As we age, our hair naturally thins and changes texture, making some hairstyles less flattering than others. Finding the right cut after 60 isn’t just about looking trendy—it’s about working with what you’ve got to enhance your natural beauty.
Here’s a look at hairstyles that fall flat for thinning hair, plus some that actually make matters worse.
1. One-Length Bob Without Layers
A straight-across bob with zero layers creates a heavy, weighed-down appearance that emphasizes thinning areas. The lack of movement makes hair look limp rather than lively. When hair hangs in a solid curtain, it highlights every spot where scalp shows through.
2. Super Long Straight Hair
Gravity pulls already-thin hair down when it’s grown past the shoulders. The longer your thin hair, the flatter it becomes at the roots, creating that dreaded pancake effect. Extra length stretches out natural volume, making each strand appear even finer.
3. Center Parts Without Volume
Middle partings showcase symmetry in fuller hair but cruelly highlight thinning areas along the part line. They draw attention directly to widening parts, the first place many women notice hair loss. Without added volume, this styling choice emphasizes scalp visibility.
4. Sleek Ponytails
Pulling thinning hair back tightly not only stresses fragile follicles but creates tension that makes the front appear even sparser. The slick style exposes every area where coverage is lacking. Plus, gathered thin hair results in a disappointingly skinny ponytail that ages rather than flatters.
5. Blunt-Cut Bangs
Heavy, straight-across bangs cut without texture create a harsh line that contrasts with thinning hair elsewhere. The solid weight makes the rest of your hair look even more insubstantial by comparison. These bangs also tend to separate as they grow out, revealing more scalp.
6. Slicked-Back Styles
Wet-look or heavily-gelled hairstyles that plaster hair to the scalp are particularly unflattering for thinning locks. Product weight flattens what little volume exists and creates separated strands that expose the scalp underneath. The shine from products further highlights thinning areas.
7. Pin-Straight Ironed Styles
Flattening hair with straightening irons removes any natural texture that might create volume. The heat-styling process can also damage already-fragile strands, making them look even more lifeless and sparse. The resulting flatness emphasizes every thin patch.
8. Severe Pixie Cuts
Ultra-short pixies cut without texture or softness can make thinning hair look stark rather than chic. When cut too short or too uniform, they emphasize skull shape and any unevenness in hair density. The military precision leaves nowhere to create the illusion of fullness.
9. Half-Up Styles Without Volume
Pulling just the top section back creates tension that flattens crown volume—exactly where most women need it most! The remaining hair often isn’t substantial enough to look intentionally styled. This halfway approach highlights thinning without offering any compensating benefits.
10. Tucked-Behind-Ears Styling
Casually tucking thin hair behind both ears creates a vacuum effect that exposes the sides of the face and temples—often where thinning first becomes noticeable. This everyday habit flattens whatever volume exists at the sides. It creates an unintentional focus on facial aging too.
11. Wet-and-Go Styling
Air-drying without product or styling creates a flatter result for thinning hair types. Without some strategic volume-building, thin hair dries close to the scalp, emphasizing every sparse area. The lack of direction makes hair fall limply wherever gravity takes it.
12. Single-Process Dark Colors
Flat, dark hair colors create harsh contrast with aging skin and make scalp show-through more obvious. The stark single-tone provides no dimension to create the illusion of thickness. Dark colors also highlight the difference between hair density and scalp visibility.
13. Extremely Short Buzzcuts
Buzzing thin hair extremely short exposes every contour of the skull and any irregularities in growth patterns. Without enough hair length to create softness, the result can look unintentionally harsh rather than boldly chic. Even minor thinning becomes glaringly obvious.
14. Tight Curls From Small Rollers
Tiny perm rods or small curlers create separated curls that expose more scalp between them. This dated styling approach creates a “poodle perm” effect that makes thin hair look sparse and frizzy rather than voluminous. The tight pattern can’t create the illusion of density.
15. Severe Side Parts
Extremely deep side parts force too much hair to one side, creating an imbalanced look with obvious thinning on the heavier side. This dated styling trick actually draws attention to scalp show-through rather than disguising it. The weight pulls hair flatter on both sides.
16. Helmet-Like Bouffants
Overly structured, stiff hairstyles reminiscent of 1960s bouffants create an artificial look that contrasts with thinning sections. Heavy backcombing and spray damage delicate strands while creating an outdated silhouette that ages rather than flatters. The contrast between poufy sections and thin areas is jarring.
17. Scraped-Back Buns
Pulling thinning hair into tight, slick buns creates tension that emphasizes receding hairlines and temple thinning. The severe style draws attention to every area where hair is sparse, particularly around the face. The resulting knot is often disappointingly small and insubstantial.
18. Heavy, Chunky Highlights
Thick stripes of contrasting color create harsh lines that emphasize thinning rather than disguising it. The stark definition between colors creates a striped effect that makes hair look more separated and sparse. The processing required for dramatic highlights further damages fragile strands.
19. Asymmetrical Cuts Without Volume
Severely unbalanced cuts can look artistic on thick hair but often fall flat with thinning locks. Without sufficient density to support the dramatic shape, these styles tend to collapse and lose their intended effect. The longer sections particularly emphasize any lack of volume.
20. Over-Layered Shags
Excessive layering can remove too much weight from already-thin hair, creating wispy ends that look insubstantial. When layers are cut too short or too numerous, they can create a “hole” effect where density suddenly changes. The disconnected layers emphasize rather than disguise thinning.