Thin hair can be difficult to style. Trust me—I know. I’ve tried to make my naturally thin hair look thicker and fuller ever since I was in secondary school and my mum let me get my hands on a hot tool. Since then, I’ve cycled through plenty of hairstyles, volumising products, and thickening techniques. Some have worked, but most haven’t. That’s okay. Somewhere along the way, I’ve learned to live and work with my naturally thin hair (sigh), and the style I choose to wear it in has a lot to do with that. For example, I’ve learned a slick-straight style doesn’t do my thin hair any favours, which is why I tend to go with tousled, textured waves instead.
So yeah, I had my opinions on what hairstyles work best for my thin, medium-length hair, but I was wondering what experts would say on the matter. Was I potentially missing out on a hairstyle that could make my thin hair look thick and full? I decided to find out. Keep scrolling to see the best hairstyles for thin, medium-length hair, according to expert stylists.
Jon Reyman is a hairstylist and founder of Spoke & Weal salons. He says a short, strong style is the best option for people with thin hair. “If the hair is thin and fine, I wouldn’t push it further than it can go. A stronger and shorter haircut is best because it gives it a stronger parameter,” he advises.
That’s where a lob comes in. This style offers movement and body, as well as that strong parameter Reyman speaks of. Just be sure to style it in tousled, textured waves. According to Alicia Bailey Watts, hair texture expert and global education manager at Design Essentials, “loose, textured looks with tousled waves or curls” help “create the illusion of fullness in fine hair.”
Take a centre-parted lob and pair it with a deep side part, and you have an instant volume-boosting hairstyle. “After shampooing and conditioning the hair, apply a leave-in conditioner and begin to blow-dry by overdirecting the hair using a round brush to create volume from the roots,” Bailey instructs. “Use a flat iron or 1.5-inch barrel iron set on 300° to create waves or large curls. Then, style using fingers to separate the curls or waves to create the tousled look. Seal the deal with the Design Essentials Formations Finishing Spritz (£16) to hold the waves or curls in place to aid in the longevity of the style.”
“Adding layers to fine hair will definitely aid in creating effortless volume,” Bailey Watts says. Just make sure that they’re long layers (no short, choppy ones) to ensure the most volume and movement. Use a texturising product to style them into the perfect piecey definition.
Sure, it’s more of a haircut rather than a hairstyle. However, Bailey Watts says it’s the perfect option for people with thin hair since the layers “aid in creating effortless volume.” Plus, who doesn’t want to take on the cool and confident air of the ’70s icons who made this look famous? For reference, I’m talking about people like Joan Jett, David Bowie, and Stevie Nicks. More recently, it’s been worn by Billie Eilish, Halle Berry, and Taylor Swift, among others.
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