Hair loss affects most women at some stage in their life. Sometimes it’s due to a medical condition or hormonal changes brought on by pregnancy and menopause. Sometimes it can result from female pattern baldness or the ageing process. Whatever the cause, the experience of seeing your hair thin and fall can be a traumatic one.
Whether your hair loss is temporary or permanent, whether you’re waiting for it to grow back or dealing with your new thin-hair reality, you’ll find yourself looking around trying to find ways of dealing with the situation. Don’t despair! When it comes to your hair, there are things you can do to ‘pump up the volume’. Read on to find out more!
Change Your Style!
One of the simplest ways to give your thinning hair the illusion of greater volume is to change how you wear it. Longer hair, in general, looks thinner, so shorter styles are the way to go. One reason they are so effective is that they shift some of the focus away from your hair and onto the contours of your face. Bobs and pixie cuts do this well. Thick bangs are also excellent at projecting volume and density.
If you can’t bear to say goodbye to your long tresses, then you need to adapt them. Go for layered styles, as hair of different lengths looks much thicker than single-length locks. Try out a more casual, just-out-of-the-shower look that’s easier to maintain and which, with a little back brushing, can give the effect of volume.
Regular trims are recommended; keeping on top of split ends can keep your hair looking healthy and thick.
Think About Colour!
Just as shading is used by artists to create depth in drawings and paintings, so too can different shades create volume in your hair. That’s why you need to think about your hair colouring at times of thinning. Lighter colours give your hair more volume and height, particularly if used in conjunction with a darker shade at the roots. Avoid dark hair on top and lighter tips towards the bottom, as this can draw attention to thinner areas.
Highlights or lowlights around your face add a sense of volume to your hair. Gold tones work well for brunettes and redheads.
Getting the colour balance right to give you the greatest density is a difficult skill to pull off, so it’s best left to a professional. Explain to your stylist what it is you are trying to achieve in terms of added volume. They may have a few ideas of their own to help you achieve that goal.
Is Your Haircare Regime Helping or Hindering?
When your hair is thinning, the last thing you want to do is add to the problems by subjecting it to further stress and strain. Unfortunately, many of our haircare practices do just that. Excessive washing and brushing aren’t helpful. Overuse of heat styling tools can make the hair dry and brittle. Product overload can cause buildup in our tresses.
You need to be gentle with your hair. Less is more in so many cases. Wash your hair less frequently and use fewer products if possible. Cut back on your use of heat and use a microfibre towel to pat your hair dry instead.
Carry out a ‘suitability audit’ of your combs and brushes; using the wrong grooming tools could be damaging your hair. Fine-tooth combs and brushes with sharp bristles can cause breakage. Consider changing to a wide-tooth comb if you have curly or wavy hair. If you have straight hair, think about a hairbrush with soft, round bristles. Be gentle with tangles – pulling and tearing at them can break your hair at the roots!
Cut down on the products you use. Overuse can weigh your hair down, something you want to avoid when you have thin hair. Switch to volumising shampoos and conditioners; lightweight leave-in conditioners are good. Avoid products containing sulphates, as these will remove the natural oils from your hair and make it dryer and more lifeless.
Lifestyle Habits
Your overall health and the health of your hair are bound up with your lifestyle. That means you need to think about your diet and the amount of exercise you take. Think, too, about the time you spend out in the sun. Overexposure to the sun’s rays is never a good thing for your hair, least of all when your hair is thinning. Ultraviolet (UV) light attacks the keratin protein in hair and can lead to a loss of elasticity.
Conclusion
Hair is such an essential part of a woman’s identity that losing it is no trivial matter. Fortunately, there are things you can do to soften the blow of hair loss and hair thinning. There are treatments and procedures available to tackle hair loss and, as this article has shown, there are things you can do every day to make your hair appear as thick as possible.
If you’re concerned about hair thinning or hair loss, even after trying some of the things we’ve mentioned above, Vinci Hair Clinic is here to help. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation to all our new clients. All you have to do is get in touch and make an appointment!