A woman with thick hair.
The best tips for thinning thick hair include reducing hair volume through cutting techniques, creating the appearance of thinner hair through styling techniques, and smoothing hair texture with styling products. Special cutting tools and techniques can reduce hair volume in different ways and may work for some people. For others, styling techniques that can be used with certain haircuts are a good option for thinning thick hair. If changes in cut or hairstyle are not an option, the hair can also be thinned with products that change the texture of the hair.
Brushing more often can sometimes make your hair thinner.
Some stylists use a special tool called thinning scissors to thin thick hair. These special scissors literally make hair thinner by cutting a certain amount of hair much shorter than the rest. The gaps in the scissor blades automatically cut some strands while others skip, allowing the hair to be finer without showing the different lengths in the style. This technique generally works best with straight or softer textured hair, as thick or curly hair can become frizzier when some strands are cut much shorter than others.
Razor combs are useful for thinning thick hair.
Thinning thick hair by reducing the overall volume of the hair can also be achieved by altering the hairstyle with certain haircuts. Layers are probably the most popular way to do this because having your hair at different lengths breaks up some of the volume and makes it lighter and thinner overall. This type of hairstyle usually works well for those with curly hair or those who simply appreciate the look of a layered hairstyle. Other styling techniques, such as using a flat iron or changing the location of a part, can also work to thin thick hair without creating a layered look.
People with thick, curly hair can use styling products and techniques to give the appearance of thinner hair.
When hairstyle changes are not desirable or possible, another option for thinning hair is to make the hair texture as smooth as possible. This approach will have the most dramatic effect on people with thick or curly hair, but it can be helpful for people with other hair types as well. Chemical relaxers, applied by a professional, can last for months and are very effective at straightening hair, but they can be quite expensive. Other store-bought products can be used daily to reduce frizz and smooth hair follicles. This approach is probably best for people who don’t want to reduce the actual volume of theirs, but want them to look slimmer and flatter.