The Best Haircuts for Thin Hair, As Modeled by Celebrities
Inspiration for every length and look.
If you're a card-carrying member of the Thin Hair Club, welcome! When it comes to haircuts that suit fine hair, two cuts reign supreme: layers upon layers, or a blunter statement cut. Which sounds restrictive, I know—but within these two categories lie countless hairstyles for fine hair that suit almost every hair type and face shape.
Allow these celebrity hairstyles to be your guide. There's a haircut for thin hair for you, and one of the below celebrities is modeling it.
Jennifer Aniston
This almost feels like it might have some common DNA with The Rachel? Seriously, though, this lob (long bob, if you're unfamiliar), with its angling at the front and minimal layers throughout is a nice, short, not-too-difficult option for a thin hairstyle.
Naomi Campbell
Forever supermodel Naomi Campbell has never been afraid of an intense haircut. This blunt bob (with basically zero layers) is a terrific option for a person with straight or relaxed hair that isn't thick: the angling is intense and requires upkeep, but it's also a dramatic, face-framing work of art.
Olivia Wilde
Thin hair doesn't have to mean short! Olivia Wilde demonstrates that with a deep side part, your hair can cascade over to one side to great dramatic effect. It helps to take a curling iron to it if your hair is straight, the better to give it some body and movement.
Jennifer Lopez
J. Lo never met a long hairstyle she didn't love, but when she wears it short and simple, I actually love it. We're looking at a deep side part that adds volume at the top and down her right side, with some face-framing layers as an added bonus. Very chic!
Halle Berry
When Halle Berry wears her hair a little longer than her traditional pixie (with some curls, too!) I actually think it's a great look for her. Her hair's still quite short here, but there are a ton of layers along with long pieces on top to give the illusion of more volume than there is.
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Alyssa Milano
Us thin-haired girlies will let you in on a little secret: bangs are a great way to help your hair look fuller. That might sound counterintuitive, because it takes away volume from the rest of your head, but let Alyssa Milano's cut inspire you with its curtain bangs and long layers to give the illusion that she has tons of hair.
Mindy Kaling
For straight or relaxed hair, a simple cut that's all one length is actually so, so chic. Here, Mindy Kaling gives her ends a nice swoop outward, which helps give some movement to the look, but I'm betting it looks just as nice when it's stick straight.
Natalie Portman
This feels pretty low-maintenance on Natalie Portman. It's long, and looks to be mostly one color, with a little wave towards the ends for visual interest. The thinner your hair is, the more layers you'll want—especially when it's long—but you also don't need to overthink it.
Alexa Chung
Alexa Chung has long been a thin-haired icon who admits that her layers are minimal—which helps her hair look more chic and less "bushy." She can add in curls (as we see here) for some layering, but look close and you'll see her hair is mostly one length (with some angling in front).
Nicole Richie
Bangs are so fun, including on us thin-haired girlies! On Nicole Richie, she doesn't go for blunt, rigid bangs—they're soft and angled, like the rest of her hair, and she has long layers and highlights to add in dimension. (Highlights are another awesome way to make your hair look fuller.)
Selma Blair
Lest you think you can't pull off platinum blonde with thin hair: voila! Selma Blair is, like many of us thin-haired persons, doing a side part for better volume on top. The cut is very, very straight, but long enough that she can tuck it behind her ears. Hair gel holds everything in place.
Kate Middleton
Kate Middleton relies on a very simple strategy for her long hair—add bounce and shine (her hair always looks incredibly healthy and she goes for a medium-to-large barrel curl through the ends). Oh, and go for some short, face-framing layers for an extra touch.
Sarah Jessica Parker
I appreciate that Sarah Jessica Parker is always experimenting (she has gone with her natural gray, as has her character in And Just Like That..., and she has given us many a wavy 'do over the years). But when she goes with a simple straight style, adding lots of highlights for dimension, it looks long and full.
Sally Field
Kudos to Sally Field for rocking (what I assume is) her natural hair color. Keeping it short, adding lots of layers—and bangs!—with a little added curl: it's all helping her overall look be cohesive and bouncy. Matching her eyewear to her hair is an expert move.
Christina Milian
When you have thin hair, curls can absolutely help with volume and bounce. But, as Christina Milian shows us here, you don't have to immediately add a ton of short layers. Keeping the layers long and styling the curls close to your head will let the shape be soft but striking.
Emma Stone
I always love how Emma Stone doesn't add much by way of "enhancement" to her hair; It's on the thinner side, but it always looks healthy (and it's enriched by the auburn color). Keeping everything long and adding a curl at the end is all she really needs.
Kristen Stewart
If you have thin hair but still want to be daring, let Kristen Stewart be your north star (she has given us a multitude of cool, edgy looks over the years). The deepest of deep side parts here lets her hair cascade beautifully to one side, with some gentle curls added for volume.
Rashida Jones
Blunt cuts are so fun, and they actually work well on thin hair (you don't run into the dreaded "hair triangle" you might get with thicker hair). Rashida Jones contrasts the straightness of the cut with some soft and angled bangs, and it's phenomenal.
Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone's pixie is making short hair look effortless. The highlights and lowlights make her hair look thicker, and the angled bangs are incredibly face-framing. When you're naturally gray, try mixing in your natural color—it'll help the cut grow out.
Emma Watson
Emma Watson's probably most well-known for her post-Harry Potter pixie cut, but she's worn her hair long since then to great effect. This fringe-y look almost has a '70s vibe to it; there are probably a ton of layers throughout but especially in front.
Charlize Theron
If you like Charlize Theron's hair generally, she's given us a ton of thin hair inspiration over the course of her long career. This might actually be an asymmetric cut, with longer layers to one side to go with her deep side part, with a little curl for good measure.
Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams' pixie is the stuff of legend; There's a good reason she often sticks with this particular haircut, and it's because it suits her beautifully. It likely needs a cut every few weeks (especially the front angled bangs), but the payoff is beautiful.
Viola Davis
Viola Davis has experimented with every cut under the sun; This relaxed but curled long bob is a subtle but deeply flattering option. Obviously the smaller, tighter curl can take time (with a good curling iron) to achieve, but the resulting volume is top notch.
Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett has soft, wispy hair that's not very dense (and I say that as someone who has very similar hair). Layers and curls help the fine hair feel less "flat"; keeping the cut on the shorter side is also a critical way for keeping some volume and dimension.
Helen Mirren
When Helen Mirren opted to go with white hair, a lot of us cheered. You can style white or light gray hair almost as if it were blonde: it can still have shine with the right hair products, and keeping the cut short and layered will make it feel tres voluminous.
Laura Harrier
This cut on Laura Harrier is as straight as can possibly be, with no layers and a ton of gel to pull off this smooth, chic look. It's not for the faint of heart, but if you like the "wet" look on your own hair, and you have the time to gently flip out the ends, go forth.
Margot Robbie
Margot Robbie isn't afraid to show off her naturally thin hair, and I love her for it. The back is looong long, and the front has a ton of long layers. It's almost like two haircuts; not sacrificing length in the back, while still framing the face in front. Yes, please.
Zoë Saldaña
When Zoë Saldaña debuted this lob, us thin-haired fans gave a collective squeal of delight. The curl under makes the cut look so much more voluminous (and again, takes time to achieve but looks awesome). And it grows out really, really well.
Sandra Bullock
You might assume that a center part makes thin hair look thinner (and sometimes you are correct). But Sandra Bullock shows us how it's done: keep the hair even and straight so that it "matches" the severity of the part. It's one, long, cascading sheet of hair on either side.
Taylor Swift
Another person who doesn't necessarily opt for enormous extensions, Taylor Swift relies on great cuts (including these side, swooping bangs), layers, a curling iron, and just a touch of dimensional color to help her hair look thicker than it is. And I salute her!
Zoë Kravitz
Zoë Kravitz is giving all of us pixie envy (when contemplating a short short cut, work with a very skilled hairstylist!). Those micro-bangs are super-cute, but they won't work on everyone, so just be aware of that. (They can actually work on thin hair well, but it also depends on texture and face shape.)
Keira Knightley
Keira Knightley has been honest about hair loss and the necessity of wearing wigs for roles in order to strengthen her hair. It actually looks great (and healthy!) here; there's some layering and some gentle curling iron waves going on here, but it's not attempting to be more voluminous than it is. I love it.
Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.
Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.
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