Are you a righty or a lefty? Your brain ultimately decides which hand your body favors. While you can’t pick which hand is dominant, you can choose the right tools for your career.
Naturally creative and visual thinkers, it is estimated that less than 10% of hairstylists are left-handed, and of that, over 65% use their right hand to cut or were trained to use a flipper right-handed shear to cut left-handed. And, some lefties are not even certain what a true left-handed shear looks and feels like! For precision control and best results Andrew Carruthers, Education Director for Sam Villa, suggests left-handed stylists use a true left-handed shear.
“Shears should feel like an extension of your hand…so they have to be ergonomically correct for you to perform comfortably without strain or pain. Left-handed shears are designed specifically for left-hand cutting, so the body is in a natural position when using them. Flipping other shears will compromise your stance and contribute to health and performance issues,” says Carruthers.
How to Tell a True Left-Handed Shear
Hold shears in a normal cutting position directly in front of the body.
Take a look at the thumb blade when opening and closing the shear (the blade that is controlled by the thumb). If the thumb blade is the back-most blade, then it is a true left-handed shear. If the thumb blade is the front-most blade, then it is a flipped right-handed shear.
The investment in a great pair of ergonomically designed shears is key to a successful career. “Our shears save careers by eliminating neck, wrist and should pain so stylists can continue to perform at their best,” adds Carruthers. As an extension of your hands, your tools help express your creativity and elongate your career by cutting down on fatigue, wrist pain, and discomfort. To learn more about how ergonomically designed shears can improve your styling, check out these tips!
Learn more about left-handed shears and other Sam Villa tools on www.samvilla.com.
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Looking for even more hair care and styling tricks, be sure to stalk Sam Villa Professional on Bangstyle and check out all of his tools in the Bangstyle Store!