Having fine hair can be a bit of a mixed bag. One day you’re thanking your lucky stars that it’s so easy to style; the next, you’re praying for even the slightest hint of volume. Luckily, there are tons of flattering and stylish haircuts for women with fine hair.

Keep reading for our favorite haircuts for fine hair.

How Do I Know If I Have Fine Hair?

You might think that having fine hair and having thin hair is the same thing — we did at first, too. But according to dermatologists and hair stylists, they’re totally different things. Fineness refers to texture — how dense is each strand of hair? The thinner the individual strands of hair, the finer your hair.

Thinness, on the other hand, refers to the actual amount of hair on your head. You might have fine hair, but a lot of it. Or maybe you have thicker strands, but you’re experiencing hair loss, so your hair doesn’t look as voluminous as it used to. Understanding your hair type can help you choose the most flattering haircut to look and feel your best.

If you aren’t sure what type of hair you have, you can always ask your hairstylist the next time you’re in for a cut. They’ll be able to make recommendations for the best haircuts and styles based on your hair length, hair type, and face shape.

What Haircuts Are Best for Fine Hair?

Luckily, there’s no shortage of flattering haircuts for those of us with fine strands . Whether you like keeping your hair long or chopped, curly or straight, there’s a haircut for you.

Shoulder Length Layered Bob

If you’ve been gifted with fine AND thin hair, this is the section for you. You might be struggling to achieve the volume you want (or any type of volume at all), but the right cut can help with that.

If you usually keep your hair straight, ask for a shoulder-length chop with lots of face-framing layers. Before you leave the salon, ask your stylist to give you a blowout with flipped ends. This throwback look is both retro and classic, and it’s sure to rake in the compliments, especially with the volume you’ll get from those layers.

Wolf Cut

One of our favorite haircuts at the moment is the wolf cut, also known as a shag cut with curtain bangs. With choppy layers and lots of texture, his hairstyle aims for an effortless beachy look and can create movement and volume on even the finest of hair.

The wolf cut might have begun as an edgy red-carpet look, but the low-maintenance and flattering hairstyle has become a lot more mainstream. The effortlessly cool cut requires little styling to achieve maximum style and volume: picture rolling out of bed, touching up your roots with a bit of dry shampoo or similar hair product, and being ready to leave the house. It’s that easy.

The best part is that anyone can rock a wolf cut, no matter your hair type or length. Next time you head to the salon, ask your hairstylist for a wolf cut, and be prepared for your girlfriends to gush about it for weeks.

Blunt Cut

Another great cut hair stylists recommend for women with fine, straight hair is a blunt cut. Layers make hair lighter, but they can also contribute to the appearance of thinness. On the other hand, a blunt cut — keeping all of your strands at one length — keeps most of the weight of your hair near the bottom, which contributes to a thicker and fuller look.

A blunt cut can work on any length haircut, but if your hair is longer than a lob (a long bob), consider adding bangs to give your cut a little more shape. Maintain the blunt look with short and straight bangs, or try face-framing curtain bangs for a more sophisticated do. These are some of our favorite blunt cuts:

The Clavicut

• This is a blunt cut that just grazes your collarbones, with no layers. This hairstyle is long enough to wear in a ponytail or updo but still short and blunt enough to almost pass as a bob. The perfect mix of stylish and practical.

The Blunt Bob

• If you prefer your hair on the shorter side, try a blunt bob. Depending on how you style it, bobs can look either trendy or classic — which way you lean is totally up to you.

The Chin Length Bob

• A chin-length or mid-length classic bob will keep your locks at their thickest and fullest and definitely amp up the volume. If you want to add a little edge, try an asymmetrical bob — the sharp line of the bob paired with the asymmetry creates a super chic, feminine look. You can even rock this style if you have curls or waves; just ask your hairstylist to cut your curls all to the same length and let her shape it into a wavy bob. The perfect combination of classic and cool.

Pixie Cut

Pixie cuts have become increasingly popular among women over 50, thanks to their flattering and easy-to-maintain style. You can keep it short and classic or add in some light layers to give it a bit of edge. This short hairstyle is 100 percent red-carpet-worthy. Pixie cuts are flattering on all hair types, from curly to wavy to pin straight. Keep it short or grow it out a bit for more volume — either way, the frequent cuts required to maintain this hairstyle will keep your fine ends healthy and luxurious.

If you aren’t sure what look would look best for you, ask your stylist. They’ll take your hair type and face shape into consideration before making a hairstyle recommendation.

What if I have curly hair?

Yes, it’s possible to have fine AND curly hair! To figure out if your curls are thick or just plentiful, put your hair in a ponytail the next time you blow dry and straighten it. How thick is that ponytail? If it’s the size of a quarter or smaller, you likely have fine hair.

Even if you have super fine strands, having some natural curl in your hair will add volume, which means you’ll have a little more wiggle room picking a haircut than your straight-haired friends. And with curly hair, layers are key to maintaining shape. Here are a few of our favorite cuts for fine-haired curlylocks. 

Layered Cuts 

Try face-framing layers to give your hair some shape or choppy layers if you like keeping your hair short. 

• Layered Cuts with Side Part: To style fine, curly hair, set a deep side part — it will give you ALL the volume.

• Layered Cuts with Middle Part: If you love the ’90s-throwback middle part, you’re still in luck. You can still rock a middle part layered cut! Consider a bob with bangs — a short bob looks fabulous with side-swept bangs. Long bangs can help mimic the appearance of thick hair, no matter what length cut you rock. 

Be sure to maintain your fine, curly hair with regular trims. Curly hair tends to run dry, which can lead to breakage and frizz — not the look we’re going for. Regular trims in between styling sessions can keep your locks luxurious and healthy, regardless of how you style them.

How To Style Fine Hair

Choosing a flattering haircut for your fine hair is only step one of the process. Step two is properly styling it to maximize volume and minimize limpness.

Luckily, the right cut will do 80 percent of the work for you. But once your locks have been chopped and you’re getting ready to leave the salon, ask your stylist for styling recommendations. They’ll likely recommend investing in products that add texture, like mousse or dry shampoo.

They might also recommend water-misting or frequent trims to keep your cut fresh and healthy. If you use a curling iron to create the beach waves of your dream, make sure your hair is dry and apply a heat protectant before getting started. You can also use a flat iron to create a curled hair look.

If you like the look of a retro cut, use a round brush to style your fine hair with flipped-out ends. After you wash your hair, blow dry it straight, and then use the round brush to style the blunt ends so that they face inward. 

Finally, investing in good-quality hair care products can help you maintain that shiny, freshly-cut look in between trims. Look for volumizing shampoos and conditioners to help create thickness in the shower, and don’t be afraid to spritz some hairspray or a texturizing spray to add volume when you style your cut.

Feeling Fine

If you’ve been struggling with your fine or thin hair, you might think finding a stylish haircut is hopeless. But regardless of whether you keep your hair long or short, curly or straight, we have good news — the perfect haircut for you is out there!

Next time you head to the salon, ask your stylist for one of these haircuts and watch your fine strands transform into volume.