Not all people are gifted with naturally thick hair, but fortunately there are ways to make it look like you are! Whether it’s what you eat, what you put on your hair, or how you handle your hair, there are plenty of ways to get healthy and thick hair. Here are 13 excellent ways to help you develop a full, healthy head of luscious hair.
1. Colored dry shampoo ($8.99, Ulta)
These colored sprays are great because they help you in two ways. First, when your hair is dirty and oily it tends to flatten out and look thin, but using a spray of dry shampoo gets rid of all the excess oil and help your hair regain some of its natural volume. Second, the fact that this dry shampoo is colored helps your hair appear even fuller. The added color hides your scalp by filling in any sparse areas on your head, making your hair appear thicker.
2. Lowlights
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If implemented correctly, lowlights can add dimension to your hair and make it look thicker. By adding shades darker than your than your natural hair, you make your hair look rich and deep. It allows your natural hair color to be the star of the show. Celebrity stylist Charles Baker Strahan, who has styled Leighton Meester, is a big fan of lowlights. “When hair has a difference in tone and colour, and is crisp and vibrant, that makes it beautiful,” he says.
3. Moroccan oil ($15, Sephora)
There’s a reason Moroccan oil gets a lot of love. Not only does it give a serious boost of shine, it can also heal any damage your hair may have. There are many options and brands of Moroccan oil to pick from but one of the fan favorites is Moroccanoil’s Moroccanoil Treatment.
4. Keep it short
When your hair gets too long, it gets weighed down and starts to look sloppy and thinned out. To avoid these issues, keep your hair at a shorter length. It is also beneficial to style your hair with layers, according to stylist Jim Shaw. “Wearing hair styles that include layers and bangs can make your hair appear thicker,” he tells us. With a shorter hairstyle, your hair will much look healthier and thicker.
5. Tease
We know, teased hair sounds so 1980’s, but there is a way you can use teasing to make your hair appear thicker without looking retro. Teasing boosts the volume in your hair, making it appear thicker and much fuller. To tease your hair, begin by by sectioning it into a top, middle and bottom section. Next, take the middle section and brush back the hair towards the scalp. Don’t be afraid, it will look like a hot mess at this point. Spritz this section with some hairspray, lay the top layer over it and then smooth it out with a comb. Add a few extra sprays and you’ll have much fuller, more voluminous hair.Â
6. Rinse hair with cold water
A cold shower sounds abnormal and pretty terrible, but no worries, you don’t need to shower entirely with cold water! Cold water is actually great for your hair. It closes the cuticles of your strands, making them shiny and smooth. After washing your hair as you normally would, quickly turn the water to cold and give your hair a rush of cold water.
7. Avocado
Although you may love them in your guacamole and on top of your toast, avocados have numerous benefits for both inside and outside of your body. While they may be healthy to eat, they can also be used for hair care. Avocados are full of healthy oils and fats, which not only moisturize your scalp and hair but also help promote hair growth. Shaw suggests natural oils to avoid hair breakage. “Try using products with natural oils in them, like avocado, olive, mustard, jojoba or almond oils to name a few,” he says. “I’ve seen great results with these products on hair that breaks easily.” You can reap the benefits by mashing an avocado, spreading it throughout your hair, waiting around 15 minutes and then showering it out.
8. Biotin
Biotin (also known as Vitamin B7) is a key player in skin, hair and nail health. One of the causes of hair loss can be a biotin deficiency, so having enough of this vitamin in your diet is essential for healthy hair. Luckily, dermatologist Nicole Rogers, M.D., suggests that our daily diet is enough to supply vitamins like biotin. “Most people living in America receive enough of the vitamins and minerals needed for healthy hair through their diet and daily multivitamins,” she says. She suggests checking with a doctor to see if you have an actual vitamin deficiency before taking a supplement. You can also get biotin naturally by eating foods like egg yolks, nuts and red meat.
9. Honey
You may think that the sticky texture of honey means you should keep it as far away from your hair as possible, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Honey is super moisturizing for your hair and helps out with issues like dry hair and dandruff. Sebastian A.J. Zaat, Ph.D., has seen incredible antibacterial properties of honey himself. He is involved with the research on at the Department of Medical Microbiology at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam. “Honey or isolated honey-derived components might be of great value for prevention and treatment of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria,” he says. It also comes off easily with water, so don’t worry, your hair won’t be sticky after using it.
10. Volumizing shampoo ($26, Bumble and bumble.)
There are loads of volumizing and thickening shampoos out there. These are the shampoos you should use to get big, thick hair. Volumizing shampoos boost the volume of your hair, making it look much thicker. Rachna Shah, a freshman at Dartmouth College, recommends two thickening shampoos. “My favorite volumizing shampoos are Bumble and bumble. Thickening and Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Lemon Sage.” Washing with these will help thin hair keep volume throughout the day.
11. Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil stimulates hair growth. It also helps to nourish the roots of your hair and help moisturize the scalp. Massage the oil into your scalp, keep it in for around half an hour and then rinse in the shower. By doing this weekly, your hair will grow thicker and look healthier. Tea tree oil can be found at most drug stores and health supplement shops.
12. Silk pillowcases ($19.99, Amazon)
This sounds unnecessarily luxurious, but it’s actually surprisingly affordable and helpful for keeping your locks thick and healthy. Hair stylist Ali Batista shares that silk allows your hair to slide smoothly. “Silk is a material that will allow hair to slide around more smoothly so you will have less breakage and no more bedhead.” Traditional pillowcases are rough on hair and can cause breakage but silk pillowcases are much better for your hair because they are gentle on the strands of your hair and result in less breakage. Treating your locks to this pillowcase every night will keep them healthy and happy.
13. Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar isn’t just great for salad; it also works wonders on your hair. It helps in numerous ways: balancing the pH of your hair, killing bacteria, encouraging hair growth, decreasing frizziness and adding shine, just to name a few. Mix equal parts of water and apple cider vinegar and apply it to your hair. Keep the mixture in for a few minutes and then rinse it off.
With these tricks, you’ll be able to take your hair from thin to thick in no time!