How to Make Men's Hair Look Thicker

Using a hair dryer is key to giving hair volume.

Thinning hair is a common complaint of men, particularly those who are experiencing a permanent form of hair loss such as androgenetic alopecia, or male-pattern baldness. A man with male-pattern baldness may go completely bald, or may experience thinning of the hair at the sides of the hairline and at the crown of the head but never lose all of the hair. While wearing a hairpiece or shaving the head are common methods for dealing with thinning hair, there are some hairstyling options that can help to give the appearance of thicker hair without drastic changes.

Things You'll Need

• Magazines or style books
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Towel
• Volumizing mousse
• Comb
• Hair dryer
• Hairspray
• Pomade

Instructions

Cutting

1. Look through magazines and hairstyle magazines to get an idea of what cut will look good with your facial shape. Choose from cuts that are short and don't weigh the thin strands down, but don't require a lot of styling gel, which will expose your scalp.

2. Go to your regular barber, or ask friends for a good stylist. Ask the salon if the stylist has experience dealing with thinning hair, and make an appointment only if the stylist is confident that he can help you with your hairstyle.

3. Take a copy of the picture with you to your barber or stylist and request input. Ask the stylist how you'll need to style the hair in order to make it appear thicker. Allow the stylist to proceed with the cut only if you're comfortable that you'll be able to recreate the style on a daily basis.

4. Have your hair styled at the salon. Ask the stylist to explain what he's doing as he's styling your hair; don't be afraid to write down the steps if you think you'll need the guidance when doing it at home.

Styling

1. Wash your hair with shampoo and a light conditioner. Towel dry your hair, leaving it damp.

2. Squirt a quarter-sized amount of volumizing mousse in the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together, working the mousse to your fingertips.

3. Massage the roots of your hair with the volumizing mousse. Use a hair dryer on a low heat setting to dry your hair. Gently lift your hair straight up and aim the air stream at your roots. Repeat all over the head until the hair is dry.

4. Spray the hair with a very light hairspray to hold the style. Tame wild hairs by using a dime-sized dollop of pomade on your fingertips and smoothing it over the flyaways.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep hair short but with overly short. Long hair and extremely short hair show the scalp worse than a short hair style.

• Get regular haircuts to clip away the ends of hair and to promote growth.

• Request input from your stylist on products such as shampoos, conditioners, volumizing mousse, hairspray or pomade that will help you to style your hair and prevent the thinness from being so evident.

• Stay away from gels and heavy conditioners that can weigh hair down. Stick with light ingredients and shampoo frequently to avoid oily buildup that can make hair separate and show the scalp.

References

• Men's Health: Hide Thinning Hair
• Chiff: Make Fine & Thin Hair Look Thicker