This article has been updated since it published on June 3, 2023.
Mature hair often means hair that is thinner than it used to be, finer, and more delicate. But that doesn’t mean mature hair can’t be stunningly gorgeous and chic. With a great haircut and styling, hair that you feel lacks luster can look positively va-va-va voom. Adrianna Solis, Cricket Tools Ambassador and owner of Salon De Soleil, relies on three ultra-flattering haircuts that can hide signs of thinning for mature women and make them look sophisticated and ready to take on the world. “When working with female clients who are in their 50s/60s and beyond and the goal is to add volume to their hair, I have three go-to styles,” Solis says.
If you’re itching for a brand new ‘do, consider one of these gorgeous options. These hair styles and hair styling tricks can help make thinning hair look thicker and fuller.
#1 Textured Pixie Cut
Eager and willing to embrace a shorter ‘do? The texture pixie style offers the illusion of thicker hair by removing weight from the bottom and making hair’s ends look fuller, according to Solis. “As a professional hairstylist, I tend to go with the slide haircutting technique, using my CENTRIX V2 REVOLVING THUMB 6.5" SHEAR by Cricket,” Solis says. “The shear blades are extremely sharp and removes ends swift and smoothly (without snagging or damaging hair). Or you can use a razor, to achieve the look. What I love about this hairstyle is it not only gives a fresh, full look of hair, it is very low maintenance and super easy to style.”
Need inspo? Look no further than beauty Viola Davis, who jazzes up her texturized pixie with well-placed highlights to bring a glow to her skin.
#2 Short Shag
If you’re secretly coveting Salma Hayek’s take on the short shag, the good news is that it’s universally flattering. “I love the short shag, it offers a lot of movement in hair, especially when adding bangs (yes, I said it!),” Solis says. “Bangs not only give the fuller hair vibe, they also offer a youthful appearance. This is a great cut for women over 50, the face-framing feathered hair brings attention to the face and highlights facial features. It is easy to style and provides layers of volume and really spices things up (in a good way).”
#3 Feathered Bob
Basically take your classic bob haircut and add feathered layers to the ends and you’ve got Lisa Rinna’s modern and chic feathered bob. “This gives the hair the illusion of depth and thickness,” Solis says. “I like to use my STYLIST XPRESSIONS HEY ROSIE RAZOR by Cricket for this cut (as well as the Short Shag), as I can easily adjust the layered texture and add crucial movement in the hair, which makes the perception the hair is thicker.”
Strategic Highlights
Adding strategic highlights or balayage to your hair is another smart way to make strands look thicker — this is because the contrast between darker and lighter strands provides a beautiful contrast that gives your hair more depth. Speak to your stylist about what you are trying to achieve with color so that they don’t go overboard or give you so many highlights that just dry out your strands. And make sure once you get color that you switch to shampoos and conditioners that are sulfate-free and safe for colored hair.
Change Your Part
Change your hair part, change your entire look — that’s how impactful this small change can be. If you’ve noticed one side of your hair is thinning more than the other side or, more commonly, you see a drastic amount of thinning at your crown that becomes evident when you part your hair down the middle, experiment with different side parts to determine which conceal thinning most effectively.
As for hairstyles to avoid if your goal is the appearance of thick hair, Solis highlights two:
Tight Ponytail
“This look will reveal what you are really working with,” Solis says. “It will show how many times you had to have the hair band around your ponytail, while highlighting the thinning “tail” — not to mention it will feature your hairline, and if it is a little receding, it will be on display.”
Sleek Middle Part Bob
As this look is generally fabulous, if your hair is thin or thinning, it will draw attention to it, as well as any split-ends you may have, Solis cautions.
A gorgeous head of hair can be a reality at any age — but first find a stylist you trust and a cut you love.
