Do you find yourself wearing more hats, beanies, or just about anything else you can find to cover your head because you have become self-conscious of your thinning hair?
Annoying as it is, thinning hair is a natural process as we age. Fortunately for women, it rarely results in the same level of baldness as men.
At the same time, certain medications such as thyroid replacement medications, birth control, even anti-anxiety and anti-depressants can lead to thinning hair.
The good news? By following these styling tips for thinning hair, you can make your hair look fuller without having to resort to medical treatments.
01 /11 It’s Okay to Cut Thin Hair
Many women labor under the impression you shouldn’t cut thinning hair. The thought being that keeping your hair longer helps to keep the illusion of thickness. In fact, many professional stylists will tell you the opposite is more the case.
Long hair tends to weigh your hair down, further exposing your part and in effect, making it appear even thinner.
Instead, consider a bob, lob, or even a blunt cut. The layers in these cuts tend to give the appearance of a fuller head of hair.
02 /11 Plan Your Layers Very Carefully
Instead of your hair being “layered,” you should find a stylist who discusses your hair regarding textures.
Unlike layering, texturizing the ends with a simple cut and adding bangs, will leave you with hair that looks longer and fuller than it really is.
03 /11 Leave Those Bangs Alone
A skilled stylist will tell you that cutting your bangs when you have a problem with thinning hair will only make things worse not better.
Experts say that most women start to lose their hair at the crown first. By cutting your bangs, you are letting the stylist cut away hair from one of the places where you need it most.
Instead, your bangs can be styled using texturing to frame your face and at the same time adding to your hair’s look of fullness.
04 /11 About That Blunt Cut
Many experts use a blunt cut as it helps to give your hair a thicker, fuller appearance.
The idea behind this type of cut is that by using a more extended angle on the cut, it gives your hair the illusion of having layers without actually having to disturb the inside bulk of the cut you have chosen.
You can go with a shorter more precise cut above your shoulders. This type of cut is both bold and elegant at the same time.
05 /11 A Touch of Color
One great way to make your hair look thicker than it really is, is to have your stylist dye your roots.
By choosing a slight bit of darker color to add to the roots, it gives your hair the illusion of depth, an excellent way to hide the fact you have thinning hair.
Think of the way darkening your eyebrows tends to make them look thicker, the same thing happens when you dye the roots of your hair. Note, since darkening your roots may make your current hairstyle look flat, you may need to change up your style a bit.
06 /11 Still Using the Same Part?
Do you still part your hair in the middle, the same part you have had since your high school days? If you are, you might want to think about making the big move.
Center parts are not only out of date, but they also tend to emphasize the fact you have thinning hair, so do sleek hairstyles. Both should be avoided if you want your thinning hair to look fuller and healthier.
Instead, you should go for a deep side part, or perhaps having your stylist add in a wave or you can do it yourself at home using a curling iron to add movement to the roots and midshafts.
07 /11 Beware Those Heated Styling Products
Using too many heated styling products can cause your hair to become brittle, adding to the speed of hair loss.
While no one is trying to say you should stop using them altogether, just save them for special occasions.
Along with this, if you must use styling tools like flatteners, irons, or wands, be sure those you choose come with adjustable heat settings and use the appropriate heat styling products.
08 /11 Add Volume in the Shower
Pay very close attention to the shampoos and conditioners you use. Avoid traditional shampoos and conditioners in favor of volumizing products.
These products are designed to add diameter to each strand of hair, creating the illusion of fullness. Try this trick: pinch small sections of your hair between two fingers and rubbing them together. This will help plump your hair and add more fullness.
Thin hair tends to suffer from oil buildup faster than thicker hair, with this in mind, if you want your hair to appear fuller, the last thing you want is for it to be oily.
This will only weigh it down and create an illusion of thinner, not thicker, hair. You should be washing your hair on a daily basis to keep the oil at bay and allow your volumizing products to do their job.
If you have a shorter hairstyle, there are hair powders and building fibers that can help add texture and “fullness” to your hair.
When you go shopping for your next shampoo and conditioner, you should be looking for products with terms like volumizing on the label.
Avoid those with labels that include terms such as “moisturizing,” “smoothing,” or “silkening.” Most of these products are designed to be used by those who have nice thick hair.
But with thinning hair, products like these tend to weigh your hair down and make it look thin and stringy, so should be avoided at all costs.
09 /11 Scrub Your Scalp
While you are shampooing your hair in the shower is no time to be cautious. Scrubbing your hair and scalp vigorously helps to remove particles of dead and loose skin, exfoliating your scalp.
In doing this, you strengthen your hair and make your scalp healthier, all at the same time. Keep in mind that scrubbing vigorously doesn’t mean you have to make it hurt, but it does mean giving your scalp a good workover.
10 /11 Go Easy with That Hair Dryer
Heated tools like curling irons, flat irons, and rods can damage hair if used frequently and improperly. The same applies to using a blow dryer, especially if you have thinning hair.
If you must blow dry your hair, go with a “flat-wrapping” technique. This involves blowing your hair in a combover method from side to side as you dry it.
Blow the hair on the crown of your head forwards, continue doing this until your hair is completely dry.
Keep in mind that using a blow dryer on your hair daily will dry out your scalp, reducing the amount of natural oils needed for hair growth.
The heat from the hair dryer leads to cuticle damage and reduced oil production. In time this makes your hair strands thinner and more easily broken, leading to significant hair loss.
Letting your hair dry naturally at least part of the way before using a hair dryer can also reduce the amount of hair damage suffered.
11 /11 Go Even Easier with That Hair Brush
One of the worst things you can do for your hair is to go nuts with the hairbrush. It’s not only how hard you pull on your hairbrush, but it’s also the type of brush you use.
Experts agree that using a flexible nylon brush or boar bristle brush. They are gentler and tend to tangle less frequently.
Used gently, it is far better for you and your hair by reducing the amount of hair you rip out of your head or break off every time you run the brush through it.
One more word about your hairbrush, you need to keep it nice and clean. All the gunk that tends to build up on your brush ends up getting brushed back into your hair, makes it look dull and lifeless.
In turn, this makes your hair look even thinner than it already is. Be sure you replace your brush at least once a year.
Growing into Your Thinning Hair
While growing older may mean thinning hair, it certainly doesn’t mean the rest of the world has to know it. Hopefully, these tips will help give you a bold new look and a way to help keep your hair looking fuller and its absolute best every day!
Leanne Richardson
Leanne Richardson loves writing about hair because she believes that a head full of great-looking hair is a thing of joy and beauty. Her expert and practical advice come from her wide exposure to the field of hair care from an early age.
I completely agree that you should avoid heated styling products as much as possible. It creates a sense of satisfaction with the amazing styling results you achieve with these tools. That’s why you end up using more of these heated styling products. In the long run, the wands and flatteners can do heavy and sometimes irreversible damage.
I am facing the same problem of managing my rapidly thinning hair using different hairstyles. In my opinion and experience, keeping hair short is a very effective way of reducing hair loss. It also makes hair management easy and quick. Works fine for me.