Hair truly is a woman's crowning glory. The way it falls over her shoulders or across her face, or the way it is swept up and styled, can greatly enhance her appearance. It's no wonder that they put a lot of effort and channel much of their resources toward caring for and styling it.
Some women, however, are born with naturally thin hair that will never achieve the luscious waves or hold a wide range of styles the way fuller hair easily can. For others, thick hair is theirs until they get on in age and their prized locks begin to appear thinner and duller.
This, of course, need not be something to live with every day. There are a number of ways for women with thin or thinning hair to improve the appearance of their tresses and walk around all day with lovely, thicker-looking hair.
Here are the top four ways to add volume to thin hair:
Get the right haircut.
You might think that keeping your hair in a uniform length will make it look thicker, but expert hairstylists are quick to point out that this will have the exact opposite effect. Length, they say, is not the crucial issue: rather, it's layers. Your best bet would be to approach a trusted hairstylist and have your hair cut into soft layers which help to give the hair a nice lift.
Switch to a colour that adds bulk.
Once you've got the layers, an ideal next step would be to go for a hair colour that adds bulk. And it's not just about darkening grey hair, either — your goal should really be to infuse your hair with colour that coats all strands and makes it look fuller. Using bleach or pre-lighteners help thin hair look swollen. This should then be enhanced further with panels of other complementing colours. The result is thicker-looking, livelier-coloured hair that never looks flat.
Choose the products you use at home wisely.
Shampoos and conditioners do more than just clean the hair and scalp; if you choose a product that doesn't work well with thin hair, it could cause your hair to look weighed down. Seasoned stylists give a word of caution for people with thin hair: While moisturising shampoos and conditioners may feel like good products to use, they simply do nothing for their thin strands.
A better alternative would be shampoos labelled as "strengthening." Such products will contain good amounts of protein which effectively boosts hair volume. As for conditioners, light leave-in variants are a better choice to protect the thin hair from damage.
Make it a habit to spend time on styling your hair.
Before you head out each day, take time to stand in front of the mirror and perform some simple styling tricks that can help boost your hair's volume. You can wrap dry your hair using a styler brush and a no-nozzle hair dryer. Pull your hair gently all over the scalp as you go, and once the hair is dry, take your hair up in a high and loose bun on top of your head. Lightly clip it this way for 10 minutes or so while you do your makeup.
After 10 minutes, take the bun down — you'll observe full waves immediately. Spritz your hair all over with a light heat protector product and let it dry. You can then create some random curls in your hair using a barrel curling tong. Once the curls are created and dry, you can tousle them lightly with your fingers (while your head is flipped upside down for greater effect). Some hair powder on the scalp can add more volume and texture.
Check out our health and beauty listings to know more about solutions that will help you achieve the look you’ve always wanted.