The pandemic has made the regular person question whether they can use their kitchen scissors on this hair. The short answer is "not really", but for more information, keep on reading.

Can You Cut Hair With Regular Scissors?

As a pro, you have probably come across the question "can you cut hair with regular scissors?" time and time again. And while technically nothing is impossible, it really is not advisable to suggest cutting hair with any old pair of scissors.

Why?

Because your clients will be asking for pulled hair and a choppy finish — not something they want! Regular scissors are known to cause pain (especially when trimming beards).

The Biggest Question: Can Regular Scissors Cause Split Ends?

A question that typically follows the initial "so can it be done?" is "can regular scissors cause split ends?". In short, yes.

Each time you cut through the hair with kitchen scissors, it becomes frayed. This quickly promotes split ends since it is pulling the strands instead of slicing through them.

What Is The Difference Between Hair Scissors and Regular Scissors?

While most of this won't be news to all you pros out there, it's always good to have a refresher every once in a while.

So, let's jump right in!

#1 The Sharpness of The Blades

Scissors, regardless of the type, come with various levels of sharpness. At the end of the day, they are effectively two-bladed knives!

When you attempt to cut hair with regular scissors, you will notice that the hair moves when you apply pressure due to the bluntness of the bottom blade. This is how you end up with split ends, uneven cuts, and misplaced chops.

Hair scissors, on the other hand, have two incredibly sharp blades. This ensures that the hair stays put when you work, allowing you to achieve the straight lines and pristine cuts that you pride yourself on.

#2 The Steel Quality

Kitchen and craft scissors are typically made from carbon steel coated in nickel or chromium to prevent rust from forming. While this is fine for opening packages, cutting and sticking with your kids, and other household chores, your client's hair will not thank you for it.

Scissors for hair cutting are all crafted from stainless steel that has been painstakingly manufactured in Pakistan, China, Germany, Japan, Korea, India, and Taiwan. The best scissor steel typically comes from Japan, but Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese steels are also great.

Take a look at the list below to find the order of stainless steel scissors in terms of quality, starting with the highest:

• Super Gold 2 or Any Boutique/Powdered Steel — They stay sharp for the longest time and often come with a better blade angle. The cut is super crisp and clean.
• ATS-314 — This stainless steel has the highest amount of the following: vanadium, titanium, and cobalt. Vanadium and titanium are crucial for toughness and strength while remaining lightweight.
• VG-10 — Otherwise referred to as VG-10 G or VG-10 Gold.
• V-10
• V-1 — Vanadium and titanium are lower here than in the previous stainless steels.
• S-3 — A cobalt steel.
• S-1 — Another cobalt steel.
• 440C
• 440A
• 420 — The majority of Pakistani hair-cutting scissors use this grade of stainless steel.

#3 The Angle of The Blades

If you can, line up a pair of standard kitchen scissors, fabric scissors, and hair-cutting scissors in a row and look closely at each of the blades. You will probably notice that they are all set at different angles.

The reason for this is that all materials need cutting in varied ways. Thus, the angle of the scissors' blades needs to be adjusted to suit its purpose. You shouldn't cut paper with hair scissors. Likewise, you shouldn't cut hair with paper scissors.

#4 The Blade Size

Arguably, the size of the blades is the most obvious difference between standard household scissors and hair scissors.

On kitchen scissors, the blades are chunky. They are wide and thick. On hair scissors, however, the blades are narrow and thin.

Compared to paper and cardboard, hair is incredibly light and fine. Thus, it needs a small, sharp blade to cut it correctly. If you use regular scissors, you'll notice that the bottom blade pushes up on the hair strands, causing it to move to the side. You'll end up with a wonky cut and split ends if you're not careful. 

#5 The Price

Ah, money. A divider of most things — including scissors!

While you can pick up a pair of flowery kitchen scissors at Dollar Tree, a decent pair of hair-cutting scissors will cost you anywhere from $45 to $1,000.

In your salon, they were likely quite an investment. Generally, this is a good thing; the higher the price, the better the quality after all.

Just know that this isn't always the case. If your clients ask you about hair scissors they should use at home, it probably won't go down well if you offer them a brand that costs a couple of hundred dollars!

#6 The Handles

Scissor handles (otherwise referred to as "finger brows") differ too.

On kitchen or craft scissors, the bottom handle tends to be large and tricky to grip. The finger brows on hair scissors are typically the same size and circular. This makes them easy to hold and aids hair cutting efficiency.

In general, regular scissors are overall bigger than those made with hair in mind. After all, you won't be attacking your client's hair quite like opening an Amazon package (or even better, a KIZEN parcel.)

Speaking of KIZEN, it's time to take a little look at the difference between our scissors and other hair-cutting scissors.

How Do KIZEN Shears Differ From Other Hair Scissors?

We pride ourselves on offering scissors that are a cut about the rest. Our manufacturing system combines traditional methods with new technologies to create hair-cutting scissors that provide a flawless finish while protecting your wrist health.

A healthy, happy career is our scissors' sole mission. Whether you're a minimalist or a hap-hazard creative, our polished aesthetics are bound to appeal.

Oh, and we've ensured they're affordable. You're already an expert. So, why shouldn't your tools be?