Style for Hair that is Very Thin on Top

Woman with thin hair
Photo: Milles Studio/Shutterstock
Q: What style is best for hair that is very thin on the top? (I am female.)
 
A: Hairstyles are difficult to suggest based on single aspects, such as that the hair is thin on top. You have to consider other factors like face shape, hair texture, wave pattern, etc. However, I do want to try and offer you some helpful information, so here is what I can tell you:
 
When dealing with thin hair, adding curl (and thereby volume), can make the hair appear thicker. This is especially useful when the hair has a medium or coarse texture and sufficient length to enable you to create multiple curl loops along the hair shaft. It is also useful in general to keep hair that is thinner cut to shorter lengths. Shorter lengths allow the hair to stay more diffuse and not tend toward clumping which can expose the scalp.
 
If the hair on the sides and back of the head is considerably denser than the hair on top, you generally want to clip this hair shorter, or thin it with thinning shears to balance the appearance of volume. A hairstyle featuring short layers on the back and sides and curls to add volume on the top of the head will usually give you a balance in the appearance of the hair's thickness, and will be flattering.
 
If your hair is fine in texture, you follow the same principles, but you will want to create larger curls to avoid the hair becoming kinky when curled. Use a good strong-hold styling product to give the hair plenty of lift and volume and smooth the hair on the sides and back.
 
Depending on exactly how thin the hair on top of your head has become, the use of volumizing and hair-thickening products can help tremendously. In addition, there are products that are specifically designed to create root-lift. (The process where the hair is sprayed with styling product and dried with a blow dryer while the hair is elevated directly out from the scalp so that the hair stand straighter and perpendicular to the scalp.)
 
However, if your hair has become too thin on top, these techniques can actually cause the hair to look thinner. In these cases, you should investigate the use of wigs and hairpieces to give you the look of thicker hair. Today's wigs are generally less-expensive and more realistic than the wigs of as few as 5 or 10 years ago.
 
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See also:
 
Face shapes for hairstyles
 
How to analyze your hair
 
How to make your hair appear thicker and fuller