How to Style Thinning Hair

• by J.M. Brown

Introduction

• If you're one of the millions of American women who experience thinning hair, you should know there are ways to treat the condition.¹ There are many causes of thinning hair. If your hair is thinning, it is worth discussing with your doctor to determine the cause. Please see Mahalo's How to Treat Female Hair Loss for more information.
• In the meantime, feel better about yourself by choosing styling your hair so it looks its best, with these simple steps and tips.

What is Thinning Hair?

• 

  Has your hair's thickness and volume gone the way of Betamax and New Coke? This guide will help you cope. (Creative Commons photo by beth ography)
  There are two ways your hair may be thinning:

1. The slow progression of hair loss.² This means you have fewer strands on your head.¹
2. Hair follicle shrinkage,² wherein each strand of hair becomes thinner.¹ These thin hairs don't grow past a certain length.¹

• Either way, thinning hair reduces hair volume.¹

• Characteristics of thinning hair include:

1. Limp locks.²
2. Flat hair.²
3. Fine strands.²
4. Weak Strands.²

• You'll want to choose a cut and style that minimize these characteristics.

Step 1: Choose the Right Haircut

• Your hair stylist will be a great asset when deciding how to cut your hair. Make sure to ask their opinion—they are the professional. That said, when choosing a hair cut, the right cut depends greatly upon where your hair is thinning.³

Top

• If you're losing hair on the top of your head try:

1. A layered cut.³
   • Long layers will help you disguise your thinning hair by combing it over.³
     • Don't let the term comb-over scare you, the great thing about being a woman is hairstyles can be very forgiving.
2. Style your layered cut with a deep side part.³
   • • The part should start no lower than the outside corner of your eye.³

Front Hairline

• If you are losing hair at the front of your head (think receding hair line), try:

1. Bangs!³
   1. Increase the thickness of your bangs by taking hair from farther back on your head.³
      • Don't go farther than one and a half inch back.
   2. Texturize to fluff up bangs.
2. Blunt cut.⁴
   • This will add fullness to the rest of your head.
   • The shorter you cut your hair, the less it will weigh, which results in voluminous and lively locks.

Sides

• If your hair is thinning on the sides, try:
  • Face framing layers.³
  • Shorter hair around the front of your face will conceal thinning hair.³

Crown

• If you have thinness at the crown of your head, the top back of your head, try:

1. Choose a long-length cut.³
   • Your long locks can be used to conceal the thinning section.³
2. Style your hair by wearing it back or up.³

All Over

• If you are losing hair all over your head, try:
  • A chin-length blunt bob.³
  • The short length will make hair appear thicker.³
  • If your hair is really thin on the top, you can add shorter layers on the top and long layers in the front.³

Shrinking Follicles

• If the strands of your hair are getting thinner all over your head, you have fine hair.² This is the easiest type of thinning hair to style.

1. Blunt cut.⁴
   • This will add fullness to the rest of your head.
2. Stay away from layers.
   • Layers will thin out your hair—you want volume!⁵
   • Face framing layers would be fine.⁵
3. A short bob.⁵
   • The shorter you cut your hair, the less it will weigh, which results in voluminous and lively locks.⁶

Step 2: Choose the Right Products

• Now that you know how to take care of your body to produce beautiful hair and have got awesome haircut, it's time to learn proper hair care. Proper hair care begins with choosing the right products. To counteract thinning hair, choose products that turn up the volume.⁷

Shampoo and Conditioner

• 

  Choose a good volumizing shampoo/conditioner combo. (Creative Commons photo by Matt MacGillivray)
  Choose a volumizing shampoo and conditioner.⁶

1. Look for products containing rice and wheat proteins.²
2. You can also look for products that say volumizing, volume, or thickness on the bottle.⁶
3. Avoid shampoos with sulfites or harsh detergents.⁶

• Use a clarifying shampoo once a week.⁸
  • This will rid your hair of leftover styling products.⁸

Styling Products

1. Avoid hardening products that plaster strands together and create a flat, stiff look.
   • Instead of maximum-hold hairspray choose flexible hold hairspray.²
   • Use mousse, instead of gel.⁷
2. Don't use silicone products.⁸
   • Silicone weighs the hair down.⁸
3. Try a root lifter.⁸

Step 3: Use Volumizing Tricks

Color Your Hair

• Hair coloring can give your thinning strands body and volume.⁷ Here are some hair coloring tips.

1. Be cautious when coloring.
   1. Hair coloring isn't for everyone. Make sure your hair is healthy before coloring or you may cause more harm than good.
   2. Harsh chemicals can damage your hair, causing additional hair loss or breakage.⁷
   3. Stay away from ammonia and peroxide.⁷
2. Select semi-permanent or permanent hair color.
   1. Try to have your hair professionally done in a salon, to prevent over-processing.⁷
   2. If you do color at home, pay attention to the what it says on the hair color box.
      • - A lot of the new at-home hair coloring products are made with natural or less harsh chemicals.
   3. Color your whole head less often, opting to touch up your roots as needed.

Perm Your Hair

• A gentle body wave can give limp locks beautiful volume.⁷

1. Only healthy hair should be permed.⁷
   1. Healthy hair is shiny.⁷
   2. Healthy hair is not dry or brittle.⁷
   3. To get your hair healthy, refer to Step 1: Get Healthy.
2. Like with coloring, chemical solutions can cause excess damage because thin follicles allow the chemicals to penetrate more quickly.²
3. Stay away from tight perms because they require stronger chemicals.⁷

Know Your Blow Dryer

• Keep in mind that heat, especially very hot, direct heat, can break and dry out hair.⁷

1. Dry the roots of your hair first.⁸
2. Turn your head upside down then blow dry while brushing gently.⁶
   1. This will softly tease your hair away from your scalp.
   2. Brushing creates static electricity.⁶
   3. Dry until just the ends are damp.⁸
3. Apply a volumizing mousse to the roots of your hair, then blow dry.
   • - Finish with light hair spray.
4. Use a large round brush while blow drying to create volume.⁶
   • - Choose a vented brush so the heat can pass through.⁸

Five Mistakes to Avoid

• Sometimes what you shouldn't do is more important than what you should do. Here are some helpful tips about what NOT to do to your hair.

Teasing Your Hair

1. Yes, you want volume. But teasing your hair stresses strands causing breakage.²
2. Instead, use products to bump up the volume.⁷

Washing Your Hair Every Day

1. Shampooing your hair everyday strips your hair of essential oils, which causes your hair to dry out.⁶
2. Shampoo only when your hair is dirty.⁷

Using Too Much Conditioner

1. Conditioner is great for parched hair--just don't drown your locks.⁶
2. Excess conditioner weighs down hair creating flat, greasy locks.⁶
3. Too much conditioner on the scalp also slows the growth of hair follicles.⁶
4. Work conditioner into the ends of your hair.⁸

Using Too Much Styling Product

1. Remember that a little product goes a long way.⁶
2. Try using different products, such as light hold volumizing sprays.⁶

Using Straightening Treatments

1. Avoid Straightening treatments⁹, which use have harsh chemicals that makes hair dry and brittle.⁷
2. Embrace your natural curliness. Curls pump up the volume!⁶

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References for How to Style Thinning Hair

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Marie Claire: Female Hair Loss: Thinning Hair
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10} Good Housekeeping: When Thin Isn't In: Advice for Women with Thinning Hair
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14} Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Visual Makeover: Hair Volume
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Yahoo Answers: Thin, fine, *very* straight hair - ideas for short haircuts?
6. ↑ ^{6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13} The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat
7. ↑ ^{7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14} WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8} Bella Online: Real Hair Solutions for Thin, Flat Hair
9. ↑ Marie Claire: Healthy Hair 101

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