Any woman with fine hair can relate to the endless frustration of finding flattering hairstyles. Many styles quickly fall flat, but fret not—we’ve compiled a list of winners! As you experiment with these 10 looks, you’ll find that achieving the appearance of thick hair is all about using the right products. With a trusty volumizing shampoo, texturizing spray, and a teasing comb, you can say good-bye to flat, fine hair from this moment forward.
Teased Ponytail
Creating a voluminous ponytail is an easy way to style fine hair so that it appears thicker. First, make sure your hair is dry and that it’s been a day or two since it was washed. Skip your usual shampoo and conditioner routine, and use a dry shampoo (we like Batiste Dry Shampoo) to remove grease and add much-needed texture. (Just be careful not to make these dry shampoo mistakes.)
Then, hold up the top layer of your hair (which falls in line with your eyebrows) and use a fine-tooth comb to tease it. The process of teasing your hair is basically the exact opposite of how you’d usually brush it: Hold the comb beneath your hair and brush it toward your scalp, in order to make volumizing knots.
Once the top of your head is nicely teased, pull your hair back into a high ponytail. With your elastic tightly secured, tug thick sections of hair a centimeter out of its grip. The result will be a full ponytail that creates the illusion of thick hair. To finish, spray a hair spray like Aveda Control Force all over your up-do to secure it into place.
Deconstructed Fishtail Braid
Deconstructed Fishtail Braid
Fishtail braids are a totally achievable look if you have medium-to-long fine hair, and they’ll do you some major favors in terms of visual thickness. To start, spritz your hair with a texturizing spray (one of our favorites is French Girl Organics Organic Sea Salt Hair Texturizing Spray) for extra volume and effortless, tousled waves.
Next, have a friend or stylist create the braid, or watch a tutorial to get the look all by yourself. We recommend braiding your hair down your shoulder, instead of letting it fall straight down your back.
Once the braid is complete and tied with an elastic, it’s time to add volume. Using two hands, take each section of the braid and pinch it outward on both sides. Don’t worry about individual strands coming loose; by expanding and deconstructing the fishtail, you can give your hair the appearance of instant fullness.
Top Pulled Back
Your part is one of the fastest giveaways to the true thinness of your hair, so an obvious solution is to cover it up! First, make sure to always use a lightweight shampoo like Rahua Voluminous Shampoo, which will give you everyday body and bounce.
When your hair is dry, take the uppermost layer in the middle (the hair that falls between the arches of your eyebrows), hold it up, and lightly tease it. Then pull this layer back so it covers your part, securing with bobby pins. You definitely don’t want it to be slicked back, but rather, wide and full of volume.
For the best results, create bombshell curls in your remaining hair using a large styling wand.
Wavy Lob
For women with fine hair, the wavy lob has two big benefits: It’s short enough that it’ll never get weighed down, and the beachy texture provides the appearance of thickness.
To start, use a texturizing spray throughout your hair to add lasting density, volume, and texture. Depending on your hair’s natural curl, either use your hands to scrunch your hair while it’s wet, or create beachy waves with a curling wand when it’s dry. Gently use your fingers to mess up the curls, and finish with a spray like Rahua Organic Voluminous Hair Spray + Refresher for soft hold.
Deep Side-Part
If there’s one hairstyle women with fine hair need to avoid at all costs, it’s a dead-center hair part. Instead, add volume by parting your hair 3 inches away from the center.
“A deep side-part style will help to give volume and fullness around the face,” says hairstylist Dana Caschetta. “Try adding wave and movement through the roots and mid-shaft of the hair with a curling iron or wand,” she says. (Just make sure to avoid these styling mistakes that are making you lose your hair.)
For added body at the roots, try Eufora Boost Root Spray, which provides fullness and tight hold.
Uneven Front Bangs
You don’t need Zooey Deschanel’s thick locks to rock front bangs. The trick is to avoid wide-set, heavy ones with a blunt edge, which will leave you with very little remaining hair. Instead, opt for wispy, choppy bangs. Having uneven strands gives you the option to part them to one side or in the center. But on a daily basis, it’s best to pull your hair back, tousle your bangs with your fingers, then spritz them with a texturizing spray such as Captain Blankenship Organic Shimmer Texturizing Hair Spray.
Braided Crown
If you’re tired of having a skinny ponytail or bun, try a braided crown instead. Take 3 inches of hair from the area just above your ear, and braid it down toward your shoulder. Next, wrap it around the front of your head like a crown. To finish, spray that braid in place—we like Kevin Murphy Session Strong Hold Finishing Spray. Using a braid as a headband creates the illusion of more hair and shifts the focus away from how much hair remains in the back.
Angled Bob
“The best haircuts for women with thinning hair are ones with weight lines. For example, a graduated bob would add fullness and movement to lifeless hair,” says Caschetta. Layers can add volume and height, but will remove too much weight if overdone, she adds. “Stick to interior layering just in the crown area!”
Play up a standard bob with an angled cut: This short hairstyle not only provides added volume in the back, it’s also a total breeze to maintain. Simply use a volumizing shampoo and conditioner like the TRESemmé Beauty Regimen Kit when you shower, then dry and straighten for chic results.
Imitation Hair-Wrapped Ponytail
Sometimes, the best way to enhance the look of thin or fine hair is to cheat (but only a little!). Much like extensions, a hair-wrapped messy ponytail will make it seem like you have far more hair than you actually do. The trick is to pull your bedhead-texture hair into a ponytail, then use an imitation-hair tie that matches your natural color to fasten it.
Wispy Front Layers
Try wispy front layers if you want to keep your hair long—to get them, have your hairstylist cut front layers that start from the bottom of your chin and cascade down. These layers will nicely frame your face, add texture, and can be styled for greater volume. Just keep in mind that the back of your hair should be cut in a straight line, as thin back layers tend to get scraggly. And with longer fine hair, be sure to always use a thickening set like the Bumble and Bumble Thickening Shampoo and Conditioner, which gives life to thin hair, making it look and feel much fuller.
