27 Haircuts For Thin Hair That Pump Up The Volume
Thin hair is incredibly common. There's a delicate and elegant quality to thin tresses, so we're in full support of rocking your natural texture. But if your thin hair is feeling a bit lifeless and in need of a boost, a new haircut can make a world of difference. Whether you're born this way (genetics can play a major part) or your hair has thinned due to aging or other stressors, a pair of scissors in the right hands can make thin hair look fuller with a few well-placed snips.
When choosing and styling your perfect cut, it's important to differentiate between fine and thin hair. Fine hair refers to the diameter of the individual strands, so if you have fine hair, it means each strand of hair is thin. Thin hair refers to the overall hair density on the scalp, so if you have thin hair, you have fewer strands of hair growing out of your head.
Both of these factors (and sometimes a combination of the two) can contribute to making hair appear thinner overall — and both can benefit from volume-boosting haircuts. Generally, shorter and blunter cuts create a fuller appearance, but there's plenty of room for long and layered cuts as well, depending on your hair texture and preferred look. We've rounded up some haircut inspiration for giving thin hair a little more volume and bounce.
Blunt lob
Shorter hair is lighter and keeps its volume better, which is why it's often recommended for those with thinner hair. But if you don't want to actually go short, a lob haircut is the perfect in-between length. A haircut that just dusts your shoulders is pretty much universally flattering, and by keeping blunt ends, you'll take advantage of all your hair's volume.
Dense pixie
If you are keen to try a dramatic and very short cut, a pixie cut is the one to choose. Regardless of your cut, if you have thin hair, it's often easier to see your scalp since you have fewer strands. To keep a good amount of coverage, go for a dense single-length pixie cut instead of a layered cut. A few wispier curled pieces at the front can give your pixie cut some movement while keeping ample coverage on thinner spots everywhere else.
Long with minimal layers
If you have thin hair, it doesn't mean you can't go for a longer look. Just keep in mind that long hair is often thinner at the ends, so it can make your hair look less dense overall. To combat thin ends, go for a long cut with minimal layers. Long layers give your hair more dimension than a fully blunt cut but allows it to maintain as much thickness at the ends as possible.
Wispy bob
If a classic blunt bob looks too severe to your liking, add a few gentle layers to give it some movement. Curtain bangs and light layers at the front turn this bob into a wispy short hairstyle that looks tousled and delicate rather than sharp and chic. The back of this hairstyle still sticks mostly with one length, which helps boost its volume.
French bob
Speaking of sharp and chic, the effortlessly chic French bob might just be the opposite of a layered wispy bob. The French bob takes a classic chin-length bob and pairs it with blunt brow-length bangs. It's another short and blunt style that won't cut away at your hair's volume. This Parisian-inspired cut looks effortlessly gorgeous, but it will take styling to get it to sit right. The benefit? The necessary styling means you can give your thin hair a boost with a hairdryer and volumizing products.
Curtain bangs
Curtain bangs work for almost any hair texture and type, as well as most haircuts, including bobs, lobs, and long styles. They have a face-framing effect that looks pretty on everyone, and their shorter length makes it easy to give them a big volume boost. A round styling brush and a hairdryer are all you need to give curtain bangs some major swooping volume. When styled, they can make your hair look fuller overall since they add volume where people pay the most attention: around your face.
Long and blunt
If you feel like you don't want to sacrifice any volume to bangs or layers, then go for a super blunt haircut. This type of blunt style is common for bobs and lobs, but you can also make it work for long hair by cutting your locks straight across at the bottom. To add dimension back into your hair, style it with bouncy curls.
Textured wolf cut
Highly layered cuts aren't out of the question, even if you have thin hair. This is especially true if you have fine strands but a decent number of them. Sometimes, lots of layers can make your hair lighter overall, which makes it easier to add volume to with styling. This textured and trendy wolf cut is a great example with its shorter pieces that frame the head. However, if you have thin hair and want a layered cut, you'll need to commit to the daily styling process — these hairstyles can fall flat without the right volumizing hair tools and products.
Lob with highlights
On top of your haircut, your hair color can play a role in making your hair look more full. While a blunt lob can look rather plain on its own, implementing the money piece hair trend and strategically highlighting the front pieces can give a lob dimension. Bright face-framing pieces can lighten the overall look, all without removing any hair.
Soft mid-length layers
Layered haircuts are trending lately, and you can incorporate that look into a lob or mid-length cut. While short layers might not work for some thin hair types, long layers can work for almost everyone. Ask for the shortest layered pieces to be an inch or two shorter than the rest of your hair to give it the layered look without cutting too much away. Styling can also play a role here — flip the ends of your hair in to get a more layered look without cutting as much off.
Wispy bangs
Wondering if bangs work with thin hair? Wispy, peekaboo bangs are the option that works for everyone! These thin bangs don't take away too much volume from your main hairstyle, so it's not much of a sacrifice if you have fewer strands. The finished result is a see-through bang that creates a peekaboo effect that's oh-so-cute.
Bob with curtain bangs
That's right: You can rock the curtain bangs trend with short hair. Combine two trending hairstyles in one with a chic bob and curtain bangs. This style starts with a classic single-length blunt bob — a perfect length and bluntness for taking advantage of all of your strands. The curtain bangs add a little more oomph to the front, framing your face and boosting the overall look since you can style them with extra volume. Adding texture makes this style look even fuller.
Bixie
Somewhere between a bob and pixie cut is the cute "bixie." A bit edgier than a bob — but not as short as a pixie — the bixie cut is a hairstyle with a lot of charm. By styling it with volumizing products, the longer top strands of a bixie can give your hair more height than a short pixie cut. You can style it texturized and curly for even more volume or straight and glossy for a sleeker look.
Chin-length bob
The classic bob, this chin-length style is for all ages and hair textures. It's sleek, cool, and looks so put-together when styled. Choose a length that lines up with your chin and sits right along your jawline. This length frames your face beautifully, and blunt is the way to go here to create a sharp defining line.
Short and sweet
If you have thin and very curly hair, you already have a built-in volume boost from your curls. To take full advantage of that fullness, follow the common suggestion of keeping your hair cut short and blunt. This gives your curly tresses the chance to really shine without getting weighed down, which can happen pretty quickly when curls get long.
Cub cut
The love child of a bob and a wolf cut is the cub cut — a shorter version of the trending wolf cut style. Since it's shorter, its layers are often less dramatic, which makes it suitable for thinner hair textures. With styling, the layers of a cub cut can add more volume right around your face, so you can get the look of fuller hair where it really matters.
Long with face-framing pieces
It's hard not to love the look of long hair — it's just so feminine and pretty. The longer your hair, the more you risk having thin ends (which can make it look thinner overall), but the trade-off can be well worth it if you love long locks. A few face-framing layers can help give your hair more fullness. Adding beachy textured waves can also go a long way in making your hair look more voluminous.
One-length lob
Sleek and full from top to bottom, a single-length lob suits both thin and thick hair. The blunt chopped ends help to keep your hair looking voluminous without needing to go for a short length. There are two lengths that we particularly love the look of; a shoulder-brushing lob like this one or a slightly longer length that sits right at your collarbones.
Uniform mid length
Medium-length hair has a ton of benefits: It gives you the illusion of long-ish hair without the thinning ends that inevitably happen when your hair actually gets long. Mid-length cuts are popular for very good reasons. They're flattering on everyone, versatile, and easy to style. Whether your hair is thin, straight, curly, or you like to keep it down or tie it up, there's a way to make it work with a mid-length cut. Add layers or keep it a uniform length, depending on your style.
Lob with straight-across bangs
If you have thin hair, thick bangs might take away too much volume from the rest of your head. Instead, go for feathered bangs like in this photo, which are slightly thicker than wispy bangs. These give the illusion of a thicker straight-across bang without claiming too many strands. If you're worried about your hair looking thinner with bangs, this often won't be the case. Bangs can easily be styled to look bouncy and full, and since they frame the entire face, this can ultimately make it look like you have more hair.
Choppy pixie
Channel a Peter Pan vibe with this choppy pixie cut, which is so youthful and fun. This cut has some layering going on to give it a piecey look, so it's perfect if you want a pixie cut that's not too structured. Like the other super short haircuts on this list, this one suits thin hair nicely. To make it even more edgy, dye it a bright blond, like in this photo.
Angled lob
The angled lob is a dramatic take on a classic lob. Instead of being cut straight across, it's cut shorter in the back and longer in the front. This gives it a shaped look without using layers that can cut back some of your hair density. Angled lobs look great curled but even better straight so you can see the sharp-angled line.
Deep side part
A deep side part can automatically give your hair a boost, especially if you part it in the opposite direction from normal. While the middle part's reign is only beginning, a deep side part can look so glamorous with the right styling. Combined with a short bob cut and styling with a hairdryer and round brush, you can recreate this enviable voluminous look.
Shoulder length
You really can't go wrong with shoulder-length hair. This mid-length style can sit right at your shoulders or just past, around your collarbones. It's a length that's truly flattering on all hair types, even thin hair. Add a bit of a flip to the ends to give it more oomph.
Bob with light layers
Blunt bobs are common, but they don't feel quite right for everybody. If a blunt bob feels too boxy, choose a bob with light layers instead. This style has some shorter face-framing pieces concentrated around the front. While it's a subtle change, it makes the style look less angular overall. It's a fun and fresh take on a classic bob that we love.
Nose-length bob
Take a French bob even shorter to get this ultra-chic look. This cut oozes high-fashion cool and looks like it belongs on a runway. It's easy to feign volume with this short style (it isn't weighed down at all). When it's straight, this cut looks super sleek, but it will look even more adorable curled.
Shave it off
Who needs hair when you look this cool? If you're so done with thinking about your hair, buzz it off to automatically look uber-edgy. There's a certain confidence it takes to pull this look off (and you can always fake it until you make it). If you're thinking about shaving your head, consider this your sign!