Darker colours tend to add more depth and dimension to the hair, which can make it look fuller and thicker. If you have very fair skin, you may want to avoid going too dark, as it can make you look washed out. Some of the best hair colours for thin hair include chocolate brown, auburn, mahogany, and black.
"A few highlights can add texture to the hair, although too many can have the opposite effect and make it look even thinner." She reiterates that darker hair can naturally look thicker, "therefore – if the skin tone allows – going brunette may help hair to appear fuller".
Going Dark
As a rule of thumb, the darker the hair, the more difficult it is to see patches of scalp color of thinning hair underneath your roots. Many people of both genders decide to go dark when they see a change in their hair texture and thickness.
She suggests you ask about vegetable-based dyes, cellophanes, and hennas, all of which are gentle options for thinning hair. Also, ask your stylist about products that are ammonia- and peroxide-free. And avoid bleach.
Lighter hair color makes you look younger – but the tone you go for is paramount. If your skin has warm undertones, stay away from cool, ashy tones, and add some warmth to your look with golden highlights. Go for shades like honey to give your complexion a healthy, youthful glow!
Darker colours tend to add more depth and dimension to the hair, which can make it look fuller and thicker. If you have very fair skin, you may want to avoid going too dark, as it can make you look washed out. Some of the best hair colours for thin hair include chocolate brown, auburn, mahogany, and black.
Our skin gets more sallow with age and a few highlights a shade or two lighter around your face can refresh your complexion, but going too light can be just as aging as going too dark. It's important to maintain a contrast between your hair color and your skin tone.
Dying your hair will not affect new hair growth or cause permanent thinning, but damage to the color-treated hair may increase shedding and breakage. People who frequently color their hair often experience thinning hair or hair loss due to breakage and increased shedding instead of permanent hair loss.
“Highlights are great for adding volume, but if you go too light at the root you can actually cause more breakage to the hair, which means thinner hair,” Orellana said.
"If you're thinning you want to stay away from longer, straighter, hair styles that may make the thinning hair more apparent," she says. "The best bet is to move to a medium length, with a blunter cut, that will create the look of fuller hair."
Use a hair topper, clip-on bangs, wig or hair extensions. (Hair toppers are usually small circular wiglets for covering the crown or top of the head.) Hide thinning hair with stylish hats, scarves, headbands, colorful wraps and other hair accessories.
Well-placed highlights and general colour can help add dimension to hair. “The minute you start adding texture or contrast with colour, you start to see more depth, and that can give the illusion of thickness,” says Hersheson.
Neutral shades like soft blonde, mushroom brown, light copper, and caramel blonde balayage are the easiest to blend gray into (and maintain over time without wanting to shave your hair off).
Both natural and synthetic dyes may weaken hair, but permanent dyes may cause more damage as they penetrate deeper into the hair shaft.
The type of hair loss that is caused by dyeing hair is known as telogen effluvium, which sees hair shed more frequently, causing an overall thinning due to the disturbance to the hair cycle.
A shorter haircut will help get rid of the weight pulling those limp strands down. If you have thin hair, a blunt cut will feign thickness, and a pixie cut makes those strands feather-light and much more pliable for styling. For thicker fine hair, well-placed long layers give dimension and volume to your bobs and lobs.
An increase in hair loss may result from a health-related issue, such as alopecia, a nutrient deficiency, pregnancy, or medication use. Treatment will depend on the cause, but avoiding heat treatment and other lifestyle tips may help manage it.
Stay away from sulfates—detergents found in many shampoos—which can weaken hair follicles over time, making your hair susceptible to breakage and the appearance of thinning.
Shoulder-length hair (or longer) with layers
Forget what you thought about long hair past the age of 40—thick hair actually looks more youthful and polished when it falls shoulder-length or longer. Shorter hair has a tendency to expand at the ends, leaving you with an unflattering triangle effect.
If you want to experiment with looking younger, start out with reds, pinks, and purples. They all have a youthful vibrancy to them that is widely recognized."
If you're in your 50s and are indecisive about going lighter or darker, always opt to go lighter. Hair naturally lightens as you age, and lighter colors like ash blonde, honey, and platinum are sure to blend into your natural gray hair better.