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How to Texturize Thick Hair

Jun 30, 2011 / By Elton Dunn

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Texturizing gives long hair shape and definition.

Photo: Ralf Nau/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Thinning or texturizing scissors remove bulk from thick hair, making it more manageable. Both short and long hairstyles can benefit from thinning. Curly-haired women can thin out hair to prevent long locks from looking poofy or getting triangle head. The key to rocking texturizing shears is balance: You should only be thinning out hair every third time you cut it, and if you dial up the thinning too much your hair will suffer. Less is generally more with these shears, and knowing how to use them is a major tool in your at-home beauty arsenal.

Cut your hair to your preferred length using regular haircutting scissors. Texturizing work happens after the initial cut.

Comb your hair once you've gone over it with the shears, removing loose hair.

Pick out a 1-inch wide section of hair. Holding your texturizing scissors open, push them into the section about one-third of the way up from your ends. Close the blade to texturize.

Remove more volume from the hair by doing another snip about halfway up, between your roots and ends.

Comb through your locks to remove loose hairs. Notice how much bulk you've removed.

Texturize like this on another section of hair. The technique is super simple; the art of texturizing comes from knowing when to stop. Work around your mane until you've removed some hair all around.

Look at yourself in the mirror and decide whether you need to make a couple more cuts or if you're good. If any areas seem to have been skipped over, texturize them.