1. Get a great short hair cut.
2. Try a new hair color or loose perm.
3. Choose volumizing hair products.
4. Shampoo and condition only when dirty.

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• by J.M. Brown

• If you're one of the millions of American women who experience thinning hair, you should know there are ways to treat the condition.Marie Claire: Female Hair Loss: Thinning Hair 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.

• There are two ways your hair may be thinning:

1. The slow progression of hair loss.Good Housekeeping: When Thin Isn't In: Advice for Women with Thinning Hair This means you have fewer strands on your head.Marie Claire: Female Hair Loss: Thinning Hair
2. Hair follicle shrinkage,Good Housekeeping: When Thin Isn't In: Advice for Women with Thinning Hair wherein each strand of hair becomes thinner.Marie Claire: Female Hair Loss: Thinning Hair These thin hairs don't grow past a certain length.Marie Claire: Female Hair Loss: Thinning Hair

• Either way, thinning hair reduces hair volume.Marie Claire: Female Hair Loss: Thinning Hair

• Characteristics of thinning hair include:

1. Limp locks.Good Housekeeping: When Thin Isn't In: Advice for Women with Thinning Hair
2. Flat hair.Good Housekeeping: When Thin Isn't In: Advice for Women with Thinning Hair
3. Fine strands.Good Housekeeping: When Thin Isn't In: Advice for Women with Thinning Hair
4. Weak Strands.Good Housekeeping: When Thin Isn't In: Advice for Women with Thinning Hair

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

• 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.Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair

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

1. A layered cut.Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair
   • Long layers will help you disguise your thinning hair by combing it over.Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair
     • 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.Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair
   • • The part should start no lower than the outside corner of your eye.Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair

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

1. Bangs!Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair
   1. Increase the thickness of your bangs by taking hair from farther back on your head.Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair
      • Don't go farther than one and a half inch back.
   2. Texturize to fluff up bangs.
2. Blunt cut.Visual Makeover: Hair Volume
   • 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.

• If your hair is thinning on the sides, try:
  • Face framing layers.Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair
  • Shorter hair around the front of your face will conceal thinning hair.Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair

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

1. Choose a long-length cut.Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair
   • Your long locks can be used to conceal the thinning section.Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair
2. Style your hair by wearing it back or up.Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair

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

• If the strands of your hair are getting thinner all over your head, you have fine hair.Good Housekeeping: When Thin Isn't In: Advice for Women with Thinning Hair This is the easiest type of thinning hair to style.

1. Blunt cut.Visual Makeover: Hair Volume
   • This will add fullness to the rest of your head.
2. Stay away from layers.
   • Layers will thin out your hair—you want volume!Yahoo Answers: Thin, fine, *very* straight hair - ideas for short haircuts?
   • Face framing layers would be fine.Yahoo Answers: Thin, fine, *very* straight hair - ideas for short haircuts?
3. A short bob.Yahoo Answers: Thin, fine, *very* straight hair - ideas for short haircuts?
   • The shorter you cut your hair, the less it will weigh, which results in voluminous and lively locks.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat

• 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.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair

• Choose a volumizing shampoo and conditioner.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat

1. Look for products containing rice and wheat proteins.Good Housekeeping: When Thin Isn't In: Advice for Women with Thinning Hair
2. You can also look for products that say volumizing, volume, or thickness on the bottle.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat
3. Avoid shampoos with sulfites or harsh detergents.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat

• Use a clarifying shampoo once a week.Bella Online: Real Hair Solutions for Thin, Flat Hair
  • This will rid your hair of leftover styling products.Bella Online: Real Hair Solutions for Thin, Flat Hair

1. Avoid hardening products that plaster strands together and create a flat, stiff look.
   • Instead of maximum-hold hairspray choose flexible hold hairspray.Good Housekeeping: When Thin Isn't In: Advice for Women with Thinning Hair
   • Use mousse, instead of gel.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair
2. Don't use silicone products.Bella Online: Real Hair Solutions for Thin, Flat Hair
   • Silicone weighs the hair down.Bella Online: Real Hair Solutions for Thin, Flat Hair
3. Try a root lifter.Bella Online: Real Hair Solutions for Thin, Flat Hair

• Hair coloring can give your thinning strands body and volume.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair 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.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair
   3. Stay away from ammonia and peroxide.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair
2. Select semi-permanent or permanent hair color.
   1. Try to have your hair professionally done in a salon, to prevent over-processing.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair
   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.

• A gentle body wave can give limp locks beautiful volume.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair

1. Only healthy hair should be permed.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair
   1. Healthy hair is shiny.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair
   2. Healthy hair is not dry or brittle.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair
   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.Good Housekeeping: When Thin Isn't In: Advice for Women with Thinning Hair
3. Stay away from tight perms because they require stronger chemicals.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair

• Keep in mind that heat, especially very hot, direct heat, can break and dry out hair.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair

1. Dry the roots of your hair first.Bella Online: Real Hair Solutions for Thin, Flat Hair
2. Turn your head upside down then blow dry while brushing gently.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat
   1. This will softly tease your hair away from your scalp.
   2. Brushing creates static electricity.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat
   3. Dry until just the ends are damp.Bella Online: Real Hair Solutions for Thin, Flat Hair
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.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat
   • - Choose a vented brush so the heat can pass through.Bella Online: Real Hair Solutions for Thin, Flat Hair

• 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.

1. Yes, you want volume. But teasing your hair stresses strands causing breakage.Good Housekeeping: When Thin Isn't In: Advice for Women with Thinning Hair
2. Instead, use products to bump up the volume.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair

1. Shampooing your hair everyday strips your hair of essential oils, which causes your hair to dry out.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat
2. Shampoo only when your hair is dirty.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair

1. Conditioner is great for parched hair--just don't drown your locks.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat
2. Excess conditioner weighs down hair creating flat, greasy locks.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat
3. Too much conditioner on the scalp also slows the growth of hair follicles.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat
4. Work conditioner into the ends of your hair.Bella Online: [http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art1931.asp
5. Real Hair Solutions for Thin, Flat Hair]</ref>

1. Remember that a little product goes a long way.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat
2. Try using different products, such as light hold volumizing sprays.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat

1. Avoid Straightening treatmentsMarie Claire: Healthy Hair 101, which use have harsh chemicals that makes hair dry and brittle.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair
2. Embrace your natural curliness. Curls pump up the volume!The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat