The chic and simple haircuts the pros recommend for thicker-looking hair

Want fuller-looking hair without splashing out on targeted thickening products? These are the volumising haircuts the pros suggest...

 Cate Blanchett is pictured with a wavy bob whilst attending the "Tar" red carpet at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on September 01, 2022 in Venice, Italy/ in a pink gradient textured template
(Image credit: Getty Images/Stefania D'Alessandro/WireImage)

If you're on a mission to achieve fuller-looking hair, these are the volumising haircuts for thin hair that the pros recommend - for instant bounce and maintainable body...

For those with fine hair or stubbornly flat strands, there are of course plenty of targeted tools and products - like the best hair dryers for fine hair and best shampoos for fine hair - that can be really transformative in your routine. But equally, your chosen style and cut can do wonders for the overall volume of your hair. A blunt bob, for instance, can offer the illusion of thickness, while trendy feathered layers can add movement and bounce.

So, if you've already got a beauty arsenal full of thickening lotions and potions and now want to try a more strategic cut - touted to boost volume - these are looks and styling products Celebrity Hairstylist and co-founder of The Hair Consult, Edward James recommends...

The volumising haircuts for thin hair the pros recommend

Much like how there are hairstyles that can help remove weight for thick hair, there are intentional cuts that can give the impression of fullness, to thinner or fine hair.

Volumising styles for longer hair

  • Blunt cuts and face-framing layers

Anne Hathaway is pictured with face-framing layers whilst attending the 2024 National Board Of Review Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on January 11, 2024 in New York City.

(Image credit: Getty Images/Gotham/WireImage)

If you've got longer hair that's feeling lack-lustre and flat, Edward James says: "For longer hair, opting for blunter cuts with minimal layers but some blunt face-framing layers can make the hair look thicker at the bottom."

Adding shape around your face can offer a fuller look and draw focus to the movement there, as opposed to the rest of your lengths. If you're a lover of '90s blowouts, opting for a few feathered layers can also create a fuller-looking shape - especially, if you're using rollers or one of the best hair dryer brushes, to mimic that Cindy Crawford-esque hair.

Volumising styles for shorter hair

  • Go for blunt layers around your crown

Cate Blanchett is pictured with short, layered bob whilst posing at a special screening for TÁR at Cremorne Orpheum on November 13, 2022 in Sydney, Australia.

(Image credit: Getty Images/Hanna Lassen/Stringer)

For those with shorter hair, James says you'll benefit from, "strategic, blunt layers to create fullness, especially around the crown area where hair tends to go flat," like that of the French Bob, or other layered bob hairstyles.

James then recommends products like Color Wow's Raise The Roots Volumising spray, which can be "blow-dried into the hair for added lift at the roots and layered for extra volume." This is a great option for those looking for easy styling tips on how to add volume to fine hair.

How to style your hair for volume

As for styling, James says to always start your routine with a lightweight heat protection - like Oribe's Balm D'Or Heat Styling Shield, "which shields hair from heat damage without weighing it down."

Building volume from the root is key, so James recommends using a volumising product (like this TRESemme mousse, at Amazon). You can also use velcro rollers to create, "lasting lift and body."

Penélope Cruz is pictured with a voluminous, side-swept bob whilst attending the red carpet at the Goya Awards 2024 at Feria de Valladolid on February 10, 2024 in Valladolid, Spain.

(Image credit: Getty Images/Juan Naharro Gimenez/WireImage)

Hot dryer brushes and air curlers, like the Dyson Airwrap, are also ideal for creating big, loose waves and curls, which always help to give your style body. We would also recommend opting for the side-swept hair trend - which has been very popular on the red carpet in 2024 - as you can really make one side of your hair look fuller (with curls or a blowout), creating the overall impression that you have more hair than perhaps you do.

This style also works for both long and short hair and no matter your hair texture, be it curly or straight.

Naomi Jamieson
Digital Beauty Writer

Naomi is a Digital Beauty Writer from woman&home, where she covers everything from skincare to fragrance but specialises, particularly, in makeup and nail trends. Through her work, Naomi gets to share her trend expertise and share her own shopping recommendations and product reviews. Previously, she worked as a Lifestyle News Writer for My Imperfect Life magazine, where she used her savvy for TikTok to bring readers the latest beauty buzzwords, fashion movements and must-have products. 

Before that, Naomi split her time between both GoodTo and My Imperfect Life, whilst training for her Gold Standard diploma in Journalism with the NCTJ, for which she earned a Distinction. Interestingly though, Naomi actually has a background in design, having studied illustration at Plymouth University but leapt into the media world in 2020, after always having a passion for writing. Now, when she isn’t reporting on the best perfumes and latest beauty releases, you can find her drinking copious cups of coffee, drawing and probably online shopping...