Let's get one thing straight: There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to getting your haircut. Here at Cosmo, we encourage you to choose whatever hairstyle makes you feel comfortable and confident—whether it's a bob, a trendy wolfcut, or a mid-length trim. Subscribing to trends just because they're all over your FYP? So last year!
That said, beauty, and more specifically hair, is an art form; therefore, certain cuts, shapes, and textures work better on some than others. And today, we've picked the brains of Micky Kastly, a hairstylist and founder of Blown London, who shared her must-knows when it comes to fine hair.
Ahead: The three styles to avoid if you don't want your strands to look even thinner, plus a top tip to achieving a thicker-looking head of hair. As the adage goes:" Fake it till ya make it!
Avoid a...
Long layered cut
You may have heard that finer hair types aren't suited to longer layered hairstyles – but why? Well, Micky says that "Certain cuts can remove too much weight and make the hair appear flatter and less dense, over-texturised and too thinned out for super fine hair." Aka, over-layering hair = the worst thing to do if you have fine hair!
"The layers remove too much weight, leaving the hair looking super thinned out, uneven in length, fly away, static, and sparse," she says.
And not only that, but they're an uncontrollable nightmare for styling. "No amount of products can control layers upon layers and layers, or you’ll find you’ll start using excessive amounts of products to control the layers, which then you’ll find your roots start to feel heavy and greasier quicker than usual," Micky adds.
Asymmetric bob
An asymmetric or extremely angled bob is not the best-suited hairstyle for those with fine hair. "The front parts of the hair and crown area are the thinner, less dense areas, so when the back is lifted to an A-line (asymmetric line), the hair at the front only looks thinner rather than falling stronger," Micky says. So, you're ~kinda~ highlighting the fine hair texture, rather than masking it.
Wolfcut or shag cut
The wolf cut may be a trending hairstyle, but it's not for the faint-hearted, nor those with finer hair types. "The wolf cut is a '70s Rod Stewart situation," Micky says, combining elements of the shag and the mullet.
More specifically, it's heavily layered, with shorter, choppier pieces around the crown for volume and movement, and longer, softer layers that frame the face yet maintain some length on the ends. These layers "only make the hair look thinner and feel more limp, stringy, and uneven, and will start to feel like an all-around textured mountain mess," Micky explains.
"A wolf cut also takes all the weight and length from the sides and crown, which gives the illusion of not only thinning hair with gaps but flat hair, too," she adds.
Best hairstyle for fine hair
With this knowledge from Micky, it's clear to see that layers—in the form of any hairstyle— aren't great for those with fine hair. A style that does work, however, is a blunt, one-length cut. And if you're feeling fancy or want to add a slight dimension without layers, Micky says you can add face framing or long bangs.
"This gives the illusion of thicker, healthier, stronger hair and length from the back, while face-framing bangs create a sweeping look for style around the face; the latter sweeps into the hair length rather than actually cutting out length."
Micky's top tip: Work a bit of natural castor oil through the hair once a week, leave overnight, and wash it out in the morning. This will help to thicken fine hair naturally.
Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. Covering everything from viral celebrity hair and makeup news to the latest trend predictions, she’s an expert in recognising the season’s next big beauty look (before it ends up all over your social media feeds). You’ll usually find her putting TikTok’s recent beauty hacks to the Hype Test, challenging the gender-makeup binary and social stereotypes, or fangirling over the time Kourtney Kardashian viewed her Instagram Story (yes, it’s true). Find her also on LinkedIn.
