Hairstyle for Thin Hair

Q: What hairstyle would you advise for thin hair? My thin hair is shoulder-length now.

A: A good hairstyle is based on a number of factors: the shape of the face, the texture of the hair, its growth patterns, natural wave pattern and its density. Describing your hair as "thin" tells me that your hair is sparse, with fewer numbers of hair strands per square inch than are normally found. We call this "low density".

With low density, the goal is to help you to look as though you have more hair. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to add volume through curl and layers. If the hair is naturally curly, adding some layers will allow you to get more lift and fullness in your hair, making it appear as though there is more than truly exists.

In addition, if your hair is sufficiently low in density to make the scalp readily visible through the hair, consider lightening your hair color so that there is less contrast between the color of your hair and the color of your scalp. This will help to make the hair appear fuller as well. Volumizing shampoos and conditioners also help to give hair a fuller appearance.

It is possible that, when you say "thin" you really mean "fine" which instead of referring to the hair's density refers to its texture (the thickness of the individual hair strand). Fine hair can look similar to "thin" hair on the head, as in both cases the hair tends to be "flat" and lie close to the head.

With fine hair, layered haircuts can look awkward unless the layers are shallow, as in more of a bevelling of the hair's ends than actual layers. Depending on the density of fine hair and the shape of your face, an A-line bob haircut can look very attractive with fine hair. If you need extra volume to balance the shape of the face, try a curly (permed) style with a blunt cut.

Finally, aside from the volumizing shampoos and conditioners mentioned above, there are other products that will add volume and give the appearance of thickness to both fine and low density hair. Root lift sprays (which help the hair to stand out at the scalp), and hair thickening serums (which give substance to the hair shaft) are both good products to try.

If you want a more lasting effect, consider getting a body wave using an acid-based perm. These perms swell the hair shaft and actually thicken the diameter of the individual hairs. They can be rolled on large tools (perming rods, rollers) to avoid the classic "kinky perm" effect. The result is thicker hair with a soft wave that appears fuller.

©Hairfinder.com

See also:

Hair density

Face shapes and hairstyles

How to make your hair look thicker and fuller

Does hair thickening spray really work?