair trimmed with a regular pair of scissors, starting with wet hair allows for greater control over the style.
With thinning shears, however, it's better to start with dry hair so that you can see exactly how much volume you're taking out.
This prevents you from over-thinning your hair.
Shampoo your hair and dry it how you normally do.
If you tend to let it air dry, do that; if you usually blow it dry, go ahead and style it that way.
Your hair should be as close to its normal everyday texture as possible.
Don't add any styling products to your hair.
These can clog the shears and also prevent your hair from looking as full as it normally is, throwing off your ability to gauge how much to thin out. , It's best to thin a section at a time, and thin the same amount all around your head.
Hold the first section away from your head and clip the rest back. , Start by placing the shears about halfway up your hair shaft, just below your ears.
Close the shears over your hair.
Open them and move the shears about 1/2 in down the length of your hair, then close the shears again.
Repeat until you reach the bottom of your hair.
If your hair tends to get full toward the tips, you can start even lower and just thin out the last few inches of your hair.
Be careful about starting too close to the roots.
The thinning shears are actually cutting pieces of your hair, so if you start too high you'll end up with short pieces toward the top of your head.
It's best to start thinning at the bottom of your shortest layer. , Run a comb through a few times to remove all the cut pieces of hair.
Take a look at the newly thinned section.
Is it thinned out enough, or is it still too thick? If necessary, use the thinning shears to thin out the section again. , Section by section, use the same method to thin out your hair.
To make sure it looks even, try to use the shears the exact same amount on each section, rather than going over one section more times than you go over the others.
Comb the cut pieces from your hair, take a step back, and admire your thinned-out look. -
Step 3: dry hair.
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Step 4: Choose a fist-sized hank of hair to thin.
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Step 5: Use the thinning shears to cut your hair down the shaft.
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Step 6: Comb the thinned section of hair.
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Step 7: Repeat with the rest of your hair.
Detailed Guide
This tool is often employed by stylists in salons.
Thinning shears look like scissors with a thick, serrated edge.
They are designed to cut about 15% of the hair, resulting in hair that still holds its shape and style but has less volume and density.
Thinning shears are available from beauty supply stores and the hair care section of department stores.
When you get your hair trimmed with a regular pair of scissors, starting with wet hair allows for greater control over the style.
With thinning shears, however, it's better to start with dry hair so that you can see exactly how much volume you're taking out.
This prevents you from over-thinning your hair.
Shampoo your hair and dry it how you normally do.
If you tend to let it air dry, do that; if you usually blow it dry, go ahead and style it that way.
Your hair should be as close to its normal everyday texture as possible.
Don't add any styling products to your hair.
These can clog the shears and also prevent your hair from looking as full as it normally is, throwing off your ability to gauge how much to thin out. , It's best to thin a section at a time, and thin the same amount all around your head.
Hold the first section away from your head and clip the rest back. , Start by placing the shears about halfway up your hair shaft, just below your ears.
Close the shears over your hair.
Open them and move the shears about 1/2 in down the length of your hair, then close the shears again.
Repeat until you reach the bottom of your hair.
If your hair tends to get full toward the tips, you can start even lower and just thin out the last few inches of your hair.
Be careful about starting too close to the roots.
The thinning shears are actually cutting pieces of your hair, so if you start too high you'll end up with short pieces toward the top of your head.
It's best to start thinning at the bottom of your shortest layer. , Run a comb through a few times to remove all the cut pieces of hair.
Take a look at the newly thinned section.
Is it thinned out enough, or is it still too thick? If necessary, use the thinning shears to thin out the section again. , Section by section, use the same method to thin out your hair.
To make sure it looks even, try to use the shears the exact same amount on each section, rather than going over one section more times than you go over the others.
Comb the cut pieces from your hair, take a step back, and admire your thinned-out look.
About the Author
Marilyn Young
A passionate writer with expertise in pet care topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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