Ergonomics and Comfort when Grooming with Scissors
Did you know that a lot of people don’t use grooming scissors correctly? Although they may get the job done – and done to a decent standard – the technique they use to hold and use their grooming scissors can have long-term consequences.
Ergonomics and comfort when using dog grooming scissors are so important, which is why we want to share the correct techniques with you. We’ve rounded up some key points and top tips here, which can benefit everyone from households with one four-legged friend to dog groomers themselves.
The Benefits of Holding and Using Grooming Scissors Correctly
Both right-handed and left-handed scissors are available, and it is of utmost importance to follow left for left-handed and right for right-handed individuals.
Holding and using your grooming scissors correctly can have many benefits, such as:
- Improved grooming performance
- Quicker grooming, which is especially great for dogs that don’t enjoy their grooming times
- Improved comfort for the groomer
- Improved safety for the dog
- Reduced hand fatigue
- Prevention of repetitive strains
Scissors are not for sharing – each person will hold and handle scissors differently i.e. size of hand and pressure used whilst scissoring. Lengths and weight of scissors vary and are a personal choice.
How to Hold Grooming Scissors Correctly
When holding grooming scissors correctly, the thumb shouldn’t go through the thumb ring. Instead, it should rest on the edge. If your thumb keeps slipping in this position, you can use an insert to make the ring smaller.
The ring finger is placed in a cradle position through the other scissor ring, while your little finger should rest on the outer little finger rest, as in the image below.
How to Use Grooming Scissors Properly
When you cut with grooming scissors you should rely on your thumb to do the work rather than the ring finger. The ring finger is used to keep a static blade in position, while the thumb pushes the other blade to cut. This is the best way to reduce hand fatigue or any repetitive strain injury.
Consider Offset Grooming Scissors
Offset grooming scissors are when the thumb ring and finger ring holes don’t line up exactly. These grooming scissors are available in different styles, namely straight, blenders and thinners.
One of the benefits of the offset grooming scissor design is that it can reduce wrist and hand fatigue. The good news is that the offset design is a main workhorse and one of the most common on the market, so you may have already bought an offset pair without realising it.
Parallel equal length shanks, which are found on almost all curved scissors be it thinners, chunkers, fluffers or curves, allow the scissors to be flipped whilst cutting either way.
Bonus Tip: Don’t Rely On One Pair
Dog groomers love their scissors as this is their main tool. Most dog groomers have a varied and large selection of scissors of different lengths and types, which are all used for different coats.
Many people have one pair of grooming scissors for their dogs, but multiple pairs of different lengths can prevent hand fatigue. For example, the shorter scissors can make easier work of smaller areas, such as feet, whereas the longer pairs can make trimming the coat much faster.
We offer a wide range of high-quality grooming scissors for sale online. All of our range is made from the most premium materials for optimum feel and results. Consider our range today if you want to add extra scissors to your grooming arsenal.
