We love that hair comes in all different shapes and sizes – it's what keeps things interesting. But if you're looking for more fullness, choosing the right hairstyles for thin hair can help add serious oomf.
The good news is, thin and fine hair offers up plenty of versatility, it tends to respond well to heat styling, requires a small amount of products to get it sleek and shiny and is usually pretty easy to style, but creating volume can be a challenge (beyond backcombing the absolute shiz out of it). However, there's plenty of tips, tricks, products and techniques that can introduce a little extra gravity to your strands – namely: strategic blowdrying, volume-boosting and thickening products and well-chosen cuts – so if you have thin hair, it's fine (in both senses of the word).
We've gathered advice from the best in the hair business, here's what they had to say…
What are the best hairstyles for thin hair?
Some hairstyles can add more oomf than others, especially if they give texture or height. “I find that encouraging movement and texture into the hair, adds volume and stacks out the hair, which leads to making it look fuller and thicker,” says Reece Wentworth, stylist at Blue Tit Salon Clapton. “You can use wands, straighteners or whatever you feel most comfortable using to wrap the hair in different directions to create a tousled, textured look. You can also use a wide tooth comb to soften out the movement,” he says.
Two great examples of hairstyles for fine hair are a blow dry and an updo, we especially rate half up hair, since it gives the illusion of volume up top, while maintaining the length.
If you have thin hair that's a little limp or weighed down, a blow-dry can be a better option than air-drying, as the extra weight from water-soaked strands can cause the hair at your roots to dry flat. Use a heat protection spray to save on damage and try these tricks...
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- "Blow-dry your hair on top of the brush, rather than underneath it to create more lift at the root", says Rebecca McCann, Founder of Pro Blo. The best method is to lift hair up and away from the head at a 45-degree angle as you blow-dry, for maximum volume."
- Try the old “flipping your head upside down” technique. "It’s an old trick but it works and will create instant volume," says Lee Stafford.
- If you can't master Rebecca's technique, Lee also recommends doing away with a brush altogether. "Use your fingers to rough dry and encourage volume at the root, rather than brushing as this can cause hair to become flat. Only use a brush on mid-lengths and ends."
- Keep your hairdryer on a hot heat, but only medium speed. "When the dryer is on too fast, it tends to make hair more limp and fly-away," says Ricky Walters, Owner & Creative Director of Salon 64.
As for updos, TikTok is literally brimming with tips on how to supercharge your styling, from voluminous ponytail hacks to the pinch hair hack. We love a half-updo, but other styles like the Pammy updo call on face-framing sections and a little teasing to add volume.
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Don't forget to call on products to help with the scaffolding. “A great finishing product to add lots of texture without weighing down the hair is Oway's Volume & Texture Hair Puff,” says Reece. “Sprinkle it into your hair once its all dry and begin to have fun whilst using the product to manipulate your hair,” he says. And pro hairstylist, Jordanna Cobella says “I use Nioxin dry cleanser with every blow dry or style. It's essentially a glorified dry shampoo, but it's the best on the market. It also has anti hair loss and hair growth stimulating properties as well as plumping your hair for a fuller, thicker looking hair style. I apply in sections across the roots and massage it in, I also shake hair upside down and spray it in the ends for a wider silhouette,” she says.
Finally, one tip for those experiencing thinning at the hairline: use a coloured root touch-up around the hairline (or an eyeshadow the same shade as your roots will work). This will fill any thinner areas of hair, giving the illusion of thick and voluminous hairline." Sneaky, but we love it.
What are the best haircuts for thin hair and why?
A good cut can make a big difference to thin hair, by removing wisps and adding texture. But, no matter what style you go for, “keep it chunky” says Ricky, from Salon 64. "Never razor or chop into hair that's already thin," he says. “Use blunt techniques when choosing which chop suits you,” he adds.
Fine-haired girls can sometimes struggle to make XXL lengths work, since the ends can can begin to look a little frayed and skimpy (although mystical wispy ends are a vibe all of their own). So if you can't fight it, embracing a shorter style can give you the healthy hair you're looking for. “I recommend regular haircuts,” says Reece. “Make sure not to latch onto length. Having a haircut with a strong one-length – and especially above shoulder – will make hair look thicker,” he says.
“If you have thin hair, I would recommend having mid length or shorter hair styles. The lob, the bob, the midi, and pixie or mixie work really well for making thin hair appear thicker,” says Jordanna. “For a lob or a bob length, opt for a blunt cut with no layers as this creates thickness on the base of the haircut,” she adds. "Bobs, collarbone cuts, and pixie crops are all achievable as long as you keep it blunt and chunky," agrees Ricky.
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“If you have more textured or curlier hair, having some added structure and layers will also help, or some soft face framing to open up the face more,” says Reece. The same can be said for straight hair but proceed lightly. “In some cases, very blended face framing layers can create the illusion of thickness around the face,” says Jordanna. However, she warns “there’s a sweet spot to get the balance right with face framing layers, which can have the opposite effect if overdone, so be sure to ask for minimal as less is more here,” she says. "Avoid any heavy layering as that can make hair appear thinner at the ends," agrees Lee.
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A fringe can help add volume at the front of her (especially if you want to keep the back longer) but there's an art to it. “Those with thin hair may find a fringe troublesome as it can go flat and oily quite quickly, but if you do desire it, again keep it strong and blunt,” says Ricky. And if you don't have a lot of hair, be cautious about how much of it you give to a lil fringe moment. "When hairdressers cut in a new fringe they are 'borrowing' the hair from another part of your hair cut," says Ricky. "Don't let the fringe go too far back and eat into your remaining cut," he says.
A great option, is a Bardot fringe which can create fullness and frame the face. “Bardot fringes are great for releasing volume and texture and creating petals of hair around the face, which also creates the illusion of thicker fuller hair,” says Jordanna.
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For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk
