Cutting split ends with regular scissors

[Charlotte:)]

I have read several posts by people who say you should cut off your split ends with hair scissors. I have always just used regular scissors without any problems. Is there any reason I should invest in some hair scissors or will regular scissors do?

[Eniratak]

The main reason for saying to use hair scissors to cut your hair over regular scissors is the fact that hair scissors are sharper.
However, I've found that if you sharpen up the blades on your regular scissors, you don't need to invest in hair scissors.

[Foxknot]

Eniratak is right, hair scissors are generally sharper. I use regular scissors and sowing scissors, and I've had no problems, either. Just so long as the scissors aren't extremely dull, they're good to use. ^^

[Anje]

The trouble with regular scissors is that they tend to be more dull than hair scissors, and dull scissors tend to shred the end of the hair rather than cutting it cleanly. (It's comparable to cutting fabric for sewing, and the shredding from trying to cut fabric with dull scissors is more immediately obvious.) Thus, we get posts from people who have cut their hair with dull scissors complaining that a few weeks later, all the ends at their hemline are split.

If your scissors are really sharp and aren't regularly used as screwdrivers, to pry caps open, cut wire screen, used by children on whatever they cut when mom's not looking, etc., it's possible that you're getting a decent cut with them. It's also possible that your hair is more split-resistant than most. However, it's also possible that you haven't connected damage to what scissors you're using or are trimming with them too often to notice the splits developing.

Personally, I'd say you should get a designated pair of hair scissors and reserve them specifically for that use. You can spend just about any amount for them, from $5 for a pair in the hair aisle of Walmart or Walgreens to hundreds of dollars.