Hairdressers attend different schools are taught techniques that school is proficient in. This is especially true for hair thinning techniques. Done wrong, hair thinning can result in stringy hair and damaged ends. But done well with skill and proper technique, hair thinning will produce hair that looks more natural, easier to manage, and can even eliminate fizz.  This depends on the sharpness of the shears and the proper technique employed by the hair dresser. There are four tools that a hairdresser or stylist can use to thin hair – this includes the razor, thinning shears, texture shears, and regular cutting shears.

Many hairdressers are taught to use all these tools with their accompanying techniques. But some schools specialize, the Vidal Sasoon school for hairdressing teaches their students to use only regular cutting shears to sculpt hair in a desired way.

Thinning shears and texture shears are hair cutting scissors with jagged blades. These scissors save time for thinning techniques because they are easier to use and are designed only for the purpose of thinning hair. There is however a higher chance of hair damage when thinning shears are not maintained. When you feel the shears tugging at your hair as it cuts, this means that the blade is not sharp. Dull blades damage the hair end, leaving an uneven cut that will later get worse and develop into split ends. A small portion of hair is combed with a fine toothed comb and held out in an angle of 40 to 180 degrees, depending on the length of your hair before it is cut with thinning shears.

Razors are used to feather hair and is used for finished and to create details near the hair line and near the face. The hair dresser can use disposable razors or the razor you would see used for men. This can look a little scary but with a skilled hand and proper hair cutting techniques, produce excellent effects of hair that very finely thins out at the end. Only the razor can achieve this light thinning effects on hair. The danger of using a razor is that hair cut with razors will look damaged and split after some time. This is especially true when improper technique is used or if the hairdresser is careless to use a dull razor.  A dull razor or hair shears will tug on the hair when it makes a cut. The cut ends will be uneven and prone to splitting after a few washes when the ends get soak in moisture.  Imagine cutting a large tree branch by hacking it, making it open to moisture and rot compared to a branch that was neatly sawn off.