Stylists Share 11 Trendy Layered Pixie Cuts That Provide Instant Volume To Flat, Thin Hair Over 50
Finding the perfect hairstyle that adds volume without accentuating thinning hair can be quite challenging, especially for mature women looking for a stylish and easy-to-maintain look. This summer we’ve got you covered. We’ve sought the expertise of both celebrity and professional hairstylists to present you with a list of eleven chic short haircuts that are voluminous and require minimal effort.
Ideal for women in their forties and fifties, particularly those with finer or thinner hair, these timeless pixie cuts can help you unleash your inner celebrity or exude an elegant and sophisticated aura. Read on for suggestions and insight from Gina Rivera, celebrity hairstylist and Founder of Phenix Salon Suites, Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles, Krysta Guerrero, owner and stylist at Base Salon Chicago, Dr. Roshan Vara, hair transplant surgeon and co-founder at The Treatment Rooms and Arrogant Smith, professional hair stylist and hair consultant at KES Wigs.
11 Chic, Voluminous Pixie Cuts To Try This Summer, According To The Pros
1. Pixie With Sideswept Bangs
One specific short 'do that can highlight your eyes, cheekbones, and face shape is a pixie cut with sideswept bangs. "Ever seen a pixie cut where the bangs steal all the attention? This is what you're after: long, sideswept bangs," Abdullah explains. Robin Wright's look above is a great example.
"The rest of your hair should be piece-y and angled. She adds that "the cut should swirl around your head to hide hair loss." Abdullah stresses that a pixie cut with layers still maintains volume that is both gorgeous and easy to manage. That way you can give off an effortlessly chic look.
2. Edgy Asymmetrical Pixie
Halle Berry is a clear fan of a great voluminous pixie-inspired cut and Abdullah notes that it's a timeless, tried-and-true style for many reasons. "As we age, our hair tends to thin and dull so regular trims, a fun cut, [and] maybe some fresh color and glossing treatments, are great ways to maintain a youthful look," Abdullah explains.
She stresses that a longer cut like this with layers is one of the best ways to draw more attention to your face, while also maintaining locks that are easy to manage, and give off an effortless look. "Ask your stylist about the amount and placement of layers that will help create volume and body in your hair," she says. "Tell them you would like to create more volume."
3. Side-Parted Pompadour
Pink is known to rock epic short hairstyles, and her silver hair color is truly unforgettable. With this pompadour look, she adds instant volume and a side part for even more pizzazz. Adding volume to a pixie like this (especially when you want to enhance a naturally gray or silver shade), Vara says, can really help "make the color pop."
Abdullah agrees, and adds that a deep side part can give more movement to thinning hair than a middle part, and this can also hide any signs of thinning near the crown. The more you know!
4. Bixie
If you can't decide between a bob or pixie, we have good news. You don't have to! A 'bixie' (or bob-meets-pixie) like Jane Fonda's is very in for summer, and can be a very flattering and chic choice, Guerrero explains. There are elements of both styles to play with here in this social media-fave cut, and spring is a great time to find what works for you.
"The bixie is a traditional bob haircut that’s combined with a pixie," she says. "The nice thing about a bixie is its versatility — not only can you adjust the length and opt to have it a little longer, but there is no one way to do it when it comes to the style. The cut is totally customizable based on your preference."
5. Pixie With Wispy Fringe
Another flattering touch to a great pixie is wispy bangs, Abdullah says. This cut, which requires face-framing, longer fringe parted down the center, "flatters just about any face at any age," according to Abdullah. These bangs, as seen on Anne Hathaway, she explains, "neatly frame the face while drawing attention away from serious aging signs."
Rivera adds that these bangs can "also detract from the appearance of fine or limp hair and can add dimension toa style." She also notes that they "can be styled in a variety of ways which can lead to the hair appearing fuller."
6. Pixie With Strategic Layers
Rather than going for a one-length cut that can weigh your locks down, layers can add volume, Abdullah notes. When you head to the salon, Abdullah says to first ask your stylist about "the amount and placement of layers that will help create volume and body in your hair" and that you would like to create more volume with your pixie cut.
"Generally, pixies that add volume are cut very short in the back, a little long around the ears, and long up top,” she notes. "The layers can be cut to swirl around the head to hide thinning in whichever areas [it's] most apparent." Of course, it's also a good idea to "take a few pictures into the salon to see what’s possible (like Jamie Lee Curtis here) and will look best on you."
7. Circular, Rounded Pixie
If you're struggling with thinning hair or hair loss, Abdullah recommends getting a circular or rounded, layered pixie like Audrey Tautou. "If you're thinning in the crown, consider a short haircut that's styled in a circular fashion or a swirl around the head," she advises.
"A pixie like this can work wonders here," she says, as it "puts the attention of the eye somewhere besides the thinning top." Another trick she says you can use is to "ask your stylist to cut short layers into your hair," she notes. "These are cut on a slight angle and are meant to help create volume."
8. Sleek Pixie With A Deep Side Part
Side parts evoke not only Old Hollywood, timeless glam— they also provide instant volume to short hair. As Abdullah points out, "in this manner, you can move the hair from one side to the other, as you wish." The added hair going over, she says, as seen here on Kate Mara's more modern, fresh take, will increase volume in the area as well, especially if your hair is used to being parted down the center.
"If you really prefer a center part, make a short one instead so that the hair in front goes to either side of your face," she suggests. "Then the hair in the center can be brushed back. Any difference that you create when your hair is used to lying flat and completely to the sides will create volume and make a big difference," she says.
9. Metallic, Wavy Old Hollywood Pixie
Ciara wowed everyone at the 2016 Met Gala with a wavy, deep side-parted, silvery hairstyle. This look epically channels Old Hollywood glam.
Abdullah notes that getting a shorter cut like this and parting naturally wavy tresses to the side can help "frame your face in a very flattering, polished manner."
10. Curly, Dark Gray Pixie
Tia Mowry stunned her Instagram followers with a darker gray, curly pixie that helped show off both her natural hair color and texture in such an elegant and flattering way.
A hairstyle like this, Vara says, is "very low maintenance and doesn’t require much styling," which is great for "those who want to stay away from heat.”
11. Ultra-Voluminous Gray Pixie
If you want to show off your natural gray color in style, Nicole Richie's iconic 2013 Met Gala look might be one you want to recreate! This sky-high style can be created with strategic layering, Smith says. "This haircut is cut shorter on the sides and back, and left longer on top," the stylist notes. "It's a great option for adding volume and texture to thin hair."
Smith adds that a volumizing haircut like this "works by adding weight and thickness to the hair." The weight of the hair pulling on the scalp causes the hair follicles to "produce more hair, which in turn creates more volume," Smith says. "I would recommend this for thin, fine hair because it can help to add some bulk and thickness to the hair, making it look fuller and healthier."
The Bottom Line
Overall, these are just eleven trendy and chic ways to dazzle up a pixie cut, but there are plenty more! Before heading to the salon, Abdullah suggests analyzing your face shape and what features you want to emphasize most to find the perfect cut for Summer 2024.
