If your hair is naturally fine or has been thinning out, no fear! While thick hair has long been touted as desirable by companies selling various pills, shampoos, and styling products claiming to encourage hair growth, know that there are a lot of great ways that thin hair can be styled to make you look fantastic!
DO read this entire list to get 31 great ideas about how to style your thin hair!
1) Fishtail Crown Braid
Making this effortless chic style requires almost nothing in terms of supplies except a clear elastic. Simply make two fishtail braids on each side of your head (you can include your bangs or leave them out for a messier look) and tie them together at the nape of your neck.
2) Wavy A-Line Bob
This style combines a modern silhouette with a boho look from the loose twisty waves. Cut shorter in the back and longer in the front, this look frames your face and looks lovely paired with dramatic earrings.
3) Layered Pixie Cut with Side Bangs
This dramatic cut is both low maintenance and simple. The highlighted ends add interest and the layers add volume.
4) Layered Bob with Side Bangs
The bangs are what gives this haircut its looks. Long layered bangs flesh out thin hair and the short length makes it easily styled.
5) Natural Curled Ombre Hair
This medium length style can be suitable for any color, but the ombre is what makes this haircut stand out. A large barreled curler is best for creating the loose waves and adding texture.
6) Layered Multiple Texture
This undone style looks good in any length, but the layers add carefree body and volume. Top with a setting spray to keep flyways at bay.
7) Curled Polished Bob
Although this short style is simple, the highlighted ends and caramel undertones are a great paring. The slight side part adds a asymmetrical twist to an otherwise polished style.
8) Straight Dramatic Side Part
To get the sleek straight look in this picture, straighten freshly washed hair. Part hair to the right and pin with a decorative bobby pin to add some sparkle.
9) Straight Cut Shoulder Length
This blunt cut is easy to do and can even be trimmed from the comfort of home. Add texture with dry shampoo or sea salt spray after a shower.
10) Shoulder Length Natural Curls
Bouncy, voluminous curls are a thin haired girl’s best friend. Simply air dry naturally curly hair with a spritz of curling cream or mousse and separate the curls with your fingers. You can even use the recently famous ‘pineappling’ method. Don’t worry! This technique does not require you to run out and buy a pineapple. Try it out! After you wash your hair, instead of allowing it to air dry down, apply some leave in conditioner, flip your hair upside down, and settle it into a towel or cotton t-shirt that has been laid out. After you gather your hair into the shirt, secure the towel on your head. Now keep the towel on for a few hours or sleep on it. When you wake up or take the towel off, you should find beautifully formed, bouncy curls.
11) Messy Layered Bob
This style is all layers, cut longer in the back and shorter in the front, its perfect for women with naturally straight hair.
12) One-Sided Dutch Braid
This look is easy to achieve on any length, but looks best when paired with texturized or curled hair. Simply start a dutch braid on one side of your head and continue until you reach the back of your crown. Pin in place with a bobby pin and pull out some wispy flyways to add a romantic look.
13) Twisted Front Look
Tired of those bangs? No need to wait for them to grow out! Part hair dramatically to one side and twist the first piece, continue to add hair to the twist as you move along your hairline and pin in place once you are above the opposite ear.
14) Choppy Long Layers and Bangs
This look can only have full effect on straight hair, so only attempt if your hair is naturally pin drop straight, or you can commit to a straightener. Long bangs frame the face and jagged layers create a undone feel in this modern look.
15) Fishtail Accented Bob
Are you growing out your bangs and are at that awkward, unattractive half length? No fear! Any braid or twist can be done and pinned back to hide those unslighly ends until you’re in the clear. The fishtail used in this picture gives the look a modern charm.
16) Half Updo
This style looks amazing with or without bangs and adds great volume. Gently comb your hair back, grab the top half your hair, twist up, and secure with a hair elastic. You can even dress this style up or down by securing a decorative brooch or clip over the hair elastic.
17) Mid Back Length Extreme Side Part
To keep from sacrificing length while adding layers, part your hair drastically to the side and get some long side bangs to add the illusion of volume.
18) Headband Side Part Braid on Piecy Chin Length Hair
The charm of this look is two-fold. The voluminous piecy look can be achieved on two or three day hair that has been braided overnight with dry shampoo and mousse. The headband can be styled by parting your hair to the side and braiding the front section, and pinning it back with an outfit-matching hair clip.
19) Pixie Cut and Long Bangs
This pixie cut gets its unique look from how the polished bangs contrast with the messy back. Get the look by applying texturizing spray all of your hair and combing gel though the front portion.
20) Inverted Braid with Set Out Bangs
This style works best on short hair. Just separate your bangs from the rest of your hair and add a small french braid to the front of the remaining portion, pin in place behind the rest of your hair.
21) Faux Hawk Pixie Cut Curls
The choppiness of this look is accented and balanced by the lovely soft curls. Add some highlights to the top to give this style a colorful twist.
22) Chin Length Side Swept Bangs
The main attractive point of this style is the beautiful coppery highlights added to the dark, almost black natural hair. The length is a cute alternative to a bob or pixie, sort of in the middle of the two.
23) French Braid Crown Ponytail
This mermaid-esque look is great for getting you hair up and off your neck during a hot summer day. To get the style, french braid around your crown and gather your hair in a ponytail, wrap a piece of hair around your hair tie and secure with a bobby pin. Use a curling iron to add some volume to the tail; experiment with a large barrel and small barrel to see which kind of curls you like the best.
24) Sock Bun
Use the classic sock bun technique to create extra volume in hair that would normally not hold in a bun well. The sock bun is when you cut the toes off an old sock, roll it up until it forms a doughnut shape, and then place the doughnut in the middle of your ponytail. Then, thread pieces of your hair around to cover the sock, or roll you hair into the doughnut by starting with your ends and continuing up. Add a cute pouf in the front to give the look a retro feel.
25) Curled Ends
This look is best on shoulder length hair. Simply accent the edges by using a straightener to curl the ends up a little.
26) Voluminous Asymmetrical Bob
This look takes a bit of prep work, but is definitely worth the effort. Blow out an asymmetrical bob with a hairdryer and style with hairspray until desired effect is achieved.
27) Face Framing Rope Braid
A rope braid is one of the most underused types of braids. To create a rope braid, pick a section of hair, split it into two sections and start twisting the first section inwards, hold that section. Take the second section and also twist it inwards, cross it over the first section, continue all the way down. It may take awhile to get the hang of, but soon you’ll be able to do it with your eyes closed. For this look, part your hair to one side and use a french braid in a rope braid style to get this look. The rope can be pinned back with a bobby pin or simply tied off with a hair elastic.
28) Asymmetircal Side Bangs on Pixie Cut
This haircut is one to commit to. The shortness makes it easy to care for, and the long bangs can be styled to the side, layered, or made choppy or clean.
29) A-Line with Short Bangs
While this style may seem like a normal shoulder length cut, its uniqueness comes from the slightly longer pieces of hair in the front. Paired with short bangs, it creates a lovely contrast.
30) Faux Hawk Pixie Cut
Yet another way to style a pixie, this look requires a bit of patience in the morning to gel and hairspray, but is definitely trendy considering the number of actresses who have opted to completely lop off their long locks in favor of a ‘boy-cut’.
31) Shoulder Length Soft Layers
The soft layers around your face in this look frame your face and blend with the deeply parted side bangs to add some great volume.
Just remember to keep in mind a few DON’Ts and DOs of to create a great base with which you can style your fine hair.
DON’T pull on your hair when you comb it to brush out snarls. You might cause unnecessary breakage, instead try to work out the knots slowly with your fingers.
DON’T over condition your hair with oil based products, or apply conditioner too close to the roots, this will make it appear flat and greasy.
DON’T use tight or rough bobby pins or hair ties, this can cause to breakage in very thin hair.
DON’T wrap your hair up in a towel after showering; when your hair is wet it is very weak and putting tension on it by flipping your hair up may cause damage.
DON’T sleep on wet hair. Sleeping on fine wet hair can lead to kinks and cowlicks. However…
DO sleep with your hair braided; it will create lovely soft waves in the morning that add a boost of volume.
DO give your hair a cold water rinse at the end of a shower to close the cuticles in the hair shaft and make your hair appear thicker. Pro Tip- keep a bucket of cold water in the shower with you and soak your hair in it when you want to rinse out your conditioner, that way you can knock out two steps in one, and not have to take an ice bath.
DO use a silk pillowcase to prevent breakage, especially if you toss and turn while you sleep. Alternately, you can make or buy a silk hairnet or ‘shower cap’ to wrap your hair in before you go to sleep.
DO use a boar bristle or ceramic hairbrush to prevent breakage. Boar bristle can be expensive, but it also helps distribute the oils from your scalp down the shaft of your hair, ensuring that your hair looks less greasy. This technique may even allow you to go in between washes for longer!
DO backcomb your hair; teasing adds volume and body to hair that is otherwise limp and lifeless. However, you should keep in mind a major disclaimer with this advice- teasing continually is said to lead to hair damage.
Before we get to the styles, here are a few quick recommendations of things to keep in mind when buying hair products:
Shampoo: Use a shampoo that has body building properties, but not one that can weigh your hair down with heavy conditioner or oil. Clarifying shampoos might be a bad idea because they stimulate your hair to make oils that can weigh down your hair to make it look flat.
Conditioner: Try a conditioner that contains proteins which can fortify your hair to give it extra volume, you can also use products with Keratin to help balance extra moisture.