How to Style Thinning Hair

Whoever said, "You can never be too rich or too thin," obviously had thick, luxurious hair. If your hair is thinning, you might feel embarrassed and unattractive. Read on to learn how to style thinning hair, so even thinning hair can be beautiful.

Hair loss is an issue that can affect both men and women (even though it is often only associated with males). There are a number of factors that can contribute to losing one's locks, including malnutrition and illness. However, hair loss is most commonly a matter of simple genetics. In some cases hair loss is reversible, while in the case of genetics it is typically permanent.http://www.medicinenet.com/hair_loss/article.htm

Hair thinning brought on by genetics tends to start as people approach middle age, around the 30's or 40's. In some cases the hair will grow quite sparse or even bald, while in others the hair loss is relatively moderate and less noticeable.

If thinning hair has you down, feel better about yourself by styling your hair so it looks its best, with these simple steps and tips.

What is Thinning Hair?

  • 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
  • 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.

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.Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair

Top

  • 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

Front Hairline

  • 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.

Sides

Crown

  • 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
  2. Style your hair by wearing it back or up.Bella Online: Haircuts for Thin Hair

All Over

Shrinking Follicles

  1. Blunt cut.Visual Makeover: Hair Volume
    • This will add fullness to the rest of your head.
  2. Stay away from layers.
  3. A short bob.Yahoo Answers: Thin, fine, *very* straight hair - ideas for short haircuts?

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.WebMD: 5 Tips to Care For Thinning Hair

Shampoo and Conditioner

Styling Products

  1. Avoid hardening products that plaster strands together and create a flat, stiff look.
  2. Don't use silicone products.Bella Online: Real Hair Solutions for Thin, Flat Hair
  3. Try a root lifter.Bella Online: Real Hair Solutions for Thin, Flat Hair

Step 3: Use Volumizing Tricks

Color Your Hair

  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.

Perm Your 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

Know Your Blow Dryer

  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.
  4. Use a large round brush while blow drying to create volume.The Cutting Chair: How to Make Thin Hair Look Fat

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

Washing Your Hair Every Day

  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

Using Too Much Conditioner

  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>

Using Too Much Styling Product

  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

Using Straightening Treatments

  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

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