posted on: 01/04/2024
It’s 2024, which means it’s time to reassess life and business and incorporate healthy habits into your routine for the new year. For hairstylists, it’s a great time to reevaluate your arsenal of shears and how they relate to body positioning and control.
Hairstylists use very specific areas of their bodies—fingers, hands, wrists, elbows—replicating the same movements over and over, day after day. When that movement includes reaching the thumb back towards the ring finger, the thumb tendon is compromised with stress and inflammation. And if the elbow is held high to cut, it puts pressure on the neck and elbows. Often, these movements all result in pain. Sam Villa, co-founder and chief creative officer of Sam Villa and global artistic ambassador for Redken, was also experiencing pain in his hands and arms, so he consulted with a doctor to design shears that actually feel good in the hand and reduce and eliminate pain.
“These [shears] are like a pair of Louis Vuittons,” Villa says. “They may take a week to get used to, but after that you’re performing at a higher level.”
Sam Villa Shears have an ergonomic, forward-set thumb position that forces the elbow down while cutting, eliminating neck and shoulder pain.
Traditional Shears
The elbow is forced into a raised position.
There is additional stress on the thumb tendon.
Greater motion is needed to open and close the shears.
Sam Villa Shears
These shears provide a relaxed position that encourages the thumb forward and elbow down.
There is reduced thumb motion required for cutting.
Villa designed these shears to provide unparalleled comfort, precision, and control to maximize longevity behind the chair. The 100 percent Japanese steel and handcrafted convex blades glide smoothly though wet or dry hair and stay sharper longer. The dual finger tang stabilizes the top blade, allowing a stylist to cut straighter, more precise lines using just the thumb blade.