It is interesting that nowadays barbers and hairdressers are considered to be one and the same, but both of these professions have long and separate history, as well as responsibilities. The main tasks of barbers are to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men’s and boys hair, but the main tasks of hairdressers are to cut, style, color and texture clients hair in order to change or maintain their image.

The word “barber” comes from Latin word “barba” which means “beard”, because historically barbers were specialized in cutting of men’s facial hair. The barber’s trade has a long history – first razors have been found among artifacts from Bronze Age in Egypt. In ancient Greece there was cureus who was trimming and styling men’s hair, beards and nails. In ancient Rome there were tonsores who were performing tonsuras or the first shaves of young man. In the Middle Ages barbers not only cut the hair, but also served as surgeons and dentists, so sometimes they were called “barber surgeons”. Also among priests were barbers, and in some ancient tribes barbers were performing religious ceremonies such as baptisms and marriages as well. It is important to know that historically barbers have always been highly respected persons, despite the era. Later, after several centuries, when safety razors appeared and beards become less popular, barbers started to cut men’s scalp hair. The first school for barbers was established in the year 1893 by A. B. Moler.

Barbers workplace is called “barber shop”, as well as “barber’s”. It is interesting that historically places for public disclosures, social interactions and shaping of male identity were called “barber shops” as well.

Talking about hair cutting, today we use both of these terms – barbers and hairdressers. Difference in usage of these conceptions depends only on regulations in given place, for example, Australians use word “barber” only in those cases, when they are talking about men’s hairdressers. Workplaces of barbers are also called differently – barbershops, barber shops, hair salons or hairdressing salons.

Maybe you have not thought about it, but every hair brush and comb which is available nowadays has its own functions, so they have to be used for different purposes. Everyone has to know that the usage of right tools can make all the difference and give desired results, therefore, we have prepared a list of all types of hair brushes and combs, as well as their functions.

Brushes:

• Paddle brush is the best solution for detangling of thick or wet hair, as well as for getting of smooth and shiny hair;
• Ceramic round brush can be used for getting of big and wavy curls;
• Wooden round brush provides great tension and control over the hair because of its naturalness, as well as it is healthier for hair, because it does not tangle and overheat the hair;
• Vent brush allows the air from the blow dryer to pass through it, thereby speeding up the time of drying;
• Teasing brush is used for getting of teased hair and fuller locks, because it helps to get lots of volume to the hair;
• Denman brush is suitable for short hair owners, making their bob haircut straight and sleek;
• Round brush is great for those who have layered haircut. Large round brush provides smooth and soft surface of hair, but small round brush forms wavy style with lift at roots;
• Detangling brush is intended for hair detangling;
• Synthetic bristle brush is suitable for owners of thick hair, because it does not create much static and helps to detangle the hair;
• Natural bristle brush helps to distribute hair’s natural oils all hair length, making them shiny and soft;
• Mixed bristle brush ensures all those qualities which are offered by natural bristle brushes and synthetic bristle brushes;
• Wet brush is perfect for soaked hair, because its stiff bristles do not pull the hair;

Combs:

• Wide tooth comb is suitable for owners of curly hair, because it maintains the hair hydrated and healthy, as well as detangles them easy even if they are wet;
• Tall or rattail comb is suitable for creating of different and impressive hair parts, as well as for smoothing out cowlicks and bumps in hairstyle;
• Heat resistant comb helps to get perfectly straight hair, without melting from the heat from the flat iron.

Hair cutting shears are the basic and the essential tool for every barber, regardless of whether it is professional or amateurish. We have seen a lot of various hair scissors, for example, cutting, thinning and texturizing shears, but let’s find out which are which and what are their functions.

We can easily understand the difference between these hair shears just by one glance, because each of them is designed to perform specific task – some are suitable for basic haircuts, but other are more suitable for adding of special effects to haircut. Even one type scissors may differ from each other with length (4.5 – 7.5 inches), type of blade (convex, beveled), type of handle (opposing, offset, crane), as well as type of thumb grip (standard, cutaway, anatomic, rotating). Barbers choose their shears, basing on several criteria, for example, their hair cutting style and the way they hold the shears, but professional barbers usually have all types of scissors.

Most of haircuts are performed by regular shears – hair cutting shears. As they can be used in hair salons and in households, they are considered to be universal. They have handle with two rings for index finger and thumb and two blades which meet during cutting, but often they come with finger rest for comfort and finger inserts for size adjustment as well. Usually they have traditional and simple design.

Hair thinning shears, sometimes called texturizing or chunking shears, are meant for hair thinning or, in other words, for reducing of hair bulk in certain areas of head. The base of thinning shears is similar to the base of cutting scissors, but their blades differ greatly – one or both blades have edge of micro-teeth which remove some hair with each cut, thinning them without changing the haircut.

Hair texturizing shears are very similar to thinning scissors, but they are mainly used for hair styling, not for hair thinning. If thinning shears are used only for those head areas which tend to become bulky, then texturizing shears can be used for any area of head.

Hair cutting shears are usually made of some steel, but in general steel scissors can be divided in two basic forms – stainless steel scissors and carbon steel scissors. Stainless steel is manufactured from iron, about 1% carbon and at least 10% chromium. Stainless steel is rustproof and lightweight. Carbon steel is manufactured from iron and about 1% carbon. Carbon steel is strong and long-lasting. Carbon steel scissors are usually plated with nickel or chromium to protect them from rusting.

Scissors may be made from blanks, formed by cold stamping or by molding, but most of hair cutting shears are made from blanks, so let’s look at this process in detail.

1. Manufacturing process of scissors starts with making of blanks. Blank may consist of blade and handle or of only the blade.

2. Blanks are trimmed to the necessary shape, cutting away excess steel;

3. Blanks are hardened by heating and cooling them in some cold substance. The heating and cooling temperatures varies, depending on the type of steel and desired features of blade;

4. A hole, which allows blades to be attached to each other, is drilled through the blank;

5. Then comes the second heating and cooling or, in other words, tempering. To avoid warping of blanks during tempering, peening (light tapping with a hammer) is used;

6. The edge of blank is applied on moving abrasive wheel or sanding belt, creating a blade with sharp edge. To avoid overheating and warping of blade during grinding, the blade is cooled with different liquids;

7. Then comes polishing which is performed with finer belts or wheels;

8. After blades are made, handles are made, being formed as part of blank or as separate part from metal alloy or plastic. Metal handle is welded to blades, but plastic handle is attached to blades, inserting ends of blank into slots of handle;

9. Blades are attached to each other with screw or rivet through previously drilled holes. Screw or rivet is lubricated;

10. Scissors may be painted or plated with some metal to make them rustproof or improve their appearance;

11. In the end there may be a quality control or testing to ensure the best quality scissors.

The material our hair cutting shears are made from determines how long they are able to last without sharpening and how fine their edge can be. The quality of every shears depends on used materials and manufacturing process. Nowadays shears can be made from variety of different materials, but the most common of them are explained below.

Alloy. Most of hair cutting shears are made from come sort of alloy. Alloy is made, combining at least two metallic elements to add some special features or improve some properties, for example, strength or resistance to corrosion.
Stainless steel alloy. One of the most popular and the most common alloy which is used in manufacturing of hair cutting shears is stainless steel. There are two main types of stainless steel which are used in hairdressing industry – 420A and 440C.

Cobalt base alloy. This is another material which is very popular among manufacturers of scissors. Cobalt has high resistance against rust and chemicals, but it also can chip and nick easily.

Molybdenum alloy. Comparing to stainless steel or cobalt alloy, molybdenum alloy is perfect material, because it is extremely flexible, and shears which are made from molybdenum alloy are razor-sharp and long-lasting.

Cobalt molybdenum base alloy. Containing cobalt and molybdenum, shears which are made from this material are non-brittle and resistant against rust and chemicals.

Sintered steel and carbide steel. These materials are used in some most expensive hair cutting shears. Sintered or powdered steel is extremely hard, but carbide steel is perfect at edge retention.

Titan or titanium coating. With titanium coating a special color and style are added to shears.

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  Fore side is the upper part of scissors;

• Points or tips are ends of blades;
• Size is the total length of scissors, measured from points to ends of finger rings;
• Outside blade or back side is the dull edge of the blade;
• Edge is the sharp part of the blade;
• Teardrop-corner is the angle of upper blade;
• Hollow or concave is the inner part of the blade;
• Ring blade or thumb blade is the blade which is connected with thumb ring;
• Hook blade or finger blade is the blade which is connected with index finger ring;
• Adjustment screw is the screw which connects both moving parts of shears;
• Screw hole is the hole where the adjustment screw is attached to blades;
• Shank is the part which connects blade with finger ring;
• Neck is the part which connects finger ring with shank;
• Wing is the part between the shank and adjustment screw;
• Ride or halfmoon is the part next to the adjustment screw where blades slide one over each other;
• Joint is the part over the ride or the halfmoon where both blades meet;
• Outside ring is the outer part of finger ring;
• Inside ring is the inner part of finger ring;
• Ring flat is the surface of finger rings;
• Finger insert is the insert for finger ring to adjust the size of finger hole;
• Finger rest is the piece which is attached to the finger ring to support the finger;
• Bow is the arcuate outside part of the handle;
• Bumper, stopper or silencer is cushioned element between handle rings.

It is not a secret that hair cutting shears are the most important tool of every barber, so it is significant to buy shears which are qualitative, long-lasting, as well as suitable for hairdresser’s individual needs and wants.

During buying of hair cutting shears we pay for many things – for material, for labor inputs, for design, for functionality and for many other things. Some manufacturers are focusing on design, forgetting about quality and functionality, while some other manufacturers are focusing on quality and functionality, absolutely forgetting about their visual appearance.

To find out which shears to prefer, use this comparing method – look at what their manufacturers focus on in their lower end shears – if their lower end shears have poor quality, it is unlikely that higher end shears will have high quality, and vice versa. Actually it is not recommended to spend a lot of money for high end shears from manufacturer which manufactures lower end shears at all.

Every hairdresser should pay attention to the steel which is used in manufacturing of eyed scissors, because it directly affects their quality – 440C stainless steel is the bare minimum steel for good scissors. Beware of titanium coatings, because it is often used on cheap scissors to give them an attractive look, selling them for higher prices. Pay attention to the hardness of material as well – good shears usually have Rockwell hardness of 55 – 56 HRC. Ignore such words as “forged” and “handcrafted”, because nowadays all shears are forged and everything that is handcrafted is popular and demanded – if manufacturer uses these words, it just does not have anything else to offer.

The saying “you get what you pay for” is true for many things, including hair cutting shears. It is not a secret that cheap shears are usually made from inexpensive and thus poor material, so do not be surprised if they are not so qualitative as you were expecting. Furthermore, quality of steel directly affects the sharpness of blades as well. Qualitative shears simply last longer, because they hold an edge for many hair cuts and do not rust easily. The average price for good hair cutting shears is 40$, so not worth paying more.

Cheap shears are usually produced by machines, but more expensive shears are handmade by proficients from the beginning to the end. There is difference between commercially manufactured shears and handmade shears, because manufacturing process of shears affects ergonomics and comfort – poor quality tools accumulate more stress to hands and wrists, causing different conditions.

In general there are two types of shears – Japanese and German. Japanese shears have convex edge blades, but German shears have beveled edge blades. Convex edge blades are sharper, but beveled edge blades provide firm and crisp cut.

It is important to obtain hair cutting shears which can be honed – good shears should last for up to 400 hair cuts before resharpening. If expensive shears cannot be honed, but only replaced by new ones, do not buy them. Beveled edge shears last for long time without resharpening, as well as they are the least expensive to sharpen.

Pay attention to the surface of shears – whether they are shiny-surfaced or satin-finished, because shiny-surfaced scissors are more resistant against scratches and corrosion.

Other features which may improve the comfort and thus rise the price of shears are finger rest, finger inserts, as well as asymmetric handle.

The hair is protein fiber which grows from follicles in the dermis. Human head has hundreds of thousands of follicles. The hair consists of several layers – outer cuticle, middle cortex and inner medulla. Cuticle consists of flat cells which overlap one another like fish scales, cortex contains keratin and melanin in rod-like cells, but medulla is opened and disorganized area at the center of fiber.

Cortex determines the color of hair, because it contains melanin which colors the fiber, basing on the number, distribution and the type of melanin granules. Eumelanin gives brown and black color, but pheomelanin gives yellow and red color.

Hair begins to grow inside of the hair follicle by the papilla which is the only living part of the hair. The hair which is visible on the skin surface has no biochemical activity, namely, it is dead. As new cells grow, older cells die and are forced through follicles towards the scalp, creating a keratin, so the hair shaft which is seen on the skin is the keratin. Each hair follicle produces many hairs during human lifetime. The hair grows, stops growing, falls out and then starts to grow again. There are three stages of hair growth – anagen, catagen and telogen. Human hair grows for 1 to 7 years, and it can grow from 28 to 36 inches.

The shape of follicle affects the shape of the cortex, but the shape of fiber affects the curliness or straightness of hair. For example, people who have round hair fibers have straight hair, but people who have oval or irregularly shaped fibers have wavy or curly hair. In general there are three types of hair – African Caribbean, Asian and Caucasian or European. Hair texture can be fine, medium or coarse. The hair texture is determined, basing on its circumference. The diameter of human hair varies from 0,017 to 0,18 millimeters. The hair density depends on the number of hair on the head. On average blond hair owners have 130 000 hairs, brown hair owners have 100 000 hairs, black hair owners have 100 000 hairs, but red hair owners have 80 000 hairs.

Gray hair. Gray hair is caused by weakening of hair pigment – melanin – due various damages over the years. If you already have gray hair, you can dye them with hair color, but if you want to prevent an appearing of gray hair, hydrate and take care of them from early years, relax and be positive, quit oh smoking, use copper, iodine, proteins and vitamin B12, as well as improve blood circulation.

Hair loss. Everyone knows that a person normally loses about 100 hairs a day, but in cases of some health problems the number of lost hair usually increases. Hair loss can be treated with the usage of certain medication, hormonal treatment, radiation, chemotherapy and other less popular methods.

Hair damage. Usage of different hairstyling tools and products are dangerous for hair, because they damage them. Also sun, wind, chlorine, pollution and too frequent hair washing with harsh shampoos damages hair. Hair damages such as brittle, dry and broken hair with split ends are very widespread problems. If you want to maintain beautiful and healthy hair, limit the usage of damaging hairstyling tools and products, use soft and flexible hair brush, brush your hair gently and less frequent, wipe your hair with the towel gently, use deep conditioners and masks at least once a week, as well as eat healthy food.

Greasy hair. Some people have over-production of sebum on their scalp which makes their hair greasy. Greasy hair look dull, lifeless and limp. To decrease the production of sebum on the scalp eat healthy and fat-less food and use shampoos which contain gentle ingredients and are specially made to control the oily scalp.

Dandruff. Dandruff is the most common hair problem. Dandruff develop of scaly particles which cling to the hair roots. Usually dandruff is caused by poor diet, some infection, slow metabolism and stress. To get rid of dandruff use only anti-dandruff products, eat healthy food, cure infections, speed up metabolism, take a rest and sleep enough.

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  Physical stress. Any severe physical stress can trigger telogen effluvium which is a type of hair loss. This condition does not need a cure, because as soon as the body recovers, the hair grow back.

• Pregnancy. Pregnancy is some kind of physical stress which affects the hair. Also pregnancy hormones promote the hair loss. Do not worry about hair loss during pregnancy, because they will grow back after couple of months.
• Too much vitamin A. Overdosing of supplements or medications which contain vitamin A can cause hair loss. To regrow your hair just stop intake of vitamin A.
• Lack of protein. If you do not consume enough protein in your diet, your body rations protein by slowing down the hair growth. Great sources of protein are meat, fish and eggs.
• Male pattern baldness. This type of hair loss is caused by male sex hormones and combo of genes. You can try usage of creams like minoxidil or oral medications like finasteride, as well as hair transplantation or grafting.
• Heredity. If women of your family started to lose their hair at early age, there is a possibility that you will lose your hair early as well. Try to use a minoxidil.
• Female hormones. Just as pregnancy also usage of birth control pills and menopause can cause the hair loss, therefore, talk to your doctor about other birth control alternatives.
• Emotional stress. Severe emotional stress does not precipitate the hair loss, but exacerbates problems which are already here. Just go through your emotional stress, reducing it with different, individually appropriate methods.
• Anemia. Anemia is caused by iron deficiency, therefore, intake of iron-containing supplements should correct this problem.
• Hypothyroidism. This condition is caused by underactive thyroid gland. Then it is not producing enough hormones, hair loss problem becomes aggravated. Intake of synthetic thyroid medications should cure this problem.
• Vitamin B deficiency. Deficiency of vitamin B can cause the hair loss, therefore, intake of supplements and food which contain vitamin B should resolve this problem.
• Autoimmune-related hair loss. This problem is also called Alopecia Areata which is result of overactive immune system which perceives the hair as foreign and gets rid of it. Steroid injections and Rogaine are the best treatments in this case.
• Lupus. This condition is another autoimmune disease which causes the hair loss. In this case hair do not grow back, so the only solution is new hairstyle or wig which hides damages.
• Dramatic weight loss. This is another form of physical trauma which can result is thinning of hair, because dramatic weight loss is connected with sudden loss of significant vitamins and minerals. As soon as the body recovers, the hair usually grows back.
• Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy destroys rapidly dividing cells, including hair. After chemotherapy the hair usually grows back, sometimes changing their color or texture.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome. PCOS causes imbalance in female and male sex hormones. Excess androgen hormones cause a lot of different health problems, including thinning of hair. Treat your PCOS in consultation with your doctor.
• Certain medications. Such medications as blood thinners, blood-pressure drugs, methotrexate, lithium, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antidepressants encourage the hair loss. Talk to your doctor about possibility to lower the dose or switch to other medications.
• Overstyling. Frequent usage of hairstyling tools, products and procedures can cause the hair loss over the years, so avoid them or limit the usage of them.
• Trichotillomania. This is one of impulse control disorders where people are constantly playing with their hair and compulsively pulling them out. Some behavior modification therapy or antidepressants may help in this case.
• Aging. Unfortunately, the hair loss or thinning because of aging is unstoppable, so the only solution is usage of scarves, wigs or special hairstyles.
• Anabolic steroids. Intake of anabolic steroids for muscle bulk is connected with the hair loss, because they have the same impact on the body as PCOS, so stop using them.

Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Areata is a type of hair loss which occurs when human’s immune system by mistake attacks its own hair follicles, causing hair loss. In case of Alopecia Areata damages to hair follicles are usually fickle, therefore, the hair loss often comes and goes. Only about 10% of people who suffer from Alopecia Areata never regrow their hair again.

Symptoms of Alopecia Areata are:

• Hair loss which leaves round and smooth hairless patches on scalp;
• Hair thinning which leaves noticeably bald patches on scalp;
• Sudden hair breakage which leaves stubs or, in other words, exclamation point hair;
• Complete hair loss on scalp and body;
• Nails which look like sandpaper or look as if they would be pierced with needle.

This disease mostly affects people who are not older than 20 years. You are more likely to have Alopecia Areata if someone from your family has suffered from this condition, if you have had this condition before puberty or for longer time than one year, if you have some other autoimmune disease, if you are prone to different allergies, if you have intensive hair loss, if your nails have abnormal shape, texture, thickness or color.

Alopecia Areata can be diagnosed through a medical history and physical examination, including blood test and hair sample test. Alopecia Areata can be treated with injections or applications of corticosteroids, contact immunotherapy, as well as psoralen with ultraviolet A light therapy or PUVA therapy. If you do not want to treat your condition, but wait for hair regrowth, you can wear different hairpieces, use certain hair care products, as well as special hairstyling techniques.

Onion juice contains high amounts of sulphur which increases production of collagen in tissues;

• Apple cider vinegar gently cleanses the scalp, maintaining the pH balance of hair;
• Egg mask contains high amounts of proteins, sulphur, zinc, iron, selenium, phosphorus and iodine;
• Fenugreek not only regrows the hair, but also protects their natural color;
• Potato juice contains a lot of vitamin A, B and C;
• Henna pack conditions and colors the hair, as well as strengthens hair roots;
• Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin which causes activation of nerves and increases the blood flow to the scalp, improving absorption of nutrients;
• Coconut milk contains high amounts of iron, potassium and essential fats;
• Green tea contains a lot of antioxidants;
• Indian gooseberry or amla contains vitamin C and antioxidants which improves not only hair growth, but also hair color;
• Cumin seeds are rich with numerous essential vitamins and nutrients;
• Peppercorns contain essential oils;
• Hibiscus flower cures dandruff, encourages the hair growth, thickens the hair, as well as prevents premature aging of hair;
• Garlic powder boosts regeneration of hair and promotes scalp circulation;
• Vitamin E oil contains high amounts of antioxidants;
• Coconut oil contains potassium which reduces dandruff, hair breakage and hair loss;
• Rosemary oil enhances division of cells and expands blood vessels, stimulating the blood circulation to the scalp, as well as acts as a hair tonic;
• Sage oil reduces hair loss and encourages hair growth;
• Lavender oil cures Alopecia and other types of hair loss;
• Jojoba oil improves blood circulation, moisturizes hair follicles and repairs damaged hair;
• Flaxseed oil is rich with essential fatty acids which have ability to treat damaged hair, promoting the hair growth;
• Olive oil stimulates the growing of new hair, prevents the hair loss and conditions the hair;
• Castor oil ensures fast growing of strong and shiny hair.

Such factors as stress, aging, genetics and chemicals are causing thinning of hair. Also such factors as harmful shampoos, cooper, manganese or vitamin D deficiency, hypothyroidism and hormonal imbalance affects thickness of hair. If you have thin hair, follow the strategies which can help you to get thicker and healthier hair.

1. Choose only chemical-free hair care products;
2. Handle your hair gently and do not treat them too roughly;
3. Wash your hair less frequently;
4. Use a soft towel to gently squeeze the hair and blot them dry;
5. Use a wide-toothed comb to brush your hair;
6. Never brush wet hair;
7. Do not use the heat for hairstyling or use it as rarely as possible;
8. Let your hair be natural – do not bleach and color your hair, as well as do not use permanent curls and chemical straighteners;
9. Regularly cut your hair;
10. Eat healthy food which is rich with different and useful nutrients;
11. Protect your hair from environmental damage – direct sunlight, pollution and chlorine;
12. Exterminate the stress from your life or try to relieve it, using different and healthy methods;
13. Try different hair thickening products – commercially manufactured products from synthetic ingredients and homemade products from natural ingredients;
14. Massage your scalp with special massage tools, brushes or your fingers daily;
15. Try extensions, weaves, clip-ins or even hair transplants.

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  Vitamin C is great booster of immune system and excellent antioxidant in the body;

• B Vitamins are usually grouped together, because they are many, but it is important to take them all. If you have deficiency of B Vitamins, you have weakness, tiredness, easy bruising and slow hair growth;
• Vitamin E is one of the most essential supplements for healthy and beautiful hair growth, as well as for healthy scalp;
• Vitamin A just like the vitamin C is powerful antioxidant which has huge positive impact on health. If you have deficiency of vitamin A, you have vision and skin problems. Be careful with usage of vitamin A, because it is possible to take too much of it which can affect your hair growth negatively;
• Vitamin D improves growth of healthy hair follicles;
• Iron is an important mineral of body which ensures a lot of significant processes, including hair growth;
• Magnesium is very important element for healthy scalp to grow beautiful and healthy hair;
• Protein is not a vitamin or mineral, but it is necessary to consume enough protein to grow healthy and beautiful hair;
• Niacin is one of B Vitamins which nourish the scalp, encouraging healthy hair growth. In case of niacin deficiency (pellagra) your hair become lifeless and brittle, breaking or falling out.
• Biotin is one of B Vitamins which has pill form and which have to be consumed everyday, because it is water soluble vitamin (our bodies cannot retain it);
• Zinc is responsible for beautiful hair growth, because in case of zinc deficiency hair become lackluster.

1. 

   Frequent hair cutting makes them grow faster;

2. If you pluck one gray hair out, two of them will grow back in its place;
3. Shampooing makes the hair shed;
4. The more you brush the hair, the healthier they will be;
5. Color-treated hair is damaged and unhealthy;
6. You cannot dye your hair during pregnancy;
7. Usage of right products can make the hair thicker;
8. Switching of shampoos is very significant;
9. Dandruff is caused by dry scalp;
10. Sudsy shampoos clean the hair and the scalp better;
11. Air-drying is better than blow-drying;
12. Usage of oils is not suitable for greasy hair;
13. The hair should be washed daily;
14. Wearing of hats can cause the hair loss;
15. Hair should be towel-dried.

Different length shears are used to perform different hair cutting techniques. Shorter shears are suitable for detailed precisions hair cutting, but long shears are suitable for powerful hair cutting. The standard length of hair cutting scissors most barbers are using is between 5 and 6 inches, but it is best to have one pair of short shears for precision cutting and one pair of longer shears for different hair cutting techniques such as bob-line cutting, cutting on the skin, scissors over comb, slide cutting, and cutting around the face.

There are various hair cutting techniques, but generally they can be distributed in this way – precision British cutting or so called Sassoon cutting (precise edges, layers and blending, geometrical and well-executed cuts), standard British cutting or pivot point cutting (similar to Sassoon cutting), French cutting (natural look and movement, coherence with persons appearance, easy styling), razor cutting (soft edges, wispy style), dry cutting (for fine and curly hair) and clipper cutting or “scissors over comb” cutting.

In general hair can be cut in four angles – 0 degree, 45 degrees, 90 degrees and 180 degrees. These specific angles are used to get desired haircut, for example, 0 degree cut is the cut blunt or bob cut, 45 degrees cut is the wedge, 90 degrees cut is the layered cut, but 180 degrees cut is the shag. Blunting and thinning is performed at 90 degrees, pointing is performed at 60 degrees, chipping and texturizing is performed at 45 degrees, but slicing is performed at 30 degrees.

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  Bald;

• Bangs;
• Blocked nape;
• Bowl cut or undercut;
• Brush cut;
• Burr;
• Business man’s cut;
• Butch;
• Buzzcut;
• Caesar;
• Classic taper;
• Crewcut, brush cut or short pomp;
• Fade;
• Faux hawk;
• Flattop;
• Graduation;
• High and tight;
• Ivy league or Princeton;
• Layer cut;
• Mullet;
• Pompadour;
• Shag;
• Tapered nape;
• Texture;
• Temple fade or Brooklyn fade;
• Tramlines or channeling;
• Whitewall.

Round face is about as long as it is wide. It is characterized by full cheekbones, narrow forehead and narrow jawline. Owners of round faces have to choose asymmetrical haircuts with layers, longer haircuts which fall to the chin or below it, short haircuts with choppy ends, pixie haircuts, side-swept fringes and off-center parts. Owners of round faces should avoid straight bangs.

Square face has about the same width and length, sharp jawline with bold angles, as well as forehead and jawline at about the same length. Owners of square faces have to choose graduated and soft layers with wispy ends, side-swept bangs, loose curls and waves, short bob with lots of bangs and layers, middle or long hair with feathery layers which hit above jawline, as well as off-center part. Owners of square faces should avoid blunt cuts, straight and heavy bangs.

Heart face is characterized by wide cheekbones and forehead, as well as narrow chin. Owners of heart faces have to choose chin-length and textured haircuts, side-swept bangs, pixie haircuts, wispy layers, strong side part, heavy fringes and middle length bob. Owners of heart faces should avoid blunt bangs and haircuts with bulk around the top part of head.

Oval face is one and a half times as long as it is wide. It is characterized by forehead and jawline at about the same width. Owners of oval faces have to choose bangs, centered part, blunt cut bangs, middle length bob and any other haircut, because almost any haircut and hairstyle compliments this face shape.

Triangular face is characterized by narrow forehead and strong, wide jawline. Owners of triangular faces have to choose short haircuts or asymmetrical haircuts which hit at eyes and are shorter in the back.

Owners of diamond faces have to choose long and straight hairstyles such as wispy bangs.

Wahl 79300-400 Color Pro Haircut Kit includes an electric hair clipper which consists of plastic corps and high-carbon steel, self sharpening blades. This hair clipper has colorful guide combs which allow to find necessary comb and setting fast and easy. Another feature is taper lever which ensures customized cutting lengths and easy blending. Heavy duty motor provides exceptional action power which ensures smooth cutting on all hair types, but soft touch grip offers comfort and control during shearing. This Color Pro Haircut Kit from Wahl includes one piece of electric hair clipper, 11 pieces of colored guide combs, one piece of blade guard, one piece of blade oil, one piece of barber comb, one piece of styling comb, one pair of scissors, one piece of cleaning brush, one piece of storage case, as well as English / Spanish instructions and styling guide. It is suitable only for USA electric outlets. This Wahl hair clipper is great option for usage at home, because it offers results of professional quality. This product has 5 year warranty.

Utopia Care Professional Cutting Hair Shears are made of high quality Japanese 440C stainless steel which is known as durable, long-lasting, as well as stainless and sterile material. These shears have convex hollow ground blades which have tiny serrations for self-sharpening, using cutting of aluminum foil. These Utopia Care hair cutting scissors are available in three different lengths – 5.5 inches, 6.5 inches and 7.5 inches. Considering that they are made of stainless steel, they are silver color with slight, metallic sheen, but they also have golden color elements – spring leaf adjustment system with knurled knob and removable finger rest. Another feature of these Utopia Care hair shears is removable finger inserts which improve fit and comfort during hair cutting. This Utopia Care hair cutting shears come with synthetic leather storage case for more comfortable and safe movement. This products is suitable both for professional hairdressers and hairdressing amateurs. These shears are suitable for almost any hair cutting technique, for example, for slicing, chipping, pointing and blunting.

Goody Classic Hair Cutting Scissors are meant for hair cutting. They are made from pure stainless steel and both of their blades are beveled edge blades which ensure powerful and crispy cuts. These Goody hair cutting shears are 6.5 inches long, but their weight is 1.6 ounces. As they are made of stainless steel, they are light gray with mat coverage, but their plastic handle is gray. Unfortunately this Goody product does not have tension adjustment system or screw which usually helps to adjust the tension of cutting. It also does not have finger inserts for fit and comfort and storage case for safe and comfortable movement, but it has non-removable finger rest which prevents distress in fingers and hands, preventing development of occupational diseases. These hair cutting scissors from Goody are suitable both for professional barbers and hairdressing amateurs, therefore, they can be used in hair salons and in households, achieving equal quality hair cutting results.

SE 73952 Hair Thinning Scissors are intended for hair thinning or, in other words, for reducing of hair bulk in certain areas of head. These hair shears are made from high quality ice tempered stainless steel which is known as extremely durable material, therefore, also scissors which are made from this material maintain their sharpness for longer period of time, lasting longer than scissors which are made from regular steel. Considering that these SE hair thinning shears are double sided, they have 30 razor-sharp micro-teeth on both blades, ensuring fast and smooth hair thinning without pulling and tearing of hair. They are 6.5 inches long, but their blades are only 2.5 inches long. Design of these SE shears can be described as traditional design, because they have no special features or design elements – they are silver color with polish finish, they have non-removable finger rest, they do not have finger inserts and tension adjustment system. These SE scissors do not come with any storage case, so if you need it, you will need to buy it separately. It is important, that this product will be equally perfect both for professional hairdressers and hairdressing students.

LUXOR M505 7.5 inch Styling Shears are intended for hair cutting, using a lot of various hair cutting techniques, for example, slicing, chipping, pointing and blunting. Considering that they are made of ice tempered stainless steel, they are durable, long-lasting and sterile. These hair styling scissors from LUXOR has razor edge hollow ground blades which are razor-sharp, providing smooth and precise haircuts both in barbershop and home. These LUXOR shears are considered to be long shears, because their length is 7.5 inches. Regardless of length they are lightweight – their weight is only 3 ounces. Their design can be described as polished silver, because they are silver color with slight sheen. This product features finger rest for superior comfort and ergonomics, but it is non removable. These LUXOR hair cutting shears do not have possibility to adjust the tension, as well as finger inserts which usually help to adjust the size of finger holes and thus improve the comfort. This product does not come with any storage case, so if you need it, buy it separately. Considering that these LUXOR styling shears have all of necessary qualities and their price is quite low, they are suitable both for professionals and amateurs.