Hair loss hairstyles for thinning hair on crown can be a lifesavers if you’re lacking hair. Female pattern hair loss, which is often diffuse but concentrated around the crown [1], affects 30% of women by the age of 30 [2]. Excessively tight hairstyles can also cause a thinning crown in some cases.
Choosing a hairstyle when you have thinning hair on your crown can be difficult. You may not want to go for a shorter style, but equally you might feel self-conscious that people can see your scalp through your thinning hair if you keep it long. It’s all about finding the right style to conceal your hair shedding. In this article, we’ll explore:
Here are the top 30 hairstyles for women with a thinning crown and mid-scalp.
Layers make your hair look thicker at the roots, so this style is a low-maintenance way to disguise any thinning around your crown. Keep your bob short and lightweight with regular trims, so your hair doesn’t weigh itself down and expose your crown.
Like the bob, a pixie cut is a short but stylish look that will help cover up any thinning areas. Use gel, wax, or mousse to style your pixie cut, holding it in place over any troublesome areas.
Curls are a great way to style your existing hair if it’s thinning around the crown. Curls and waves add volume, creating the illusion of thicker, fuller hair.
Use heatless styling tools to get the curls you want. Heat may be linked with hair loss, so it’s a good idea to minimise the use of straighteners and curling tongs wherever possible.
Feeling brave? Buzzing your hair off can be a liberating experience, especially if you’ve been struggling with female pattern hair loss, alopecia areata, or another hair loss condition for a while. Check out these bold bald women for inspiration on how to rock a buzzcut.
A bun is an everyday hairstyle that’s ideal for those with longer hair. Messy buns work best, as they tend to be more forgiving while keeping those thinning areas covered.
Here’s how to do a messy bun in just one minute:
Hair thinning is common in women of African descent who wear their hair in protective styles for long periods [3]. Letting your natural Afro hair grow out can give it a chance to recover while also covering up your thinning areas.
Sweeping or flipping your hair across to create a deeper side parting is a great way to disguise any bald spots on the crown or across the mid-scalp, especially if you have thinning on one side of the head. However, it might be one to avoid if you have thinning around your parting, too.
Half-up, half-down styles allow you to sweep your hair back across any thinning areas on the crown or top of the head, while keeping some length in your hair.
As with any updo, make sure to keep your style loose. Don’t scrape your hair back off your face in tight ponytails, as this can lead to hairline recession in women.
A French twist is a classy look for a celebration, such as a wedding or christening. Not only that, but you can style it as needed to cover up any thinning areas; wearing a messier French twist gives you more leeway to strategically pin specific strands in place.
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Increase the volume of your ponytail with this simple hack. Tight ponytails may be linked with hair loss, so keep your ponytail loose when using this trick to boost volume and make your hair look thicker around your crown.
Steal this red carpet look by slicking or sweeping your hair back over your crown. This hides any scalp hair thinning, and gives you a high fashion style that’s sure to impress.
The beehive is a showstopping hairstyle that has the added advantage of disguising any thinning around your crown, while keeping your hair length intact.
Keep your beehive small and subtle if you have thin hair. Try not to overdo the gel or hairspray, as hair gels may damage your hair with overuse.
If your hair is too thin to disguise with careful styling, consider getting a wig. Human hair wigs can create a versatile, natural look you’re sure to love, especially if you’ve been trying to find a style you’re happy with for some time. Wigs also allow you to pick a bold style, like a bright pink bob, and switch it up as often as you like.
Toppers are a type of smaller wig just used to cover the crown. So this could work if you can find the right colour and style to blend with your natural hair.
Combine the beehive with a high ponytail for a great way to get volume in your hair, particularly around the crown area. This is sure to hide your hair thinning.
Try to avoid backcombing to add volume and lift, as this can damage the hair shafts [4]. Instead, use a heatless curling or crimping method on the hair near the roots and set it in place using hairspray or mousse.
Also, remember not to tie your ponytail too tightly — this can tug on your follicles and lead to a condition called traction alopecia.
If you have diffuse thinning around your parting, a messy parting (along with volume and bounce) can make this less obvious.
Shifting your parting to the side of your head — almost along your temple — allows you to sweep the majority of your hair to one side, covering up any thinning across the scalp.
This versatile style works with all sorts of hair textures, types, and lengths.
Curls add volume, so getting a perm could be a good way to add permanent bounce to your thinning hair.
However, perms can dry out your locks, making them more prone to hair breakage. So make sure to treat your tresses to regular moisturising sessions (coconut oil is a great DIY hair mask).
Perms can damage your hair and might not be suitable for everyone, so check with your stylist and trichologist beforehand if you have a hair loss condition.
For people with Afro hair, twist outs can be a good way to boost volume and disguise the crown. Twist outs don’t rely on heat or chemicals, so it’s a good protective style if your hair is thinning.
If your thinning is too extensive to style over, consider using scarves, headwraps, or hats to cover up your bald spots. Experiment with different styles and mix and match with your outfits for a unique, glamorous look.
A ballerina bun (or doughnut bun) is a sophisticated updo that’s ideal for both work and special occasions. Best of all, you can style it high or low to cover up any thinning areas. Just remember to keep your bun loose and messy to avoid any tugging on the follicles.
A shattered bob can add body to thinning hair and give you a classy new look. The stylist vertically cuts into the end of your hair to create this low-maintenance hairdo. Keeping your hair short can help disguise a thinning parting, too.
If you’d like to keep your hair long but hide thinning areas, consider choppy layers with curtain bangs. Choppy cuts make your hair seem fuller and the curtain fringe takes some weight out of it, creating volume around the roots and disguising a thinning crown.
The trendy shag haircut works well for all hair types. Layers of varying lengths create texture and volume, perfect to keep a thinning crown under wraps.
A stacked bob is perfect for a thinning crown — unlike a classic bob, the shortest strands of hair are at the back of your head. This keeps the hair around your crown super lightweight, creating volume and the illusion of greater density.
Beachy waves create volume and texture. Keep your hair mid-length and chop in a few layers to stop it getting too weighed down around the crown.
A sporty-looking headband serves a dual purpose. Not only does it gather hair further towards the back of your head, concealing a thinning crown, it can also disguise a receding hairline or large forehead.
The caesar cut is a short hairdo with a slight fringe at the front. This style can be great for a thinning crown or parting because you can style and mould your hair to create a combover in any thinning area. It also hides a high hairline.
The curly bob combines two key principles of disguising a thin crown: short hair to create volume, and curls to disguise balding areas. This style can be super low-maintenance if you have naturally curly locks.
An asymmetrical bob gives your hair volume and texture, while drawing attention away from your crown with its striking front section. Some choppy layers can add further volume and take weight off the roots at your crown.
While layers can add body and texture, going layer-free can keep your hair thicker if a fuller head of hair is your main goal. Keeping it short in a bob helps to stop your locks getting weighed down, so they’re less likely to expose a thinning crown.
Traction alopecia is a type of hair loss caused by prolonged tension on the hair. It’s often seen in women who regularly wear very tight hairstyles; the hairstyles with the highest risk are thought to be [5]:
To reduce your risk of traction alopecia or stop existing symptoms worsening, avoid hairstyles that pull tightly on your scalp. Choose loose braids or ponytails if you need to tie your hair back, and consult a hair doctor if you notice any new hair loss.
There are lots of fab hair loss hairstyles for thinning hair on the crown. But there are also some to avoid. Here are five styles to skip to prevent further damaged hair.
Dreadlocks are renowned for creating weight that pulls on the follicles, leading to traction alopecia [3]. So while your hair is thinning around the crown, it’s a good idea to avoid dreadlocks, especially if you have longer hair.
While a fringe is a great female hairstyle for a receding hairline, they’re not so good if you have crown hair loss. Cutting in a fringe can remove body and volume from your hair. So they’re best reserved for those with thick, healthy hair across the mid-scalp.
Hair extensions for thickness are tempting, especially when you have thinning hair. But like dreadlocks, weaves and hair extensions can lead to hair loss, thanks to the unnecessary weight added to your hair. So try to resist the temptation to wear these if you have thin hair around the crown.
Ponytails and buns are an easy go-to hairstyle on a busy day. But try to avoid scraping your hair back into a tight style, as this can lead to breakage around the hairline.
If your hair is naturally straight, wearing it long can make your crown thinning more apparent. Consider getting a chop (or trying one of the suggested updos above) to add volume and bounce to your hair, helping disguise any thinning.
Thinning hair at the crown can affect you in more ways than just styling challenges. Female pattern hair loss can cause significant emotional stress and reduce your quality of life [6].
Medically known as androgenetic alopecia, this condition can lead to negative feelings about your appearance, and these tend to affect women more than men [6]. Research suggests that women with this type of hair loss are also more likely than men to experience higher social anxiety, reduced self-esteem, and less life satisfaction [6].
The cost of hair pieces, styling products, and salon trips can add up if you’re dealing with a thinning crown. Also, it’s natural to worry about the underlying cause if you haven’t had a diagnosis yet.
Fortunately, many thinning crown cases can be treated. Here are some potential treatment options:
Female hair loss can be really worrying, and it sometimes takes more than clever styling to tackle thinning hair. You may need hair loss blood tests and other diagnostic trichology tests to establish the reason your hair is falling out, whether it’s female pattern baldness or another condition.
At the Wimpole Clinic, our team of female hair loss specialists is on hand to help you get through this tricky time and find a female hair loss treatment plan that works. Book a consultation at one of our clinic locations to get started.
The best haircut for you depends on several different factors. The extent of hair loss at your crown, your hair type, and other areas of thinning (such as your parting) will all affect your style choice. In general, short, voluminous hairdos that need minimal heat styling are good if you have a thinning crown.
A well-chosen hairstyle is one way to hide thinning hair on the crown. Other tactics include accessories like headbands and scarves, hair thickening shampoo, thickening sprays and mousses, and wigs or toppers.
In general, yes. Shorter hair tends to give you more volume and create the appearance of fuller hair, and it takes some weight off the crown area. Shorter styles can also be easier to style over thinning areas to conceal them.
It depends on the cause of thinning hair. If it’s due to androgenetic alopecia, your thinning crown hair is unlikely to grow back without intervention. However, conditions such as alopecia areata can cause hair loss in different areas of the scalp, including the crown, and this may spontaneously regrow.
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