There are a lot of things that I love about my hair. It’s long and wavy, and for me, those are both pluses. But one thing I have very mixed feelings about is the thickness of my hair, or rather the lack of it! I have incredibly thin hair. And yes—wavy and thin hair does exist!

There are some benefits that go with having thin hair, like being able to cover all of it (down past my waist) with one packet of henna. (and I have some left over most times!) There are major drawbacks too.

For example, it can be hard to tie my hair back, because I have to twist my ties a number of times (and then sometimes they end up snapping). And when I pull my hair back and clip it, you can see my scalp. It isn’t that I have thin spots … but it looks like I do, which is just “ugh!” It can look really awkward and can really disrupt the look that I’m going for. All I can think about when I know those patches are there is, “Does everyone think my hair is falling out? Is this making me look older than I really am?”

I decided to research hairstyles and find some great ways to style thin hair without it looking, well … thin! These hairstyles make good use of the benefits of thin hair while minimizing the drawbacks. Some of them actually benefit from the fact that your hair is thin, while others make your hair look thicker than it really is. It just goes to show that any hair type can look fabulous if you are willing to work with what you’ve got. That’s always the key—you want to take advantage of your natural hair and make it work for you instead of against you.

Short Hair

First let’s check out some gorgeous haircuts for those with short, fine hair! These are ideal haircuts for those who enjoy the air on the backs of their necks and the look of elegant sophistication that comes from minimalism. One of the great things about having short hair is that you also can often get your hair to do more. The less your hair weighs, the easier it will be to give it a bit of lift. When your hair is long and thin, you often can’t get that lift too easily.

1. Pixie cut

If you like short hairstyles, one of the simplest and most modish choices out there is the pixie cut. This is a classic look, one which is always in style. While these can look great on anyone, they are especially ideal for those who have thin hair. Your hair will rest nicely, and once it is styled, it won’t look thin at all. Pixie cuts look great on most face shapes. While they are not ideal for round faces, you can always choose a simple variation to achieve a look which accents your face shape beautifully. Just look how gorgeous this hairstyle is on Ginnifer Goodwin!

Here’s a simple variation on the pixie cut which can give you a different look and feel with some nice body.

As you know, it’s hard to get fine hair to “do” anything; usually it just likes to lay flat.

But with this soft pixie cut, the short hairs on top are able to clump when styled to form a nice thick look. This look has a great effect with any face type, but is particularly a great look for those who have wide faces.

2. Textured pixie cut

Here’s one more pixie look to try for fine hair. The textured look instantly shouts “glam,” and it makes your hair look a lot thicker too. It really gives it some beautiful lift. It’s a modish cut which makes a great accent for those who enjoy modern fashions, but it also has a sense of fairytale fun.

3. Bias haircut

If you are looking for an edgy, modern haircut which will instantly make you stand out in the crowd, and which will play to the advantages of your thin hair, a bias haircut is a great choice. This asymmetric short haircut has your bangs swept to the side, falling at a sharp angle. You also cannot see the part in your hair, because your hair is swept over top of it. This look works great for thin hair since thin hair can fall easily across without standing up more than you want it to. Since the hair is layered a bit as well, this can also make your hair look a little more voluminous on top.

4. Short, stylish waves

Depending on your exact hair type, another look which may work for you is short, stylish waves. If you have thin straight hair, you could pull off this look with the help of a curling iron. If you have naturally wavy hair, the look would be effortless, since your hair would naturally form the waves. Use layering to add texture and volume to your waves. The shorter your hair, the wavier your waves will be since the hair weighs less. This is a very clean-cut look which is incredibly classy and elegant

5. Cheekbone highlight

I just love this look for fine, straight hair. Notice how the hair falls right to the level of the cheekbone. Her bangs are swept in the opposite direction of her hair, again directing the eye down to the cheekbone. If you have high cheekbones, this is a great way to emphasize that feature, and if you do not have pronounced cheekbones, this is a way you can compensate. I imagine it would look outstanding with any bone structure. You would definitely need straight hair (or you would have to straighten your hair) to get the effect, since you need that nice clean line across the cheekbone.

6. Medium Hair

If your hair falls to your shoulders or past them, but still doesn’t qualify as “long” hair, any of these hairstyles could suit you nicely. What’s great about medium length thin hair is that it gives you a chance to maximize the body of your hair. Your hair is still light enough that you can take advantage of any natural waves you have in it.

7. Light, messy waves

Who says a gorgeous hairstyle always needs to look silky and neat? Sienna Miller is looking great in this photo where she’s sporting a loose, natural style with light, messy waves. The layering helps to give her hair a look of more body around her face, which nicely offsets her prominent cheekbones and helps to frame her facial structure. Notice how she’s highlighted her hair too. Highlighting works great with a look like this, because it draws emphasis to the waves in the hairstyle. This again helps to lend an impression of more body and style.

8. Layered lob

In case you don’t know, a “lob” is a “long bob.” This is a great look if you have medium-length thin hair, and want a hairstyle which makes the best of both worlds—short and longer hair. A layered lob works particularly well, because it again helps to make up for the lack of body which is such a common problem with thin hair. The layering keeps the lob from lying flat and close to your face. This layered lob looks particularly gorgeous on Anja Rubik, since it’s a perfect complement to her facial structure. It makes for a nice, soft look that really stands out.

9. Volume-boosting blowout

This look is a really magnificent one. Just look at those waves and the way they sweep out around her face, really boosting the volume of her hair. They frame her face perfectly, and add a sense of depth. This is as far from a lifeless haircut as you can get, and it really does wonders for fine hair!

10. Less is more

Then again, sometimes a flat haircut looks anything but lifeless. Sometimes you want to actually show off your thin hair as exactly what it is, especially if you have straight hair. One really cool look for medium thin hair is simply to wear it straight down—now waves, no curls, no layers, nothing fancy. Just a really simple look. If you hair is short enough, this ironically can create an illusion of depth. Why? When you cut your hair straight across on the bottom, you have a thick accumulation of ends.

11. Voluminous curls

Recommended Reading: 3 Phases of Healthy Hair

If you have naturally curly hair, take advantage! Curls can instantly add volume to any hairstyle. If your hair is wavy or straight, just grab a curling iron to create this beautiful look. Notice that there is some layering involved with creating this particular look.

Some of the curls are shorter, which helps to boost the volume even more, compensating for the thinness of the hair. The side part is very cute, but you could also part in the middle if you preferred.

12. Silky blunt cut

Love, love, love this hairstyle! There are no layers, and the thin hair is allowed to fall straight to the shoulders. The look is almost the same, but the hair has been styled so that it curls slightly in toward the neck at the bottom, instead of simply hanging straight. Personally, I love the way the side-swept bangs complement this look. Very cute! This is one of those “use what you’ve got” looks which does not try to conceal the thinness of the hair, but rather uses it to its best advantage.

13. Headband twist and simple layering

Here is another shoulder-length hairstyle which does not attempt to conceal the thinness or the straightness of the hair. The layers help to add volume, and the twist adds a little something extra. It also works great for keeping bangs out of your eyes.

14. Long Hair

There are a lot more examples of short- and medium-length hairstyles for thin hair for a couple of reasons. The first is the simple fact that most women keep their hair at a short or medium length. Not a lot of people actually grow their hair out for work reasons, nor is it really the fashion vogue right now. The other reason is that long thin hair tends to sit limply, and it is hard to do much about that.

The longer your hair is, the heavier it is. Since thin hair does not have a lot of natural lift, it is all too easy for longer styles to fall a little … well, flat. I culled the Internet, and here were some of the best ideas I found. Most of these are styling suggestions more than cut suggestions. If you are looking to grow your hair long I suggest reading this article.

15. Long layers

This was one of the longest hairstyles I found for thin hair, and it’s a good one! The length allows you to create some longer layers. The shortest layers are for the bangs, parted in the middle, which fall to around her chin. The next layers are right around shoulder length. This layer gives the hair some lift and life, but allows you to wear a longer style.

16. Up-do

For medium to long thin hair, an up-do is always a great idea! There are hundreds of ways you can style your hair on top of your head, and all of them are great for hiding thinness. In fact, the thinner your hair is, the more elaborate your up-do can be. You can try a tight style like this one or a looser, messier one. Focus is pulled away from volume and directed toward styling and complexity.

The thinness of your hair actually ends up being a blessing too. Why? Because it probably weighs significantly less than thicker hair, which means it is much more comfortable to wear on top of your head, and a lot less likely to fall down over the course of the day!

17. French twist

The French twist is one of those exceptionally elegant looks which tends to be reserved for super special occasions, but it’s actually one of the easiest up-dos you can create. Once you get the steps down, you should be able to put your hair up like this in a matter of minutes. This look always creates volume, but it is ideal for medium to long hair. This look emphasizes your neck and shoulders beautifully, and works great with a low-backed dress. If your hair is too long, however, you will not be able to do the twist. It will be too heavy, and you will have a hard time stuffing all your hair into place.

18. Down-do

Not as well known as the up-do is the down-do. This is simply any hairstyle where you begin in the same manner as an up-do, but instead of finding a way to pile your hair on top of your head, you let it drape back down. Pretty much any down-do is a great look for medium to long hair, because it gives you a huge boost. If you have hair that loves to cling to the sides of your face, this is a way to get it to poof out. This particular look is really eye-catching.

19. Beach waves

Beach waves are really popular right now, so this is a perfect time to get with the trend. Beach waves give your hair that salty-air look you get when you have been out on the sand all day and the humidity makes your hair curl a bit. You want this style to be a little bit messy so that you have that wind-blown vacation look. You can easily trick people into thinking that this look is entirely natural.

20. Amazing braids

One of the absolute best things you can do with long thin hair is braid it!

Braiding hair isn’t the easiest thing to learn if you haven’t done a lot of it, but with some time and patience, you can get it down (and maybe on occasion with some help from a friend). There is just so much you can do with braids.

I want to share a few of my favorite styles with you that I’ve discovered while looking for the best braids for thin hair!

This is a very elegant, simple braid. The thing, straight hair flows through the braids like a waterfall. For a style that really has a sense of flow and glamour to it, you cannot do better than this.

This side braid is really different, and looks very decorative. Once again, thin hair plays to your advantage here. It is easier to control and less likely to come out of place.

At first when I looked at this, I didn’t have the faintest idea how you could do this, but on a closer look, I believe that this is actually a pretty simple creation. The “roses” are simply braided ends which have been twisted in on themselves and pinned into place.

This is one of the most creative and visually amazing ideas I have ever seen for long thin hair, and probably not that hard once you do some experimenting. This is definitely one I will have to try sometime!

If nature gave you thin hair when you came into the world, you may have spent your life cursing it, as I often have. Thin hair creates more than its share of problems, but now that I’ve researched hairstyles for thin hair, I’ve found so many exciting ideas to try. I hope that some of these ideas inspire you, whether you want to keep your hair short, medium, or long, and whether your hair is straight, wavy, or curly.

While you cannot change the fact that you have thin hair, there are a lot of aspects of your hairstyle you can control, and there is a look out there which is perfect for you!