If you’re seeing signs of hair loss (bald spots, more hair falling out in the shower, etc.), experts will say reevaluating your diet and visiting a doctor or hair specialist can help. In the meantime, you can still rock chic and elegant hair styles that will highlight your facial features and work for any occasion! We checked in with professional hair stylists and experts for tips, suggestions and insight. Read on for advice and quick style ideas from Ghanima Abdullah, cosmetologist and hair expert at The Right Hairstyles, Dr. Michael May, hair transplant surgeon and medical director at Wimpole Clinic, and Amr Salem, scalp micro-pigmentation specialist at INKredible Scalp.
1. Switch Your Part
If your part is in the middle, May suggests switching it to the side or creating a 'zigzag' pattern for more volume, instantly. When women lose hair, May explains, the part becomes wider. This means that switching your part can make this less noticeable when putting your hair up. “When doing an updo, try a new parting or ditch the parting," he says. "Switching from a center parting to a side parting, or even a zigzag one can cover up bald patches." One way to style your new side parting, he suggests is by "sweeping it back into a messy ponytail." However, he advises, "remember not to wear those ponytails too tight." You can also wear an updo that ditches the usual parting and comb the hair fully back, he adds, "This can make the hair appear fuller by preventing your scalp from peeking."
2. Add Statement Accessories
Whether you want to add a headband, scarf or other decorative piece, May says that doing so can distract from thinning or bald spots effectively. "Using statement accessories on your updo, like floral headbands, bright-colored bows, and clips, can conceal hair thinning," he says. "In addition, they’ll draw people’s attention away from the thinning hair."
Salem agrees, and says that there are other "tricks and tips you can give to hide thinning hair or hair loss for women, such as wearing a hat, using styling products that have fibers in them, or using temporary dye." Women have a number of options to hide their thinning hair or hair loss with accessories, he continues. "They can either wear a wig, use a headscarf or even use styling products." Updos are "one of the best ways to show off your beautiful face and at the same time cover up any bald spots on your scalp," he continues, as "you can do an updo with long hair, short hair or even no hair at all." The key, Salem stresses, is to be creative in how you style your locks. "You can also use bobby pins to create the illusion of thicker hair by pinning up certain sections in different ways," he suggests.
3. Add Curtain Bangs
Adding curtain bangs to any updo is a great way to add more volume and conceal thinning in the front of your scalp, Abdullah explains. "Curtain bangs are a type of fringe cut that creates a soft, natural looking wave at the top of the head. They are often used to frame the face and specifically, to give it a youthful appearance." She adds that they are a "classic baby-doll look, and also look great on mature women." The style is also "easy to achieve and looks great on everyone and on most hair types," she notes. The style has evolved from a straight fringe to a wavy one, and Abdullah says that it's "now common to see women with curly hair wearing them, like Kerry Washington."
Curtain bangs "make your face appear smaller and slimmer when they come down to cheek level," Abdullah says. If you have a tall forehead, she says that they "effortlessly minimize it."
This is different from the obvious effect of bangs that are cut straight across, and frequently used to shorten a forehead. "If you wear them at eye level, they bring more emphasis to your smile and can fill in your cheeks as well—the baby doll look," she points out. Ultimately, Abdullah concludes, they "make your hair appear thicker and are a great way to add volume to thinning hair." The style works well for women who want to hide thinning hair in the front, especially.
