Full, thick, swooshy hair never fails to look luxurious, which is why those of us with skimpy strands are always on the lookout for ways to add oomf and fight against flat hair.
The struggle for volume is real, but alongside choosing hair products that complement (aka lift) our hair, without weighing it down, the right haircut will make the biggest difference of all.
It makes sense that fine-haired girls would want to hold onto as much hair as possible and avoid getting it cut, but long hair doesn’t necessarily mean thick hair. It can actually equal straggly hair, which is a tell-tale sign that your ‘do is lacking body.
But whether you’re up for a chop or want to keep the length, these are the cuts that will ensure your hair looks full and healthy…
1. Blunt bob
Aside from establishing its spot as the top cool-girl cut, blunt bobs cleverly trim away ends that are starting to look thin, tired and frayed. The blunt, uniform bottom makes everything look much thicker. Even though you lose length, overall it keeps much healthier, and *bonus*, the (literal) weight off your shoulders will give you extra volume.
2. Grown-out pixie
The grown-out pixie is a brave, bold cut, with a massive pay-off. It accentuates your cheekbones and bone structure and is totally badass. Unlike regular pixie cut, this involves less layers to keep things looking thicker.
3. Lob
If you love the fierceness of a bob, but like the versatility of longer length, you’re best up with a lob. The midi hairstyle combines the best of both worlds, just minus the XXL straggly ends that make long hair look thinner. Cutting it just above where it starts to narrow will keep your hair looking fresh.
4. Asymmetric bob (ish)
Like a regular bob, the asymmetric bob prunes away unnecessary weight and takes hair back to a healthy length. By keeping one side longer than the other, it gives things a fresh twist. But, there’s another way you can achieve the look with a more uniform-style bob, and that’s by simply styling it with a deep side-parting so one side looks thicker, rather than longer. By flipping hair the opposite side to the way it normally grows, you’ll also get extra lift at the roots, which – you guessed it – means more volume. Wahey.
5. Tactical layers
Start by getting rid of scraggly ends with a midi cut or lob length (mentioned above), then upgrade things even further, with layers. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s mane man, George Northwood, shared a tip his tip for making hair look fuller with GLAMOUR, namely, tactical layers. “A signature style of mine is to cut shorter sections of hair around the front which adds definition and frames the face, giving the illusion of length to the rest of the hair,” says George. Josh Wood’s principal stylist Nicholas Hardwick, also uses the technique. “Depending on how long your hair is, this can be anything from a bit of face framing to collarbone-length sections that open up the very important front area (face, neck, chest etc) beautifully.”
Next you can add extra lift by incorporating delicate layers throughout the length. Just be sure not to take them too short, as this can make hair look much thinner. “I love adding long layers that are barely visible (as not to take away from the length),” says Nicholas. “This encourages root lift and movement, like the hair cut equivalent of a wind machine,” he reveals.
6. Fringe
Heavy fringes can help add weight to the rest of your hair making it look thicker overall. A full, curtain fringe is versatile enough to be worn straight across brows, or centre parted and swept off to either side. Even as they grow-out they add texture and frame cheekbones, plus they can be fluffed up with fingers throughout the day to create more volume and movement.