22 Formal Hairstyles for Thin Hair That Add Fullness and Hold

Thin hair looks fuller in a formal style than it does on a normal day, as long as the style is built for it.

A tight bun pulls the hair flat and shows the scalp, and a heavy curl falls out before the first dance.

The styles that work add texture first and keep the hair loose at the crown, so there is something for the pins to hold and something for the light to catch.

A spray and ten minutes of backcombing are most of the prep. The teased low bun is the first style to try.

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Teased Low Bun

A full, soft bun at the nape with the crown lifted and a few loose pieces around the face.

This bun gives thin hair the volume that a smooth bun never does, because the teasing at the crown hides the scalp and makes the bun look twice its size.

Spray the dry hair with texture spray and backcomb the crown, then gather it low and twist it into a loose bun.

Pin the bun with U-pins and pull the edges wider with your fingers.

Half-Up With Teased Crown

The top half pinned back at the crown with lift at the roots, and soft waves worn down below it. You can choose this hairstyle if you want the length down but need the crown to look full in photos.

Curl the hair with a curling iron, then backcomb the crown and smooth the top layer over it. Pin the top half at the back with two bobby pins crossed over each other. A light hairspray holds the lift without making it stiff.

Soft Curled Blowout

Shoulder-length hair blown out full with soft curls bending away from the face, the roots lifted and the ends turned out.

The blowout is the formal style for women who do not want anything pinned, and it holds on thin hair when the curls are set in rollers while they cool.

Blow-dry in sections with a round brush, lifting at the root, then set each section in a velcro roller while it cools. Remove the rollers and shake the hair loose, then spray the roots.

Side-Swept Waves

Soft waves brushed over one shoulder from a deep side part, pinned behind the ear on the light side.

The deep part stacks the hair on one side so it looks thicker, and it covers a thin hairline at the temple. Curl the hair away from the face with a 1-inch iron, then part it deep and brush the waves over one shoulder.

Pin the light side behind the ear with a bobby pin and cover the pin with a jeweled clip.

Low Chignon With a Padded Bump

A smooth low chignon at the nape with a soft rise at the crown, created with a small hair pad hidden underneath.

Thin hair makes a small chignon on its own, so the pad adds the fullness without any teasing.

Pin a small hair pad or a bun donut at the crown and smooth the hair over it, then gather the length at the nape and roll it under.

Pin the roll with U-pins and smooth the sides with a soft brush and hairspray.

Loose Braided Updo

Two loose braids wrapped around the back of the head and pinned into a soft braided bun, the braids pulled wide so they look full.

A braid looks thicker than loose hair when you pull it apart, so braided updos are a good choice for thin hair.

Spray the hair with texture spray and braid it into two low braids, then tug each braid wider from the edges. Wrap the braids around each other at the nape and pin them in place.

Textured Low Ponytail

A low ponytail with the crown teased for height, the tail curled into loose waves and pulled over one shoulder.

This ponytail adds fullness where thin hair needs it most, which is at the crown and in the tail.

Set the hair in hot rollers while you dress, then backcomb the crown and gather the hair low. Wrap a piece of hair around the elastic to hide it.

Tug the tail apart with your fingers so the waves look fuller and softer.

Soft Hollywood Waves

Deep waves set in one direction from a deep side part, brushed out so they move and shine.

Hollywood waves give thin hair a fuller shape than loose curls, because the waves hold together as one piece instead of separating into thin strands.

Curl each section the same way with a large barrel iron and pin each curl to the head while it cools, then brush them out with a soft brush. Finish with a shine spray and a light hold spray.

Twisted Half-Up With a Clip

Two twists from the temples pinned at the back of the head with a pearl clip, and the length left down in soft waves.

The twists pull the hair away from the face and make the sides look thicker, and the clip covers the pins. You can wear this hairstyle to a dinner or a wedding without any teasing.

Twist a section from each temple back and join them with a pearl clip at the back of the head, then wave the length below it.

Voluminous Blowout With a Bump

Straight hair blown out smooth with a soft rise at the crown and the ends curled under, worn down.

The bump at the crown is the one thing that keeps a smooth blowout from looking flat on thin hair. Blow-dry with a round brush, then tease the crown and smooth the top layer over it with a brush.

Pin the bump at the back with two bobby pins and spray it. Curl the ends under with the same round brush.

Jeweled Headband With Soft Waves

A thin jeweled headband set a few inches behind the hairline, with the hair in front of it lifted and soft waves worn down.

The headband hides a thin hairline and adds a formal detail at the same time, and the lift in front of it fills out the crown.

Curl the hair with a curling iron, then push the headband in from the front and lift the hair a little in front of the band. Spray the crown with hairspray so the lift stays.

Messy High Bun

A loose, full bun high on the head with the crown teased and curled pieces pulled out around it, the sides left soft.

The teasing and the loose twist make a small amount of hair look like a big bun.

Backcomb the whole length, then gather the hair high and twist it around the base without pulling it tight.

Pin it with bobby pins and pull pieces out around the face and the bun. A little hairspray holds the shape.

Faux Bob With Pinned Ends

Long hair that looks like a full chin-length bob for one night.

The length is tucked under at the nape and pinned, so all the hair folds into the ends and the bob looks thick. Soft waves on top keep it soft.

Curl the hair with a wand, then roll the ends under at the nape and pin them in a line across the back. Pull the waves loose on top and spray the back to hold the pins.

Low Twisted Bun With Extensions

A full low bun at the nape with a clip-in bun piece or a few wefts added, the hair twisted around it and the sides smoothed. Clip-in extensions are the quickest way to make a formal bun look full on thin hair.

Nobody can tell once the bun is pinned. Tie a low ponytail and clip the extension piece around the base, then twist the hair around it. Pin with large bobby pins and smooth the sides with gel.

Crown Braid

A loose braid wrapped around the head like a crown, pulled wide at the edges and pinned at the back.

The braid lifts the hair off the face and the pulled edges make it look thicker than it is.

You can choose this style for a garden wedding or a daytime event. Braid the hair in two sections from behind each ear, then wrap them around the head.

Pin the braids as you go and tug the edges out with your fingers.

Pinned Curls Updo

Soft curls pinned up loose at the crown in sections, the ends left out so the curls stand away from the head.

The pinned curls make the back of the head look full, because each curl keeps its shape instead of lying flat.

Curl the hair with a 1-inch iron and spray each curl with hairspray, then pin each section up at the crown with a bobby pin.

Leave the ends loose and pull a few curls out at the front.

Sleek Low Ponytail With a Wrap

Hair brushed back smooth into a low ponytail at the nape, a wide strand wrapped around the elastic and the tail left straight and shiny.

A smooth ponytail shows off healthy hair, not thin hair.

Straighten the hair with a flat iron, then brush it back with a soft brush and a little gel.

Wrap a strand around the elastic and pin the end underneath. Add a serum to the tail for shine, and keep the crown smooth and tight so the look stays clean.

Side Bun With Curls

A loose bun of curls pinned behind one ear, the curls left soft and a few pieces loose around the face.

The side bun puts all the hair in one place so it looks fuller, and it looks right with an off-the-shoulder dress.

Curl the hair with a curling iron, then gather it behind one ear and pin the curls one at a time into a loose bun shape. Pull the front pieces loose and finish with a light mist of hairspray.

Half-Up Bow

The top half of the hair tied back with a satin ribbon bow at the crown, and the length worn down in soft waves.

The bow adds a formal detail without any pins or teasing, and it covers the elastic at the crown. Black or deep red satin looks right for an evening.

Curl the hair with a wand, then gather the top half back and tie it with a thin elastic. Tie the ribbon over the elastic in a bow with long tails.

Pixie With Volume

Short hair styled up and back from the face with lift at the roots, the sides smoothed and the top pieces soft.

Short hair with fine strands gets the most volume when the top is lifted and the sides are kept close. Blow-dry the top up and back with a small round brush, then set the lift with a dry texture spray.

Smooth the sides with a little gel and add a jeweled pin or a small clip for the event.

Waved Lob With a Deep Side Part

Shoulder-length hair in loose waves from a deep side part, the heavy side full over one eye and the ends curled away from the face. A deep side part makes thin hair look thicker because most of the hair falls on one side.

Wave the hair with a 1-inch iron away from the face, then part it deep on one side and shake the waves loose with your fingers. Dry shampoo at the roots keeps the heavy side full through the evening.

Low Rolled Updo With Pearl Pins

The hair rolled under at the nape into a soft horizontal roll, with pearl pins set along the top of the roll and the crown lifted.

The roll uses all the hair in one piece so no thin spots show, and the pearl pins draw the eye.

Tease the crown, then gather the hair at the nape and roll it under with your hands, tucking the ends inside.

Pin the roll with U-pins and push the pearl pins in along the top.