Zhengzhou Master Class in Hand Stripping

This month, Summer attended a master class in hand stripping in Zhengzhou, China. The master class took place from 26 October to 28 October and was attended by expert groomers from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Master Groomer Meng Ling Quan delivered the class. Master Meng is a highly qualified groomer who specializes in hand stripping and working with bichon frise.

As the principal stylist of The Pets Workshop, Summer continues to upgrade her skills and knowledge in the field of pet grooming. Such expert class is especially meaningful as Summer will be able to share her learnings with her staff and to enhance the overall competency and service offering of The Pets Workshop.

Exactly what is hand stripping, you may ask. Hand stripping is a grooming process that involves removing dead hairs from the coat by hand to keep the coat tidy and healthy. Hand stripping speeds up the natural process of growth and shedding.

True hand stripping is precisely that – the groomer plucks the outer guard hairs from the coat entirely by hand when the coat is blown. It is common practise however to use tools such as stripping knives and stones to help with the process. Dogs with wiry coats tend to need hand stripping to groom to breed standard. This includes most of the Terrier group and some other breeds, such as schnauzers.

Hand stripping remains the best method to groom wiry haired dogs because hand stripping targets the older hairs that are in the exogen phase of growth. These older dull hairs are easy to pull out and by doing so they leave room for new stronger hairs to grow through. This ensures that the coat will have a fuller, shinier texture and a more vibrant colour.

It’s recommended instead of clipping or scissor cutting because rather than removing old hairs these methods simply cut the old dull hairs. In doing so fresh new hairs don’t have the room to grow through. More importantly, by clipping your wiry haired dog’s coat you can prevent the coat growing properly and it may not be possible to handstrip in future.

The Pets Workshop currently also offers hand stripping services as well. Drop us a note to enquire!