Many people consider thick hair a blessing, but if yours puffs up or takes too long to dry, you might be wondering how to thin your hair. Professional stylists use hair thinning scissors to tame thick hair, and you may want to try this technique at home too. Read on to learn how to thin hair with scissors.





Use the Right Scissors
Thinning shouldn't be done with just any pair of hair shears. Rather, it requires specialty thinning scissors. These have one normal blade and one notched blade so less hair is removed with each snip. Try the Cricket M30 Thinning Shear, $79.95.

Separate
Before we get started on how to thin hair, it's important to lay the groundwork. To begin, use a comb or your fingers to separate your hair into sections. A comb will provide a more defined finished look, but fingers will result in a softer one.

Clip
Use clips to hold the sections in place until you are ready to work with them.

Start Low
Start by trimming the sections that are farthest from your crown. Save the highest layers for last.

Snip Upward
Hold one undersection firmly in your hand and get set to snip the section about halfway between the end of your hair and the scalp. At no point in the thinning process should you ever take the scissors any closer to your scalp than this.

With the scissors angled toward the ceiling, trim halfway through the section of hair.

Snip Downward
Rather than closing the scissors over the full section of locks you are holding, pull the scissors away once you have snipped about half of the section. Then, flip the scissors around so that they are pointed toward the floor. Snip down through the remaining half of the section. This up-and-down cutting technique helps the finished product look even and natural.

Comb
As you work, comb the hair regularly. If the just-trimmed section doesn't yet have the look you're going for, repeat the process on that area before moving on to the next one.

Move Toward the Ends
As you complete the lowest layers of hair and proceed on to the top ones, move your snips farther and farther down the hair shafts. By the time you get to the outermost layer of hair, you should be using the thinning scissors only on the very ends of your hair. Otherwise, you run the risk of ending up with locks that only want to stand straight up.

Repeat Monthly
Thinning is best done sporadically. For optimum results, use your thinning scissors only about once a month. Otherwise, you risk over-thinning your locks, and you could end up with hair that doesn't lie in place properly.

Consider Professional Work
Thinning your own hair at home can be tricky. If you don't feel completely comfortable with how to thin hair, it's okay to leave this job to a professional stylist.