This article has been updated since its initial publish date to include more expert insight.
Hair loss and thinning often comes with natural aging, and can be treated with a visit to your dermatologist or trichologist. In the meantime, there are many hairstyles and cuts out there that can conceal balding spots, receding hairlines and other areas with thinning tresses.
There are also 3 specific styles that might emphasize these areas without your realizing, and we checked in with professional hair stylists for advice on which ones to avoid and what options could better enhance your beautiful features instead.
Read on for tips and insight from Dani Everson, professional hair stylist at Clementine’s Salon, Ghanima Abdullah, hair stylist and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles and fellow stylist and hair expert, Khamis Maiouf, CEO of Book of Barbering.
3 ‘Unflattering’ Hairstyles That Can Make Thinning More Apparent
1. Super-Short Bobs
While Halle Berry can easily rock any hairstyle, a bob that ends before the chin, Abdullah explains, is usually not the most flattering look for mature beauties. "The thing about this is that the fullness that gathers at the tips of a bob is going to be too low to do thinning hair any good," she says. "What will happen is that it emphasizes areas of the crown that are thinning."
Maiouf agrees and says that if you're experiencing hair loss and want to maintain a shorter length but not make it obvious, "I would recommend avoiding cuts that are shorter than chin-length." The shorter the cut, Maiouf says, the more likely it will emphasize the thinness of your hair.
For a solution to this (and if you still do want to rock short hair), Abdullah says that it's important to have a cut that "naturally curves under at the tips." This, she says, brings the length of your hair away from your scalp, creating volume without highlighting any thinning areas.
2. Bobs With Baby Bangs
A plethora of fashionable women (like Emma Watson above) have demonstrated the power of baby bangs. However, hair expert Everson cautions mature ladies that this cut may have an adverse effect.
"I love bangs and think everyone has their own special length that enhances their features," she says, adding that "no two bangs are the same," and if you are looking to get bangs, "opt for a long hairstyle that will help hide forehead wrinkles."
Baby bangs, she stresses, can "overshare someone's wrinkle story," drawing the eye to sagging skin rather than creating a look that has an upwards or lifting effect.
"The right length of bangs can help make someone's appearance youthful, but too short borders the line between baby-ish and also aging," she advises.
2. Shag With Too Many Layers
While layers usually add more volume to flat locks (like Juliette Lewis above), our experts advise staying away from a heavilly-layered look, as this might yield the opposite, undesired outcome. "This will really show up thinning hair, so be very careful adding layers," Abdullah stresses. Maiouf agrees, and adds that there are several better alternatives that can still create volume without drawing attention to thin strands.
"I would rather suggest trying a cut that has bangs and is one length, or one with more volume on the sides than the top," Maiouf says. This will help to keep your hair "looking full" without drawing attention to any thinning areas on the top of your head.
"You could also try adding highlights throughout—try not just to add them in streaks but also spread them out throughout your entire head," Maiouf notes, "so it looks like there are more strands there than there actually are."
The more you know!
