How to Cut, Style, & Maintain Thin Hair

How to Cut, Style, & Maintain Thin Hair

August 17, 2018

At Svelte, we're constantly asked about different hairstyles for thin hair, and how to make thin hair 'look good'.

Well thin hair is a gift... and a curse. 

On one hand, thin hair is awesome because you aren't restricted to certain styles like guys who have really straight or really curly hair. If you have thin hair, your style options are almost endless.  

On the flip side, men with thin hair know just how temperamental it can be when it comes to elements like heat, sweat, rain, and wind. It’s definitely not as sturdy or resilient as thick hair.

Keep in mind though: curly-haired or straight-haired guys don't have near the style options you do, so start with that attitude!

But you came here to learn, so today you're going to learn just what to do with your thin hair, & you'll see how to make the most of the gift you have on top of your squash.

 

It Starts With The Right Cut...

When it comes to dealing with thin hair, the actual haircut you get has almost everything to do with how you style your hair and how well products and styling turn out.

Here's what we tell most men with thin hair: 

No matter the color-- shorter, thin hair is much easier to style correctly to get the shape you want. It accentuates the face, and in turn, augments your entire look.

Regardless of the color of your hair, the "rule of thumb cut" that usually looks best for guys with thin hair goes is this:

You'll want a classic, clean look with a short cut on the sides-- no longer than an inch--  and the top longer than the sides.

This shape will compliment your facial structure and really show off the styling of the product used to lay the hair on top just where you want it.

 

Styling Product Matters

This is usually where it gets a tad messy for lots of guys.

For fellas with thin hair, a styling product can be the difference between better-looking hair than you have ever imagined... and an absolute debacle keeping you from going out in public.

Thin hair usually looks better with a “natural”, less-shiny look.

When it comes to using a product on it, think “light”.

You want it to look like there's no product in it at all.

To achieve this, you can start with a matte pomade like Svelte's own matte pomade, or use a light clay or fiber-styling product.

Svelte Matte Pomade for Men with Thin Hair

Whatever you choose, apply it when hair is completely dry.

The point is to give every shaft of hair its space, giving a thicker look and feel, all while texturizing the hair a bit to give it more volume.

Again, you want it to look natural.

 

Want to Step Up Your Thin Hair Style? Try Pomade

At this point, you'll probably notice a big difference and have some awesome results.

However, if you want to take the style a little bit further, try a pomade, like Svelte's own matte pomade, which we formulated with thin-haired guys in mind. 

Remember, when it comes to a pomade: less is much, much more. If you’re not careful, pomades can clump thin hairs together giving them a stringy, thin look.

When using pomades with thin hair, start with a very small amount. Rub it into your hands until it disappears, then lightly run it through your hair.

Play with it till it starts looking like you want it to, then lock it in with a very fine mist hairspray (bigger droplets stick to and weigh down hair).

After a little practice, a world of styles will open up to you.

For a little more style inspiration, Google around for some of your favorite thin-haired celebs who rock a natural style-- you’ll realize you can do it too.

 

Shampooing & Conditioning Thin Hair

We get these types of questions all the time:

"Should I shampoo every day? When should I condition? What kind of shampoo and conditioner do I use?"

All valid questions, and all very important to ask when dealing with thin hair.

Spoiler alert here: there's no clear answer... BUT we'll make it a lot easier for you to experiment.

Here's a process you can try to see how often you should be shampooing:

1. Give yourself a night off from your normal shower rituals involving your hair. Don't shampoo, condition, or anything like that.

2. The next morning, if your hair is a little on the greasy side (and looking its thinnest): refrain from conditioning more than once a week.

In fact, you might not want to condition at ALL; many of us don’t have to condition because out scalp naturally secretes oils that condition on its own. Those without thin hair don't generate enough scalp oil to allow that, but in your case: it’s enough.

3. If your hair is dry in the morning: step it up to 2-3 days of conditioning a week.

With all this though, keep in mind that conditioning thin hair can actually thin it even more, leading to frustration when styling.

Now what about shampooing?

Thin hair needs to be shampooed for many reasons, but the biggest one is to clear the scalp from any grease and dirt that clogs your hair follicles, which thinns your hair even more.

A quality shampoo and conditioner (with biotin) helps strengthen your hair and creates volume and natural shine.

There are some men’s hair cleansing kits out there with all sorts of ingredients that will help you thickemn and strengthen your hair.

They're definitely not something you HAVE to have, but we WILL say we've personally witnessed clients achieve noticeably thicker hair from using some of them.

Try them out for yourself. Just know when to move on to the next one (or none of them) to avoid wasting mula on the wrong fixes.

 

So see? When you get the hang of how to manage and style your head of thin hair, we promise you'll consider yourself follicly blessed once again!

Again, if you're looking to take your thin hairstyle up to a new level, Svelte's matte pomade might be a good solution for you!