If your hair type is fine or thinning, it isn’t always easy to find beautiful, flattering hairstyles that make the most of your hair. For starters, the photos that you are saving to your phone or pinning on Pinterest most likely feature models who are already starting out with thicker hair, which makes it difficult to tell how it will look on you. The latest and greatest wolf cut can look stunning when you have tons of hair — but a few too many layers in the wrong places can make thinning hair look even more sparse. So, what’s a thinning hair beauty to do? Easy: ask the experts.
These hair experts say there are five quick and easy hairstyles for fine, flat, and thinning hair to boost volume and thickness. The next time you make an appoint with your stylist, consider these cuts for gorgeous, fuller-looking hair.
Tapered Hair
Tapered haircuts that leave exaggerated length and volume at the top of the head are excellent styles for those who experience thinning or flat hair, according to natural hair stylist Darrius Peace. “The high contrast between lengths in a tapered cut, creates the illusion of more volume in the top,” Peace says. “Enhancing the hair at the top with both high and low lights, can also create depth in the hair, which will also result in a more voluminous appearance. This is what I think takes the hair from being drab to fab!”
As far as styling tips go if you choose a tapered cut, Peace recommends using a mouse or a setting foam to style tapered, cut styles, help to enhance the volume because of their light nature in solution. Peace also says a good blow dryer with a diffuser attachment can keep curls “poppin.”
Long Layers and Textured Cuts
Long layers and textured cuts are amazing for adding volume to thinner hair, says Swarnali Ghosh, an expert in hair health who co-founded Awe.Hair. “They work by removing weight from the ends and creating movement throughout the hair, giving the illusion of more body,” Ghosh says. “To enhance this effect, use a volumizing mousse and a round brush while blow-drying, focusing on lifting the roots for maximum volume.”
Subtle Balayage and Highlights
In your quest for a great hairstyle that helps boost your fine or thinning hair, don’t forget the importance of color. “Color techniques like subtle balayage and highlights can work wonders for creating the illusion of fuller hair,” Ghosh says. “By adding dimension and depth to your hair color, they draw attention away from the flatness and make your hair appear more voluminous. Ask your stylist for soft, blended highlights or a natural balayage that complements your base color.”
Root Lift and Teasing
Those ‘60s and ‘80s girls knew their way around a teasing comb — and it helped give an instant lift to hair. “Root lift and teasing are styling tricks that can instantly add volume to flat hair,” Ghosh says. “For a root lift, apply a root-boosting spray or mousse to damp hair and blow-dry with a round brush, lifting the roots as you go. Teasing involves backcombing sections of hair near the crown to create a cushion of volume. Finish with a light-hold hairspray to keep your style in place.”
Volumizing Products and Tools
To help achieve these volumizing styles, invest in some essential products and tools, Ghosh recommends. “Volumizing shampoo and conditioner, root-boosting sprays, and texturizing powders will lay the groundwork for fuller hair,” Ghosh says. “A good, quality round brush, a teasing comb, and a hairdryer with a diffuser attachment are must-haves for creating and maintaining volume in your hairstyles.”
Once you have your favorite volume-boosting hair style set in stone, Caleb Backe, a health and wellness expert for Maple Holistics, reminds us to keep these four products on our shelves:
** Biotin Shampoo and Conditioner: “By plumping up the individual hair strands, these products can help add volume and fullness to hair,” Backe says.
** Hairspray: A lightweight hairspray can help keep your hairdo in place while also adding volume and fullness, according to Backe.
** Root-lifting Mousse: This product can be applied to the hair's roots to assist lift and volumize them, Backe says.
** Boost Hair Serum: “Give your locks a Boost with this hydrating serum for fuller- and thicker-looking hair, including a blend of botanical extracts and nutrients for scalp wellness,” Backe says.
