Having thin hair isn’t a problem, but the lack of density can seem troublesome if you want a more voluminous hairstyle. While you can’t do anything to change the hair type you were born with, some helpful products can give your strands that extra lift you desire.
Factors outside of your control could be causing thin hair.1 Anything from genetics to your environment could cause long-term or short-term thinness, while other factors like hair treatments and care could also contribute to hair appearing — or being — thin.
If you’re looking to create the appearance of thicker hair, proper haircuts and tools can go a long way toward giving your hair a fuller look. Knowing how to manage thin hair is also essential to keeping your scalp and hair fresh. Our tips and suggestions can help make thin hair look thicker — and make your updos and hairstyles look and feel fuller and last longer.
In this article:
- Understanding the causes of thin hair
- Hair care tips for thicker-looking hair
- Hairstyle ideas for thin hair
- Hair color techniques for the appearance of depth and volume
- Hair care product options for thin hair
- How to choose a hairbrush for thin hair
- Treat hair with care
Understanding the causes of thin hair
Before dyeing, cutting or adding products to your hair or scalp, it’s important to understand thin hair. Having the right information about your hair can help you better understand the maintenance necessary to keep your hair shiny. While there are many reasons why someone may have thin hair, it’s vital to know how to keep it looking its best. Hair maintenance goes a long way toward helping protect and manage any and all hair types.
Genetic influences on hair thickness
If you’ve always wondered why your hair falls flat or lacks volume, there’s a good chance your genetics have something to do with it. Genetic factors play a significant role in hair texture and strand thickness.2
Genetics also play a role in hereditary hair loss, which is the most common cause for hair loss. In this form of hair loss, genes are inherited that cause hair follicles to shrink and eventually stop growing hair.3
Environmental factors affecting hair volume
Environmental factors also have an impact on hair thinning and texture.4 Prolonged sun exposure can lead to brittle hair and loss of shine and strength.5 Different types of air pollutants have various effects on hair.6 Particulate matter can affect hair growth and texture, as well as scalp sensitivity and irritation.7 Other air pollutants can cause chemical damage to hair.8
Hair care tips for thicker-looking hair
How you care for your hair affects its thickness and overall appearance.9 Hair products, styling, treatments, washing and diet can all make an impact on preventing hair loss.10
Choosing products for thin hair
If you have thin hair, adding excess hair products and ingredients may overwhelm your strands instead of making them shine.
Since thin hair may get weighed down easily, you want to steer clear of oils or heavy hair creams that can add more weight to the hair. These products tend to clog hair follicles and flatten your hair over time.11 Instead, consider opting for sprays and lightweight ingredients that’ll get absorbed into the strands and scalp and provide volume from the root.
The role of regular trimming in hair fullness
Getting hair trimmed regularly is vital for helping strands look thicker. A regular haircut can help eliminate split ends, which can also cause damage to thinning hair because the end climbs toward the root.12 If hair roots are damaged, the rate of hair loss can increase.13
Hairstyle ideas for thin hair
You can’t alter the thickness of your hair, but you can embrace it with chic hairstyles. While some hairstyles won’t fit thin hair, others can help your strands appear more luscious and voluminous.
Knowing which hairstyles fit with your hair type is a great alternative for your daily routine that won’t take much effort. You want to ensure you are reaching for haircuts that work with your hair rather than against it.
Haircuts to optimize volume
If your goal is to get more volume in your hair, you may consider adding layers to your next haircut. Layers add texture, dimension, and depth to your hair, making it look like you have more volume and thickness.14
Haircuts like curtain bangs or bobs can give the illusion of movement and texture that thick hair typically has. Blunt bobs can create the same effect, especially for those seeking a shorter haircut. Because of the blunt edge, it provides a fuller look.15
Styling techniques for creating an illusion of thickness
Even if a haircut isn’t in your plans, some styling techniques can help create the look of thicker hair. One simple switch involves moving a middle part over to one side to boost roots.
When blow drying, add volume by switching the placement from drying over the head to blowing hair upwards. When holding the dryer pointed down over the head, heat is placed on top of the hair, flattening it down. Move the dryer under and blow dry from the bottom toward the top to give roots an extra boost.16
Hair color techniques for the appearance of depth and volume
Once you have the right cut and style, adding the right color can create a look full of depth and dimension, giving the illusion of thicker hair. By playing with shadows and highlights, you may be able to achieve that voluminous look you’re searching for.
How highlights and lowlights create the appearance of depth
Highlights aren’t just a hair color technique that brightens and lightens your hair. Paired with lowlights, they can create a truly dynamic color. You can create visual depth that mimics fuller hair by raising your hair color with highlights and using lowlights to create shadows underneath.17
Advantages of solid hair colors for thickness perception
Using the same technique, you can opt for solid hair colors to help your hair look thicker and more filled in. You’ll need to opt for darker hues instead of blonde shades to get this same effect. Using a one-dimensional dark hue, you can fill in some areas in your hair that might look sparse due to thin or fine hair.18
Hair care product options for thin hair
Choosing the right products and building a routine is important to help create healthy, full-looking hair. Everything from shampoo to dry shampoo can help give you a slight lift. Styling products should be tailored for thin hair to avoid extra greasiness.
Shampoo and conditioner options for thin hair
The shower is the first place to start your hair care routine. This includes swapping your current picks with the best shampoo for your hair type. Consider choosing a gentle shampoo, as some shampoos can strip moisture from hair.19 Also, look for shampoos described as densifying, thickening or volumizing.20 These products typically contain ingredients like protein, biotin or B5.21 After applying shampoo, use a moisturizing conditioner to coat your strands, which helps reduce breakage.22
Consider such products as L’Oréal Paris Elvive volume filler thickening shampoo and L’Oréal Paris Elvive volume filler volumizing conditioner.
Thickening mousses, sprays and texturizers
Once you’ve created your dream hairstyle, you’ll want to help it last longer. To give your hair extra hold and a thicker appearance, you’ll need to focus on hair products for thin hair that give the extra lift.
Such products as TRESemmé volume thickening spray and John Frieda volume lift fine to full blow-out spray can help add lightweight volume.
For after your shower, a volumizing mousse or texture spray can help hair have more volume after drying and can create a fuller look.
Consider products like TRESemmé total volume plumping mousse or Not Your Mother's Beach Babe texturizing sea salt spray.
Hairsprays and root boosters
Keeping your hair in place is vital if you want your hairstyle to last all day long. There are a variety of volumizing and texturizing hair spray options available.
For example, .
How to choose a hairbrush for thin hair
Apart from the products you choose and the haircuts you request, there is another tool to consider when looking to get fuller hair.
Your hairbrush comes into contact with your scalp and strands daily, so you want to use the one that will give you thicker-looking hair rather than flatten it out. Believe it or not, different types of hairbrushes can give you various benefits, depending on the one you choose.
Impact of hairbrushes on perceived volume
Using a hairbrush can help remove knots and tangles without causing further breakage.23 Having harsh bristles on thin hair can also damage your strands, because they can break when you’re brushing it out. Besides being careful with brushing, you want to shop for a tool that won’t break your hair when detangling it.
Finding a brush for your hair type
No matter your hair type, you’ll need to add a detangling brush to your tools. The flexible bristles of detangling brushes help your strands without being too harsh on wet hair.
For example, Wet Brush’s original detangler brush for thin hair helps remove knots and tangles.
Treat hair with care
Whether you have thin hair or want to add more volume to your strands, there are many ways to help create healthier-looking hair. With simple lifestyle changes or swapping out certain products, you may achieve fuller-looking hair with a hair care routine.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your health care provider before taking any vitamins or supplements, and prior to beginning or changing any health care practices.