Answers for Left Handed Hair Stylists

• How many stylists actually cut left-handed? Statistically, depending on who is doing the research there is anywhere from 7 – 15% of the population who is left-handed. Of these, according to an on-line survey only 68% will cut with their left hand. That means only 6% of hair stylists cut with their left hand. Of these it has been our observation, only half will use true left-handed shears and the others will cut with a right handed shear in their left hand.
• What is a “true” left-handed shear? A left handed shear crosses backwards. This means that no matter how you hold them, the left blade is always on top. This also means when the blade is closed in a relaxed way with the left hand, the blades are pushed together rather apart. This is very different than the so called “ambidextrous shear” which is really a right handed shear with the screw on the opposite side. A right handed shear held in the left hand, even if the screw is reversed, will force the stylist to cut with a “crab grip” in order to force the blades together which would be naturally pushed apart with a relaxed hand.
• Why is left-handed shear selection so limited? Since only about 3% of stylists will use a true left handed shear, due to supply and demand the selection of left handed shears will be limited. Most companies, like Bonika Shears, must produce a minimum of between 50 and 1000 shears of a specific length and model. This means that a right handed model like their Bonika Jazzy Shears may come in 3 to 5 lengths and the left hand version, if available, may be only one length. Approximately 15% of their shears are left-handed versions. Others like the Shoto and Fishbone can be special ordered in a left-handed version. However, we normally do not recommend to our distributors that they carry a large selection of left-handed shears since it is not a sound economic decision for them. This is why most stylists will learn to use a right handed shear in their left hand because these shears are usually more available and often cheaper.
• Why do stylists have trouble adjusting to left-handed shears? Most stylists who have been cutting with right handed shears in their left hand will have problems switching their cutting style to accommodate a true left handed shear. If a stylist has been cutting for a number of years using a crab grip it will feel natural to them, even though their hand is strained. Cutting like this with a left-handed shear will cause the blades to push apart and the hair will fold instead of cut. Even though the shears may be very sharp, aligned perfectly and have no mechanical problems, the stylist will perceive the shears to be dull. This is why it is recommended and even required by law in some countries that schools provide left-handed shears to their left-handed cosmetology students. If these future stylists will learn to use a left-handed shear correctly in the early days of their career they can often extend the number of years they can cut hair since it will reduce the repetitive motion hand injuries that left-handed stylists suffer from.
• How can a left-handed stylist learn to switch to a left-handed shear? There are several suggestions that can help the seasoned stylist switch to the more ergonomically designed left-handed shear.
  o First, the stylist should practice cutting with a relaxed hand. Think of merely closing the shears with the least pressure possible rather than forcing a cut. The less effort they use, the better the shear will cut.
  o Second, test drive several left-handed shears. Often one style or model will work better for a particular stylist. In general, the Left handed Twisters or a swivel thumb model is the easiest design to bridge the gap. The odd feeling of the turning thumb ring forces the hand to cut in a more relaxed position.
  o Thirdly, put in extra thick finger insert rings. In order to cut with the familiar crab grip, a stylist will thrust their finger and thumb far into the holes and bend them in, often causing an indentation on the thumb and ring finger. If the holes are made too small to push the thumb and finger through, a crab grip is impossible to do and the hand will naturally assume a more relaxed, but less familiar a position. Eventually the thicker rings can be removed much as training wheels once the hand has become accustomed to the new position.
  o A fourth suggestion is to play with the adjustment of the tension screw. Lefties can sometimes cut more easily with left-handed shears if the screw adjustment is a little tighter than the suggested norm.
  
  It is certainly worth the effort for left-handed stylists to switch to left-hand shears in spite of the barriers. Left handers tend to be high achievers and it should take only a little determination for a south paw stylist to retrain their hand to cut in a more healthy, left-handed shear manner.
  
  By Bonnie Megowan, Bonika Shears. www.bonika.com August, 5, 2009. Please request permission before reproducing any part of this article either on a website or printed use.