One of the most common changes you may experience with aging is thinning hair, which can happen as a result of hormonal shifts, pregnancy, menopause, genetics, and the stress of life. You may notice this ramping up as you reach 50 (hello, menopause) and — let’s be honest — no matter how gracefully you accept change, losing hair can create added anxiety you don’t need in your life. There are a few things you can do. For starters: visit a dermatologist you trust and ask if there is anything they can recommend to address your specific, personal cause of hair loss. Keep in mind: hair loss caused by stress may need a different approach than genetic or hormonal hair loss.
A doctor may recommend hormone supplementation or natural supplements — or even topical treatments for your scalp. But while you are working on getting answers and a better long-term plan to handle thinning hair, don’t underestimate the power of a great haircut.
These seven stylist-approved haircuts are effective at adding volume to your hair and can help make thinning hair look amazing this spring.
Blunt Bob
There are so many reasons why the blunt bob looks great on fine and thinning hair. The length itself, which cuts off around the chin or a bit lower or higher, gives you some length, but not so much length that the ends begin to look thin and stringy. A blunt baseline, as opposed to something like wispy layers, also makes your hair look thicker and fuller.
Pixie
We love the short pixie for thinning hair because it can help conceal bald spots (leave some of your layers on top longer so that you can style them to the side or slicked back). The shorter sides and back are perfect for thinning hair because a lack of length doesn’t give your hair a chance to appear thin or stringy. The pixie is a chic and sophisticated haircut option that can be personalized so that it look sleek or funky.
Curtain Bangs
Bangs are great on mature hair. They can turn any haircut into a chicer style, while concealing fine lines on the forehead, if that’s something that interests you. But bangs aren’t for everyone. If you feel they don’t look right on you, but still want to benefit from shorter layers that give you face a little lift, consider curtain bangs. These bangs start off shorter in the front and then gradually get longer until they blend into your haircut.
Bixie
This ‘90s-style haircut combines the best features of a bob with the best features of a pixie. It has a shorter length than the bob, but choppy layers that provide much-needed texture that can help ramp up thinning hair and make it look thicker and more voluminous. Bonus points for how on-trend you’ll feel sporting this cut.
Side Part
You don’t always have to book an appointment at your salon to get a brand new style that helps conceal thinning hair. Sometimes, all it takes is a simple shift in how you part your hair. If you’re used to parting your hair in the middle, which may be showing a sparse scalp, experiment with a side part that covers sparseness and makes your hair look instantly thicker.
Lightly Layered Hair
Layers are a source for good when you have thinning hair — but in moderation. If you layer your hair too much, with too-short and too-choppy layers, this can backfire and make the ends of your hair look thin. Instead, ask your stylist to lightly layer your hair with longer layers. These can give your hair much-needed movement and volume, but less is more in this case.
Shoulder-Length Hair with Face-Framing Layers
Hair past age 50 does NOT have to be cut short unless you want it that way. Shoulder-length hair is a gorgeous compromise between short and long. Add face-framing layers to that shoulder-length cut and you suddenly have a style that emphasizes your facial features and gives a little “lift” to your face.
