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Regular experimentation with your hair has proved to be an instant serotonin boost for many. Whether it’s a bouncy blowout or a flattering fringe, or just a good ole high ponytail, the styling possibilities are endless. And if your hair lies on the thinner end of the spectrum, girl we got you. Face contouring may or may not help you shapeshift, but if your hair is on the thinner side of the spectrum, you can definitely create the illusion of thicker strands with the right cut and style.
Almost every bathroom conversation among girls has a fleeting mention of ‘hair that won’t cooperate’ thrown in between pep talks and compliments. Are YOU the one in your gang who is usually lamenting about how your hair lacks body? Sure, you love your tresses but are you simply having a hard time understanding and taming it?
Well, fret not, we’re here to the long-due discussion on how to flaunt thin hair like a pro. All you need are a few snips here and there to give your mane that much needed lift and movement – we’re talking about haircuts for thin hair.
Here are some quick and easy hairdos you can opt for to create the illusion of voluminous, thick strands. However, before you look for ways to flatter thin hair, take a pause and ask yourself if it’s thin hair or fine hair that you’ve got. What’s the difference, you ask?
Difference Between Fine Hair & Thin Hair
To check if you’ve got fine hair, grab a single strand of hair and rub it between your thumb and index finger. If you’re barely able to feel anything, your hair is fine which is to say that the diameter of your hair strand is negligible. We don’t mean to break your bubble, but if the texture of your hair is fine, there’s not much you can do about making it look thicker. Aww.
To check if you’ve got thin hair, gather your hair and tie it into a ponytail. If you need to wrap around the elastic more than twice, you’ve got thin hair. Another way to determine thin hair is more scalp visibility when you part your hair. This means the density of your hair is thin so it doesn’t really equate to voluminous. However, with the right haircuts and tricks, you can make your hair appear fuller.
What Are The Best Hairstyles For Thin Hair?
Some hairstyles create more impact than others, particularly those that add texture and height. Adding movement and texture to the hair enhances its volume and creates a fuller, thicker appearance. You can achieve this effect using wands, straighteners, or any tool you're comfortable with to wrap the hair in various directions for a tousled, textured style. A wide-toothed comb can be used to soften the movement. Two excellent hairstyles for fine hair include a blow-dry and an updo, with half-up hair being especially effective as it provides volume at the top while keeping the length.
How To Blow Dry Fine Hair
Blow drying is the perfect way to add bounce to thin hair, as air drying often causes the roots to fall flat. Here are a few tips you can follow to perfectly blow dry your thin tresses:
- The best way to blow dry fine hair is to lift the hair up and away from your head at a 45-degree angle. This creates a lifted-from-the-roots look and maximises volume.
- Flipping your hair upside down when damp works like a charm to create instant volume.
- Forget combs, brushes, and the upside-down technique and just use your fingers to detangle and add volume from the roots. Brushing the hair can cause it to flatten out.
- Always use your blow dryer in a medium-hot setting to prevent frizz and flyaways.
Haircuts For Thin Hair Women
Based on hair lengths, we’ve rounded up a list of haircuts for thin hair to make it look thicker and give it a new lease of life. Excited?
Short Haircuts For Thin Hair
1. Bob haircut with bangs
Join the bob cut with bangs bandwagon if you want to embrace your hair literally. The hair falling forward on your forehead and along your cheekbones will create a denser illusion; besides the trimmed short bangs will take away the focus from the thin ends. It’s even more perfect for women with rounded features looking to make up for the lack of angles in their facial features.
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2. Side fringe layered bob
Flat hair ruining your vibe? Opt for a layered bob with fringes. Unlike straightforward bobs, layered bobs with fringes add a feminine touch and they’re easy to pull off too; besides the layers work at building volume. Need a reason more to be convinced? This haircut won’t give you a hard time even when you switch between traditional and Western outfits. It promises to cooperate with them all. Perfect.
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3. Side undercut
Where do we begin this one? Not for the faint-hearted, the side undercut involves the top hair left long and parted on one side while the hair is buzzed short on the other side and the back. Sure, it takes courage to go chop-chop for this disconnected look but the end result is always an awe-inspiring contrast in a crowd of usual. We’re intimidated yet so in love, we can’t stop gushing. Send help.
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4. Shag
A shag cut is capable of giving any hair type an instant boost of definition and depth, thanks to its subtle layers.
5. Shorten The Curls
Love texture and movement in your hair? Curly hair girlies, cropped curls with layers should be your go-to.
6. Tinker-bell Cut
Add some soft and chunky texture to the hair with a “wixie” cut, a term to suggest a half pixie and a half-short shaggy cut.
7. Flip ‘em Out
When styling your short bob, opt for a flipped-out look. Flip your ends towards the outer side, run a flat iron through the hair, and set it with a strong-hold hairspray.
Medium Length Haircuts For Thin Hair
1. Simple layered haircut
If you’re a sucker for flaunting your hair’s natural texture but could do with some volume, the wait is over. The simple layers in this haircut almost spell I-woke-up-like-this and won’t demand much from you on the maintenance front. Just let them be and watch your hair show you its sides (RE: layers) you never knew you needed. Think of it as a volume-boosting move for your mane.
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2. Centre parted bangs
For all those who love the idea of front bangs but aren’t ready to commit entirely to it and would still love some space, opt for the centre-parted bangs. This dreamy cut feeds off the 90s nostalgia and softens your face which makes it an ideal pick for women with sharp features, especially jawline. Oh and don’t know if you noticed but it’s also a great way to fix or let’s say draw a curtain over the big forehead problem. Yay!
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3. Asymmetrical lob with highlights
We get it; the thought of letting go of all that hair you patiently awaited over a bob can be terrifying. This is where the asymmetrical lob comes in. The lob spares you from sacrificing all your hair while the asymmetry lends your hair an edgy vibe. It works even better if your hair has a naturally wavy texture. To make things even more interesting, highlight the ends of your front hair and you will be a walking hairspiration for your girls!
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4. Side-Swept
A bob works great if you want to add major volume to your hair. Go a little old Hollywood and sweep hair to one side maintaining a deep side part and curl the ends.
5. Bob With An Ombre
This haircut is longer in the front thus, creating a more textured look.
6. Grown Out Pixie
Thinner hair is meant to go through cuts infrequently. So if you have a pixie cut, it is better to just embrace the in-between and style in chic slick gelled-down styles.
7. The Italian Way
Go for the chicest bob and opt for the style that hugs the neck, pulling all the weight at the bottom further adding to the illusion of volume.
8. Beach Waves
The best hairstyle you can opt for with thin hair is, beachy waves as the loose bends give the illusion of thicker hair.
9. Shaggy Mullet
This hairstyle proves to be a great cut for thinner hair along with a lot more edginess than a regular bob. Give your hair lots of choppy layers that frame your face adding a whole lot of volume.
Haircuts For Thin Long Hair
1. Multi-layered haircut
Well, you’re a very hard one to sway. We know it because you chose to stay loyal to your long mane to date. And we’ve found just the one for you – the multi-layered haircut – that frames your face and falls with layers of varied lengths to create an unpredictable pattern and spice things up. It perfectly hits the sweet spot between fierce and gorgeous, we would say. We’re definitely stealing this for our next appointment.
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2. Shaggy layers with highlights
If you’ve got super long locks and need a break from the obvious uniformity, opt for shaggy layers. Casual and effortless with choppy ends and feathered layers, the shaggy layers are a definite way to nail the hot and messy look. It works with the natural texture of your hair to make your locks the star of the show. If you’re up for more, add a glamorous twist to this low-maintenance cut with rocking blue highlights.
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3. Curtain bangs
If frequent visits to the salon for touch-ups don’t feature in your plans, it’s safer to commit to a layered haircut for thin hair with long curtain bangs. The long wisps of hair graze your face on both sides to give you the adorable girl-next-door look. Also, the curtain bangs almost blend in with one of your many layers which is why this cut looks great even while it’s growing out. Brownie points to this hair inspo for promising to stay good for LONG.
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4. Vintage Blowout
Section your hair and blow dry it with a round brush. For voluminous waves, set the now dry curls with pins for about 5-10 minutes.
5. Butterfly Cut
This new trendy cut can easily add volume to any hair texture with an addition of waves and curls.
6. A High Messy Pony
Messy is in, in fact, it's now chic. Make a high ponytail, secure it with a hair tie and curl the ends, leaving a few tendrils loose to frame your face.
7. Half-Up Half-Down
Pair your half-up half-down hairdo with bangs giving this retro look a modern touch further giving more life to flat hair.
Tips To Work With Thin Hair
Taking it a step further, we’ve compiled a list of tricks that will help you grow thicker hair while you flaunt those badass haircuts. Because let’s face it, the thicker your mane, the more you can play around with it.
- Know how they follow the typical shampoo-condition cycle? Don’t. The next time you wash your hair, try the reverse order by first conditioning and then shampooing to build volume in your hair.
- Want more volume? Snore your way to it. Instead of simply leaving your hair open when sleeping, pick sections of your hair, twist them and pin them before you hit the bed. Wake up to hair that appears livelier with more bounce and volume. P.S. Loose, romantic waves are just another welcome byproduct.
- The plight of thin hair extends to the woes of visible scalp. If you have chosen a hairstyle that shows much of your scalp, pick a small makeup brush and dab-tinted powder to fill in your roots. This will help conceal your scalp and create the illusion of a fuller scalp.
- It’s time to take out that old pair of sunglasses you dumped for your new ones and put it to some good use. When you are naturally air-drying your wet hair, push forward the crown section of your damp hair with sunglasses over your head and let it sit until your hair dries. Once dried, remove the sunglasses and notice the lift on the front section of your hair.
- The humble ponytail can be downright upfront when it comes to revealing the thinness or thickness of hair. Here’s a cute trick to still create an illusion of thick hair. Separate your ponytail into the upper and lower half with your hand and clamp a tiny clip in the centre of the ponytail base. Let go and voila! Fuller ponytail, we gotcha!
Having thin hair doesn’t necessarily mean you lack hairstyle choices. There are myriad styles and cuts you can choose from, but bear in mind that what may suit you will depend on your face shape and the texture and volume of your hair. Whatever hairstyle you choose to sport, always remember to maintain your hair health.
FAQs
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What hairstyle can I go for if I have thinner hair?
Any style that plays around with layers and adds movement should be your go-to choice. A bob and pixie cut can introduce a whole lot of layers and provide adequate volume to your hair.
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Is opting for layers when I have thin hair a good choice?
Opting for layers makes for an excellent choice if you have thin hair, as the look doesn’t disturb the hair’s original thickness and allows for movement, creating the illusion of more volume.
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What cut should I go for to help my thin hair?
Mid-length or shorter hairstyles, especially the ones that end above the shoulder, can make your hair look thicker. Haircuts like the lob, bob, or pixie can do wonders to make thinner hair look thicker.
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If I keep trimming my hair, will it help make them look thicker?
Cutting your hair doesn’t affect the hair follicles, which are majorly responsible for hair growth. In fact, getting a regular trim helps get rid of split ends, which further aid in reducing hair fall and makes the hair appear healthier.
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Can I do a long hairstyle with thin hair?
No, longer lengths tend to drag the hair down and create a straw-like, stringy appearance. Short hairstyles are better if you have thin hair.
