How you style your hair can either support or take a toll on strands. If you have thinning hair and hair loss, you’ve undoubtedly wondered, “What are the best hairstyles for hair loss?” The right haircut, hair color, styling products, and camouflaging tricks can all make sparse hair look better. So, let's chat about some fantastic hairstyles for hair loss to keep your scalp and hair happy.
Haircuts: Thinning Hair’s BFF
What a difference a cut makes! Regular trims are your hair's best friend! Snipping away those thin, damaged ends allows your brush to glide smoothly through your hair, versus tugging on weak, fragile strands. The result? Hair that looks and feels thicker and is a breeze to manage.
Considering what's the best haircut for hair thinning? Here are some hair-raising ideas:
- Blunt cuts: No matter how you slice them, blunt bobs are excellent on-trend hairstyles for thinning fine hair. Whether you prefer chin-length, slightly angled, asymmetrical, or shorter above-the-chin French bobs, they all help ensure maximum density and weight, creating a thicker, fresher look.
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Layers: Layers can be like magic, giving the illusion of volume and adding a playful bounce to tired tresses. Debating, “Should I get layers?” Ask a talented stylist which of these layered looks will best flatter your face shape and complement your hair type.
- Face-framing, layered cuts are great hairstyles for thinning hair at the front.
- Long, textured layers and graduated cuts with more length and weight in the back give thinning hair a boost of fullness and dimension.
- A layered lob, a shoulder-grazing bob with layers, strikes a balance between bobs and longer hair, making it an excellent “tweener”.
- A shag that’s short to medium-length with bangs and face-framing layers can add volume, texture, body, and fullness to flat, thinning hair by removing weight that can drag hair down. Plus, you will get street cred by channeling your inner Joan Jett, Stevie Nicks, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, or Rod Stewart.
- Pixie and "bixie" cuts (a fun blend of pixies and bobs) are great for nearly every face shape and those who prefer a low-maintenance, edgy vibe.
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Bangs: Do bangs help hide thinning hair? Yes, they do. And since they’re having a moment, bangs are a brilliant, trendy way to playfully disguise a thinning hairline. Check out these fun hairstyles for hair with bangs to add a touch of volume and oomph to your look (while also hiding a high forehead and lines):
- Micro bangs (known as baby bangs)
- Blunt bangs
- Choppy bangs
- Grunge-inspired shaggy bangs
- Face-framing curtain bangs and side-swept bangs
Prefer a no-hassle and low-commitment style? A soft, wispy fringe can frame your face, while giving you options: style your bangs one day or sweep them back the next—great for workouts and day two (or three) post-shampoo.
Alternatively, perhaps you cut bangs to hide your receding hairline and now want to ditch them. While bangs are a great solution, if they don’t work for you, trust that once you get through the grow-out period, the added length will bolster your hair’s bottom line.
Hair Color With Hair Loss
Strategically applied color can create a multi-tonal look that plays with light and shadow to create the optical illusion of increased density and fuller, thicker hair. A skilled colorist will use a fine weaving technique to introduce varied tones that reflect light differently, providing dimension and depth, while subtly drawing attention away from the scalp:
- Highlights that are lighter than your base color, placed around the crown and face, catch the light and create a visual lift, making the hair appear denser.
- Lowlights darker than your base color add subtle contrast, shadow, and depth, making the individual strands appear to have more volume and body.
Prepare For Success
While volumizing styling products are essential for achieving fuller-looking hair today, using premium hair loss hair products beforehand is just as important in the long run if you are losing your hair.
Follow these steps to maximize your style:
Step 1: Start with a color-safe shampoo for hair loss formulated with gentle cleansing agents that support a healthy scalp and won’t strip the hair. Double shampoo for an extra-deep cleanse. Rinse well.
Step 2: Moisturize and care for your scalp and strands with a hair loss conditioner that won’t weigh hair down.
Step 3: Gently towel dry.
Step 4: Apply a hair loss serum to your scalp, massaging it into areas of concern.
Step 5: Style as desired.
Get Creative With Styling
Following an easy-does-it styling approach is part of the recipe for ensuring optimal hair thickness and health for years to come. Let's explore better hairstyles for hair loss to give your hair a bouncier vibe and a thicker look, while giving hair follicles a break.
- Beach waves: For a gentle, no-heat method, braid damp hair and let it air dry overnight. In the morning, gently release it for a textured, tousled look that adds fullness to flat, thinning strands. Alternatively, use a curling wand to create relaxed, beachy waves (with a heat protectant, of course!)
- Half-updos: Prefer keeping your hair away from your face? Try pulling half of your hair up and leaving the other half down for a wonderfully volumized style and less stress on your follicles.
- Change your part: Shifting your part or going for a deep side part can instantly volumize your hair for added oomph. (It can also help give widening parts a chance to recover.) Or, if you're noticing early male pattern hair loss along the hairline, a center part can be a clever way to camouflage it.
- Buns: Messy buns and soft updos with a bit of easy teasing at the crown can magically make your hair appear thicker and fuller. Be careful not to make it too tight, as this can pull on your hair.
- Have fun with it: Experiment with volumizing and texturizing styling products to give limp, thinning hair some much-needed body.
- Dry shampoo boost: For an extra volume boost, sprinkle dry shampoo onto your roots. Then blow-dry with a round brush for a fabulous finish!
And, if you can’t part with ponytails and braids completely, we have good news. You can do a low ponytail or soft braids, provided you take care not to put too much strain on your hair.
Worried about a receding hairline? With these hairstyles and hair maintenance ideas, fuller, healthier-looking hair is attainable. Soon, the only thing you’ll have to worry about is how to style your thicker, more beautiful hair!
Disclaimer: This article and product references are intended for informational use only and not intended to diagnose or treat any medical conditions or substitute as professional hairstylist expertise. If you're experiencing hair loss, consider consulting a dermatologist to receive a diagnosis for the underlying cause and to rule out any other potential concerns.