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EveryHairstyle

Thick hair

Dense, heavy hair. 7 hairstyles on EveryHairstyle so far.

Thick hair can mean wide, strong strands, or dense hair with many hairs on the head, or both. It looks full and holds braids, buns and curls well, but it can be heavy, slow to dry and bulky. Stylists remove weight from thick hair with layers, thinning and undercuts, and thick hair carries the long braids, chignons and buns that need a lot of hair.

Taking out weight

Layers, as in the shag and the mullet, lift and lighten thick hair. Thinning scissors and point cutting remove bulk from the middle lengths. A hidden undercut, the hair at the nape or under the sides clipped short, is a common trick for very thick hair: it removes much of the weight but is invisible when the hair is down and shows only when it is tied up.

Styles that need volume

Thick hair makes full, heavy braids, long plaits, large chignons and buns that hold without padding. Many of the long-haired traditions of South Asia, the long plait of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and the long Russian braid have prized thick hair. Thick hair holds a set curl for days but takes longer to dry, so many people with thick hair let it air dry part way before using heat.

Famous thick hair hairstyles

UndercutClipped underneath to remove weightLayered hairLayers lighten heavy hairShagChoppy layers for thick hairBraidsThick hair makes full braidsChignonA large knot without paddingMulletWeight taken from the front and sides

Further reading

KindCutBraidUpdoPonytailLocsNaturalCurlsShavedFringeStyledWrappedAdorned
Worn byMostly womenMostly menAnyoneChildrenBrides and weddingsFaith and religious ordersUniform and workSubcultures and music
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy length
Eembuvi 🇳🇦 Namibia and 1 moreEembuvi Traditional long braided headdress of Mbalantu women in Namibia.Braid · Straight hair Goddess braids 🇦🇹 AustriaGoddess braids Thick, raised cornrows with added volume and curls.Braid · Coily and kinky hair

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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