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Hair Care

11 Tips on How to Make Thin Hair Look Thicker

Redken Updated On 03/05/2025

Not all of us were #blessed with thick hair. For those of us that have naturally thin or fine hair, it can be a struggle to retain volume and shape throughout the day, even after styling. 
While a little more effort may be required, there are several ways to get thicker and fuller hair. The key to knowing how to make thin hair look thicker is the way that you shape your hair and style it, alongside implementation of intensive haircare support. With a few strategically placed products and tweaks to your hair care routine, you too can take your strands from limp and lifeless to full and fabulous.

1. Consider a Cut

@tarajeanhair

Without the right support, fine hair will struggle to avoid looking stringy. One important measure is how often you visit the hair salon. Regular cuts can help to natural add fullness and protect hair strength – even a short trim can add some bounce back to your hair. By keeping up with haircuts you're reducing the ratio of length to width, which helps to make hair look thicker. In order to give your hair more movement and the illusion of volume, you can also ask your Redken salon expert to use layered hair styles to make hair look thicker.

 

2. Add Highlights for Dimension

@ashlemaster_redken

Hair styles for thin hair give extra dimension to make hair look thicker. One option is or your colourist to add highlights and lowlights. The colour variations help to create shadows and dimension in your hair, and can actually give the visual effect that there is more hair there. Colouring hair also gives it volume since the dye has to lift the hair shaft in order to deposit colour. It’s a win-win!

3. Diffuse Your Hairline

@redken5thave

Fake a fuller looking scalp by dusting your hairline with an eyeshadow in a similar shade to your own hair colour. By filling in the hairline with eyeshadow, it can make hair look thicker at the roots. Oh, the power of makeup.

4. Get Product Savvy

@byronturnbull

Give your strands a little nudge by using products that will help to increase keratin production in the hair. As keratin is a key protein behind hair growth, it’s a vital nutrient for those looking to get fuller hair. Vitamins and minerals that also help stimulate keratin production include zinc, iron, copper, vitamin E and vitamin B5. Be sure to incorporate these key nutrients in your diet or hair care routine in order to boost the fullness of your hair.

5. Remove Product Build-Up

@redken5thave

Another way to stimulate hair growth is by using salicylic acid-infused products like Cerafill Retailiate Hair Redensifying Treatment, to help remove any lingering product buildup. As salicylic acid is a chemical exfoliant, it helps to break down any buildup on the scalp that could be blocking the hair from properly flourishing, clearing the path for future hair growth. 

6. ADJUST YOUR HAIR CARE ROUTINE

Once you've nailed the scalp cleansing step of your routine down, reach for specially formulated products like Volume Injection shampoo and conditioner. A big part of how to make hair look thicker, volumising products support strands strands with additional boost, body and structure. To upgrade your hair care routine, you can also incorporate Cerafill Retailiate Hair Redensifying Treatment. This hair boosting treatment contains 5% Stemoxydine, an ingredient shown to stimulate new hair growth. 

7. Choose The Right Tools

@redken5thave

When it comes to how to style thin hair for volume and fullness, you want to make sure that you’re using the right set of tools. For instance, if you’re looking to create a full-bodied blowout, use a ceramic round brush. The ceramic plating helps to heat the hair to set any volume created in the hair, while the round shape of the brush helps to create movement and dimension in the strands.

8. Creative Blow Drying

@richardkavanagh

If you aren’t getting an arm workout during your blow dry routine, you’re doing it wrong. For how to style thin hair and create airy volume, you need to lift the hair up as you dry it. The lifting motion helps to seal volume in the roots and helps to create long-lasting hold.

9. HAIR STYLES TO MAKE HAIR LOOK THICKER

@headrushdesignsbyjulieann

On days that you want to skip styling products, here are some quick and easy hair styles for thin hair. 

For an instant hair height adjustment, try changing your parting! By switching up where your hair naturally parts, you can instantly add volume to your strands. Thanks, gravity! 

The classic and pretty braid and its variations are also perfect hair styles for thin hair. Simply thicken up skinny braids by gently pulling on the sides of the braid. This creates the illusion that there is more hair in the braid and increases the visual area that it occupies! 

10. Add Dry Shampoo To Your Routine

@redken5thave

A great trick for faking fuller looking strands is to use dry shampoo. As dry shampoo has no hold to it, it will only build body and texture in your hair. Plus due to the oil absorbing properties, it can absorb some of the moisture on strands. Plus, dry shampoo is a less visible form of product. Knowing how to make hair look thicker and fuller without having to add rigid product helps hair to appear naturally fuller. Redken's Dry Shampoo Powder 02 is a lightweight, loose powder dry shampoo formulated with Charcoal to help absorb impurities and build natural-looking volume. 

11. Skip Serums

@kristin_ess

Typically, flat hair is devoid of texture or movement. In order to give your strands more body and dimension, reach for a product with dry texture when styling your hair. Texturising sprays like Triple Dry 15 Finishing Spray help to give the strands body, hold, and dimension without weighing down the hair, making it the ultimate product for creating an airy look and feel in an effortless way.
 
Just as picking the right styling products are important, knowing which products to skip is just as important. For example, even though serums are amazing for pumping your hair full of moisture, they aren’t the best option for those looking for volume and fullness. Serums, oils and lotions can be a little too heavy for finer hair types. Instead, achieve style for thin hair with lightweight sprays and dry shampoo. 

With these tips on how to make thin hair look thicker through styling and hair care changes, your hair is destined for a fuller future! For more advice on how to get fuller and thicker hair, find a Redken salon near you to speak to an expert stylist.