The Best Medium Length Hairstyles for Fine and Thin Hair

We know the struggle, you want thick glossy magazine hair but it just won’t grow the way you want it. You could want a medium cut for a variety of reasons- first off it looks classic and stylish.

A medium, or shoulder-length hair style is the most universal cut for all hair types, offering enough versatility to be fun and exciting compared to shorter hair, whilst also not being as high maintenance as much longer hair styles. 

Baylage Blonde

If your hair is fine, fragile or damaged, you may find that when you grow it past a certain length it starts to look ratty and uneven. This is due to a variety of factors- if your hair is super fine and prone to damage, the lengths of your hair will start breaking off after a long period of time, especially around the front of your face.

This can be due to the weather, environmental polution or damage from hair products and heat treatment. Did you know this can also be due to genetics? A lot of people are predisposed for their hair not to grown much at all past a certain length, especially in the front of our faces.

This can leave you hair looking uneven and straggly, and if you prefer a polished look, give a medium cut a try!

Whether you want medium length hair for ease of styling and maintenance, because you simply can’t grow it any longer, or just because it’s a brilliant style, read on to find out the best ways you can cut it to boost your volume and transform your locks. 

1. Sweeping Champagne Blonde

If your looking for a mediu length cut that oozes style and class, opt for this gorgeous blonde shade. The multidimensional tones will trick the eye into thinking you have far more hair than you do, whilst the light touseled locks will accentuate your face and add needed volume. 

2. Blonde Bob with Side Braids

Who says you can’t have a little fun with shorter hair? The blunt bob means you can artificially add texture with some touseled waves. You can also play around with braids and plaits to add drama and definition to your hair, keeping you interested in your fresh new look!

3. Chocolate Brown Bob

This deep and rich color means you’ll stand out of the crowd with your dazzling short hair. The bonce is achieved through fine layers, which you can style to add extra definition. Team with an adorable and bold fringe and face framing pieces to accentuate the look and add a youthful edge to your look. 

4. Tousled Bob with Ribbons

By using multi tonal browns, you can add depth to your hair, adding thickness. This beautiful style is created by using ribbon tied through a french braid along the crown of the head. 

5. Shaggy Bob

With changing textures and multiple different layers to add drama and interest, the shaggy bob is a stylish and timeless way to wear shorter hair.

You can play around here with different styling tools to keep yourself interested in your new do and create several fun and interesting looks with just one hairstyle. 

6. Middle Parting Bob with Textured Layers

Ask your hairstylist for a middle parting when you get your bob cut in. It will give you the flexibility to change up your hair parting and create more looks as the lengths will have a bit more leeway to go from side to side without looking too dramatic when you want to change up your parting.

7. Platinum White Blonde Cut

If you’re looking for a color that captures attention whilst still looking sleek and professional, platinum blonde is a great way to go. The light color is perfect for any age and is especially gentle on older women as it adds light to the face.

Be aware however that this is a very high maintenance color, especially if you have dark natural hair, as with short bobs there’s no place to blend in your roots without growing your hair out considerably. 

8. Mid Length Bayalage Bob

White Blonde Cut

This on the other hand is a great style to go for if you still want a pop of warmer blonde tones in your hair but want to grow out your roots effortlessly. The mid-length cut is very flattering to the face shape too. Ask your hairstylist for a honey shoulder-length balayage, blending your natural roots.

This will give you minimal upkeep, a great option if your fine or thinning hair needs a break from over-processing. 

9. Grey and Silver Cut

Looking to stop dying your grays for good? This is the best way to do it! Ask your hairstylist to give you a natural fade to your silvers and grays, easier if you already have some roots growing through so you can get an even color match.

These sleek layers add body and volume to your hair and work great with thinner hair as you can style this versatile cut in many ways. 

10. Textured Choppy Blonde Lob

The lob or long bob is the perfect way to embrace some texture and detail to your hair whilst still maintaining an easy-to-style hairdo. Take a leaf out of Heather Locklear’s stylish book!

She is the queen of ageless style, and there are tonnes of research photos you can bring to your stylist for inspiration so your stylist knows what you’re looking to achieve. 

11. Bleach Blonde and Undercut

This is the ultimate stylish cut if you want to embrace an easy-to-manage hairdo. Having an undercut may seem like the last thing you want to do if your trying to keep your hair looking as thick as possible, but it will naturally give the top layer bounce and is also really fun to put into buns, plaits, or any other number of styles. Ask for a blunt bob and a deep undercut from your hairdresser. 

12. Angled Bob for Afro Hair

Give yourself some root lift along with a lightly angled bob to create volume by your forehead. Use a product to keep lift and maintain a sleek and sassy style throughout the day. 

13. Long Wolf Cut

One of the most stylish and sexy ways to style medium-length hair whilst keeping body and flair. A wolf cut can be styled so many ways and looks just as good messy as it does styled, perfect if you are looking for a style with minimal fuss!

14. Short Wolf Cut with Fringe

Another beautiful wolf cut, can you tell we’re obsessed? With the addition of a bold fringe, this looks great with a little added root lift and some cute pins or accessories to keep it looking fresh and interesting. This is also a great cut if you’re growing out an annoying pixie cut to a shoulder-length style. 

15. Bleached Mullet

A punky twist is a great way to embrace your natural hair texture and not worry about uneven hair growth. The mullet is an exaggerated wolf cut, with long lengths and touseled ends. The goal with layers in thin hair is to create volume whilst not getting rid of the density of your hair. 

16. Short Layered Bob

Another unique style that breaths new life into thin and shorter hair. When styling, straighten your hair and curl outwards away from the face. This creates extra much-needed volume. As always, be sure to protect your thin hair with a heat protector before you use a damaging styler!

17. Bleached Split Dye Hair With Layers 

Short Layered Bob

Add some drama and uniqueness to your look. This youthful and bold use of color is a great way to enhance your natural texture and play around with placement.

If you find yourself dyeing your hair too often and switching up colors causing damage to your hair, this is a great way to still get your hair-dye fix whilst protecting the majority of your hair from damage. 

18. Blunt Short Bob With Middle Parting

As great as layers are for creating volume in thin hair, surprisingly, having a blunt cut also creates the illusion of thickness and fullness. Ask your stylist for a blunt above shoulder cut with a middle parting.

Having your hair above the shoulder creates the illusion of thickness and keeps your hair looking neat whilst also giving you the flexibility to style it in many different ways. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I ask my Hair Stylist For? 

There are two main styles you can go with for thin hair, here’s what to ask your stylist for. 

Blunt and Bold– Ask your stylist for a bob or lob, depending on your desired length, with a straight, sharp line.

Avoid asking for a heavily angled bob as this can age you, despite it giving extra volume. Ask for your hair to be cut in a middle parting, even if you part your hair on the side, as this will give you the freedom to change your parting up. 

Punky and Wispy- Ask your stylist for a Wolf Cut or long, layered mullet to enhance the natural wave or texture of your hair. Ask for shorter chopping layers on the top of your head with long choppy layers around the back with face-framing pieces.

Ask for a point-cut fringe if you want an extra feminine edge to your style. 

Why Can’t I Grow My Hair Long?

There are a number of variables that could be the reason why your hair isn’t growing long. 

  • Genetics– unfortunately sometimes there’s nothing you can do about how long your hair will grow, no matter how well you look after it and all the vitamins and supplements you take.

Each person has their own individual hair cycle growth phase which determines how long their hair will grow. Your hair’s maximum length it can grow to naturally is called the ‘terminal length’. 

However, when your hair starts shedding faster than it can grow, you will notice your hair thinning more than usual- this can be for a number of reasons stated below. 

  • Stress and Hormone Levels. When you’re stressed, either emotionally or physically, basically all elements of your health are affected including the health of your hair. Hormone levels change when you are stressed which can lead to hair loss and lack of nutrients being provided to your hair. If you find you are losing more hair than you usually would, try thinking more mindfully and addressing areas of your life that are causing you stress. 
  • Heat Styling. One of the biggest causes of hair damage is the overuse of hair tools that use heat. Frying your lengths with hair tools will slow down your hair growth massively. Make sure you are always using a good quality heat protectant and using dryers, curlers and straighteners less often. 
  • Natural Breakage. Do you notice that your hair always looks disheveled after a day out in the wind and rain? Natural damage from the elements can cause a lot of damage to your hair lengths. Make sure you secure your hair when you are out and about to prevent unnecessary damage.
  • Sun damage. The sun can make your hair super fragile and prone to breakage. SPF isn’t only for your skin, put a sun protector formulated for thin hair in your lengths and scalp to protect it from the elements. 

Why Is A Medium-Cut Good For Thin Hair?

It’s a great solution if you find your hair looks and feels thin and fine. It seems counter-intuitive, you’ve probably thought the more you grow your hair, the fuller and thicker it will look, right?

Unfortunately, this just isn’t the case sometimes, and calling it quits on your straggly length can often give you much fuller, thicker-looking hair!

Having a shorter style of hair will add natural volume to your hair, as your roots will not feel as weighed down by long tresses. It can bring out the natural curl, making your hair look fuller and thicker.

If you get a blunt cut, your hair will look less fine, as the volume created by the sharp, straight line makes your hair look so much fuller. 

Lynn Pearson