A thinning fringe can make your favourite hairstyle look underwhelming. However, given the fact that 55% of women will experience hair loss or thinning during their lifetime [1], you are far from alone in this situation.
This is a little-known fact, since hair loss is more common in men than in women. Nowadays, however, many female hair loss treatments can help you overcome this challenge.
The good news is that you don’t have to give up on your fringe just because it isn’t as luxurious as it used to be. Whether it’s curtain bangs, bottleneck bangs or a wispy fringe, there are some great ways to style it that draw attention away from its dwindling density.
At the same time, you may want to stay away from hairdos which overemphasise your thinning fringe, such as blunt or Bardot bangs.
Keep reading this article to find out more about:
If you are experiencing hair loss, you may be wondering if wearing a thinning fringe helps or harms your look. You will be pleased to know that bangs are generally recommended to women with diffuse hair thinning, because they add volume, compensating for flatness in the rest of your hair. They can also cover up a receding hairline in women and frontal hair loss.
However, the key to making your fringe work for you greatly depends on the type of bangs you choose. Just like knowing the best and worst female hairstyles for a receding hairline can help you successfully mask frontal hair loss, knowing the right type of bangs for your thinning fringe can turn a flat style into a glamorous look.
If you are experiencing hair thinning and your fringe is not as full as you’d like it to be, it is a good idea to consider one of these trendy styles:
Wispy bangs are a soft, delicate version of blunt bangs, which involve fine, textured strands falling over your forehead. Their subtlety makes them perfect for a thinning fringe, as this style does not require frontal hair fullness.
Face types that go best with wispy bangs: oval, heart-shaped
This type of fringe is styled by parting it across the midline and cutting it longer on the outsides, letting the bangs flow to the sides of your face the way a curtain would drape a window. The midline part is a good way to disguise a thinning fringe and this style is versatile and suitable for most hair types.
Face types that go best with curtain bangs: Any face type, but best for round face shapes.
Also known as an air fringe, see-through bangs are especially popular in Korean fashion. They are very fine and only require the thinnest strands of hair across the forehead. This makes them perfect if you are experiencing a thinning fringe, as they require very little fullness or volume.
Face types that go best with see-through bangs: any face type, but best for square or heart-shaped.
This asymmetrical, layered style allows for small gaps and length differences between the strands in your bangs. This is a good way to mask a slightly thinning fringe, as any gaps can easily be concealed by the choppy appearance. However, if you are experiencing more advanced hair loss, you might want to choose wispier styles.
Face types that go best with choppy bangs: heart-shaped.
Bottleneck bangs are similar to curtain bangs, except they are not fully parted down the middle, but are separated by a central portion which is cut much shorter (1-2 inches).
The sides of your face are still framed by long, angled, feathered strands which brush your cheekbones Since the hair in the middle area can be thinner and wispier without altering the desired look, it can be a good choice for central fringe thinning.
Face types that go best with bottleneck bangs: oval-shaped faces.
A side-swept fringe can be particularly helpful if your hair loss is asymmetrical or you are experiencing more hair thinning on one side of the head.
While this type of hair loss is more common in men than in women, it can happen due to conditions such as traction alopecia or, rarely, androgenetic alopecia. Sweeping your fringe over the thinning side can mask the signs of hair loss.
If your hair shedding is not limited to your fringe and you are also experiencing thinning on the top of your head, you may want to look at some female hair loss styles for thinning hair on the crown.
Face types that go best with side-swept bangs: round shaped.
Layered bangs are obtained by cutting your fringe at different lengths. Layering your bangs can add volume to thinning hair and give your style a youthful look.
They can be worn in several ways, from messy to side-swept and can be used to draw attention away from the thinning areas.
Face types that go best with layered bangs: any face type, but best for heart-shaped.
This fringe style is unruly, feathery and asymmetrical. It is similar to choppy bangs, but looser and messier.
Since there is a sense of unevenness and disorder about this cut, thinner portions on your fringe are easier to pass off as intended effects. And it makes a great short hairstyle for women over 50, as it gives you a youthful appearance.
Face types that go best with shaggy bangs: any face shape
This style only involves two strands of hair which are longer than regular bangs but shorter than your hairdo and which frame your cheekbones. They are ideal for a fringe that is thinning along the middle.
However, if you are experiencing temple hair loss, this style may not be suitable for you (you can try wispy bangs instead).
Face types that go best with face-framing long bangs: long, oval-shaped
Feathered bangs are similar to wispy bangs, except they are somewhat fuller, and more textured and the ends of the strands are longer and sharper (they narrow towards the tip).
They are versatile and can be worn in different ways (e.g. messy or parted) and don’t require too much fullness.
Face types that go best with feathered bangs: any face type, especially round or heart-shaped.
These looks are generally not flattering for a thinning fringe, as they are designed for fuller, thicker bangs:
Blunt bangs are the classic type of fringe, where your hair just drapes your forehead in a straight line. They generally rely on a full, thick fringe in order to obtain that compact look. A thinning fringe might be more visible if you are trying to cover your entire forehead with it.
The main difference between blunt and arched bangs is that the latter are styled with a round brush, to give them a convex look. They also have the same drawbacks as blunt bangs, in that a thin fringe may not provide sufficient coverage to make this look work.
Named after the famous French actress Brigitte Bardot, this signature style requires thick, full hair and a voluminous fringe to work as intended. Wearing it with a thinning fringe is likely to come off flat and emphasise your hair loss.
Braided bangs can be fun and whimsical, especially for curly, kinky Afro hair. However, if your fringe is already thinning, your braids are likely to look feeble and too spaced out.
Moreover, tight braids can lead to (or worsen) traction alopecia, which may exacerbate your fringe hair loss problem [3].
Bangs can go very well with curly hair and provide an airy, full-volume look. But in order to make this style work, your fringe would need to be fairly thick, as a thinning one can leave an impression of scarcity where an abundance is expected.
Piecey bangs can seem like a good idea for a thinning fringe, because they are asymmetrical. However, they require a significant amount of styling products, such as gels or pomades, to arrange the pieces in your desired look. And thin hair cannot withstand that, as it will look even thinner when covered in hair product.
This retro look relies on a full and compact fringe in order to get that old-timey, pin-up girl effect. A flat, thinning fringe would clash with the luxurious curls that accompany this style, emphasising your hair loss.
The victory roll is another vintage look which has made a comeback. It uses round brushes or hair rollers alongside blow drying and styling products to obtain its typical horizontal cylinder shape.
But if your hair is thin in your fringe and hairline area, the cylinder will not look full and compact, making it tricky to achieve the desired retro look.
While different types of bangs normally work well with a ponytail, top-knot or bun, this is usually not the case for a thinning fringe.
That is because with the rest of your hair pulled back, your bangs will become the focus of attention and this can make the thinning more visible.
Moreover, tight hairdos such as ponytails can cause hair loss, as they can lead to developing (or worsening) traction alopecia [2].
A colourful headdress, such as a scarf or headband, can often be a style saviour on a bad hair day or if you are experiencing hair loss. However, if you have a thinning fringe and leave it out of your headdress, it will attract attention, making your hair loss more noticeable.
There are several things you can do to make your fringe look thicker and fuller than it really is. Here are some good options:
Making your fringe look thicker is only about appearance and does not solve the root of the problem: your frontal hair thinning. Treating the cause of your hair loss will often result in a healthier, more luxurious fringe, which you will no longer need to coax into looking fuller.
There are several reasons why your hair might be falling out, leading to a thinning fringe. The most common of these are:
This condition is caused by excessive use of tight hairdos or heavy extensions, this condition often leads to hair loss around the fringe, hairline and temples. [4].
This is a temporary condition, where diffuse hair loss is experienced as a result of significant stress or trauma. Once the stress is alleviated, your hair is expected to grow back.
Female pattern baldness usually causes diffuse hair thinning and an increase of the normal hair parting width. However, unlike male pattern baldness, it does not usually target the fringe or hairline in particular.
A rare type of alopecia that can sometimes develop alongside female pattern baldness, which can make it more difficult to diagnose. Fibrosing frontal alopecia causes a receding hairline, frontal hair loss and eyebrow loss [5].
This psychological condition consists of the compulsive pulling out of hair strands until there is visible thinning.
Due to hormonal fluctuations, hair shedding is more pronounced in the months after giving birth.
Treatments such as chemotherapy or hormone-based medication can have hair loss as a side effect. This normally reverses once the treatment is stopped.
Scalp conditions such as dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, or scalp psoriasis can cause temporary hair loss on your fringe or on your entire scalp. This is usually reversible with treatment.
Excessive use of heat styling, bleach or hair dye can cause hair loss, as the harsh chemicals within them damage your strands, leaving you with dry, brittle hair which is easy to break off.
Certain vitamin deficiencies can cause hair loss, as can improper hair and scalp hygiene or summer hair loss.
The duration of your thinning fringe is determined by the condition which is making your hair fall out. Some of these are temporary and will resolve once the element which was causing your hair loss is removed.
However, other conditions, such as female pattern baldness, are likely to require treatment in order to improve. It is very important to see a trichologist at the first signs of hair thinning and balding, because leaving these conditions unaddressed can make them advance to a point where they cannot be reversed by medication or therapies alone. If that happens, your best chance at regaining a full fringe is a hair transplant.
The first thing you need to do in order to obtain a thicker fringe is to determine the exact cause of your hair loss.
Book a consultation now with one of our top trichologists. They will perform a thorough check-up, which may include a dermoscopy and/or blood tests for hair loss and provide you with the most accurate diagnosis.
Once you know for sure what is causing your fringe thinning, you may be recommended some of the following proven treatments and therapies:
If you are considering hair restoration surgery, you will be happy to know that you can get a natural looking hair transplant regardless of whether you choose a FUE or FUT type procedure. The surgery is fast and safe and the best hair transplant clinics in the UK have a 97-100% success rate, so you can get a hair transplant without anyone knowing.
If you want to know more about how a hair restoration surgery can undo your hair loss, take a look at our before and after hair transplant gallery.
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