Top 10 Ways to Make Your Hair Scissors Last Longer
Ten ways to get more years from salon scissors: fit, a first check, hair only, rotation, closing them, drying, oil, tension, carry cases and early service.
By SalonScissors editorial team Updated
No habit gives a scissor a fixed lifespan, because every edge wears with use. These ten ways cut down the avoidable wear, so a good pair keeps cutting well for as long as it can.
How we chose: Ten ways, from the day you buy to the day you service. We sell the oil pen shown and haven’t run cutting tests. Reviewed 4 November 2026.
More on how we chose
- Blades
Wipe each blade from the pivot out to the tip, with your fingers away from the edge. On a thinner, clear the hair from between the teeth.
- Pivot
Brush out hair and product where the blades meet, then dry it before the pair goes away.
- Oil point
Oil where the blades cross at the pivot only if your model’s instructions call for it. Some pivots need none.
- Tension screw
Leave it as it is unless the maker’s instructions explain the adjustment for your model.
- Rings and handles
Wipe and dry these too, then store the pair closed in its own slot or sleeve.
1. Choose a pair that fits your hand and your work
A pair that’s the wrong hand, size or ring fit makes you grip harder and push through sections it wasn’t made for. Start with the hand, the size you use most and a handle that sits naturally. Our how to choose guide walks through each.
2. Check the pair when it arrives
Open and close it, look along both edges and check the tips meet. A problem that’s caught on day one is a return or an exchange, not a mystery weeks later. Our arrival inspection lists what to look at.
3. Use your cutter for hair only
Keep clips, pins, foils, tape and anything else that isn’t hair away from the blades. Kasho warns that sterilising liquid, perm and colour solution can corrode scissors, so wipe chemicals off the blades before the next client. Our care mistakes covers more of what to avoid.
4. Rotate pairs instead of using one for everything
A single pair that does every job takes every knock. Keep a shorter pair for detail and a longer one for broad sections, and let a backup take over when the main pair is away. The backup scissor plan explains what to pick.
5. Close them when you put them down
Resting a pair open on the station or the trolley invites a knock to the tips. Close it, and put it in its own slot, so the edges don’t touch combs, clips or other scissors. It’s a half-second habit, and it protects the part that does the cutting.
6. Dry the pivot completely
Joewell warns that moisture left after cleaning can cause rust. Dry the blades, rings and pivot before the pair goes away, and don’t soak it unless your maker says to. Our cleaning guide has the routine.
7. Oil only as your maker says
Kasho says to oil the pivot daily for most series, and its Millennium and X-treme Perfection series need none. Joewell says to oil after disinfecting. Check the maker care instructions for your brand, rather than copying a neighbour’s routine.
8. Don’t chase the tension screw
If hair folds, clean first, then check the tension the way your maker says, and look at the edge. Tightening until the folding stops wears the blades and doesn’t fix a worn edge. Our dragging guide lists the order to check.
9. Protect them in transit
Pouches, cases and holsters keep edges apart from other tools when you carry the pair between stations or jobs. Choose one that fits your pair and keeps it closed. Our scissor accessories picks compare options.
10. Service them early, with a note
Book a service when a clean and a tension check haven’t fixed pushing or folding, or after a drop or a nick. Send the pair with a note of what happened and when, and keep the sharpener’s report. Our sharpening service page and prep for sharpening guide explain how.
The ten ways at a glance
| Stage | What to do |
|---|---|
| Buying | Fit (1) and a first check (2) |
| Every client | Hair only (3), closed when down (5), dry (6) |
| As your maker says | Oil (7) and tension (8) |
| When it matters | Rotation (4), protection (9), early service (10) |
What shortens a scissor’s life?
Drops and knocks, moisture left in the pivot, chemicals left on the blades and cutting anything that isn’t hair are the common ones. Yasaka warns that a drop or knock can damage the blade, and that forcing a cut with a damaged blade shortens the scissors’ life. If a pair has been dropped, stop using it and follow our dropped scissor plan.
What doesn’t make scissors last
A few common habits feel like care and aren’t:
- Soaking them. Joewell advises against soaking its scissors in ethanol, and NSW Health says equipment shouldn’t be soaked in disinfectant unless the maker allows it.
- Sharpening them yourself. Edge geometry is easy to spoil, so use a service that works on salon scissors.
- Over-oiling. A little oil on the pivot, wiped clean, is the instruction. More isn’t better.
- Treating a price as a lifespan. A dearer pair still wears, and a cheaper pair that’s looked after can do well.
Common questions
How long should a pair of hair scissors last?
There’s no fixed figure. It depends on how much the pair cuts, what it cuts, how it’s cleaned and stored, and whether it’s serviced. The ten ways above reduce the avoidable wear.
Should I keep a backup pair?
It helps. A backup keeps you cutting while your main pair is away for service and spreads the wear across two pairs. Match its hand and usual size.
Do thinning scissors need the same care?
Yes, plus a brush between the teeth where hair and product collect. Check your maker’s page for oil and tension.
Does a case really help?
A closed case or slot keeps the edges apart from combs, clips and other scissors, which is where many knocks happen. It doesn’t replace cleaning and drying first.
Next step
Keep the oil handy if your maker says to oil the pivot. More guides are in the knowledge base.
Hair Scissor Oil Pen
Best for topping up pivot oil if your maker says to
A$4.95
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