Apart from a proper volumizing wash and care system that helps keep your existing strands buoyant and thick-looking, cuts that create the illusion of fullness are the ultimate #hairgoals. Below, a roundup of our favorite looks that maximize fine, thinning hair from short to long—and we promise, aren’t anywhere near matronly! Read on:
Best Hairstyles for Thinning Hair
1. Short: Soft Pixie
The updated boy-cut—a pixie haircut with longer, ear-tuckable lengths in the front—is a fresh, confident way to embrace your new hair texture. Ask your stylist to keep it simple, with the back only subtly stacked. No snippy bangs or anything high and too volumized at the crown—they’ll only lead you into talk show host/mother-of-the-bride territories. Short hair looks best with a healthy-looking bounce. Try TRESemmé Beauty-Full Volume Shampoo and TRESemmé Beauty-Full Volume Pre-wash Conditioner to help thicken and enhance volume at the roots.
2. Short: Cleo Bob
A blunt, below-the-ear bob with a cute micro fringe packs quite punch, especially for women looking for more fashion-forward details in their hairstyle. One of the best hairstyles for thinning hair for the stylish set, this cut works best on straight to wavy or fine hair, and is surprisingly low-maintenance. For a more modern feel, just texturize with a long-lasting, fullness-enhancing product like Suave Professionals Luxe Style Infusion Volumizing Weightless Blow Dry Spray, give it a few blasts with a blowdryer, and voilà, a chic look straight off the runways.
3. Medium: Wavy Lob
If you’ve got fine hair, chances are you’ve already looked into the benefits of a collarbone-length ’do. Update those bookmarked photos and ask your stylist for a cut that’s uniform in length all throughout, but with razored, slightly chunkier tips. Leaving the ends just a tad jagged makes your cut swingier, and especially when styled in loose, beachy waves (use a 1 ½” curling iron barrel for best results) evokes a sophisticated yet trendy day-to-night feel. Keep a volume-enhancing product in your arsenal, such as Dove Style+Care Volume Amplifier Mousse, which primes hair for wavy or curly styles that stay all night.
4. Medium: California Shag
The sexy, softly layered shag is one of the most-requested and best hairstyles for thinning hair for this season that we’ve come across. It incorporates the year’s hottest trends—a fringe, shoulder-dusting layers—and melds them into a unexpectedly wearable, graceful look. The layers are subtle, with the shortest one below the cheekbones. Keep the bangs near or past the browbones to avoid a stunted, “helmet” look, and finger-style with a bodifying spray that gives volume, such as Nexxus Diametress Lavish Body Gel Spray—that’s all you’ll need for an effortlessly sexy, tousled finish.
5. Long: Razored Bangs
Fine or thinning hair can hold a bang really well, especially when your fringe is razored, ’70s groupie-style, with the sides longer than the middle. Worn curtain-like with the bangs parted in the middle, it’s equal parts quirky and ingénue; worn to the side, it’s evening-worthy and oozes classy sex appeal. To style, coat hair with a thermal protectant and proceed to blowdry till immaculate. A blowdry lotion like Bed Head by TIGI Motor Mouth imparts both volume and gloss (and gives glowing streaks under UV light, if your clubbing days are still going strong!). For everyday use, try TRESemmé Beauty-Full Volume Hair Maximizer before you blowdry your hair for a bouncy, flirty finish. The best hairstyles for thinning hair are the ones that make you feel confident in your own skin. Which of these will you try?