Undercuts With Thin Hair: A Complete Guide [With Pics]

Having thin hair can feel limiting at times. It’s no secret that not every style will work – but that’s ok. It’s just important to know the ones that do. 

You’re about to learn everything you need to know about styling undercuts with thin or fine hair. 

Let’s get to it. 

Can You Have An Undercut With Thin Or Fine Hair? 

You can have an undercut with thin or fine hair. However, it’s important to note that undercuts can make the hair look thinner and finer simply due to removing so much density from the sides and the nape. Volumizing the hair on top can help to compensate for this. 

The “undercut” is a style where the sides are clipped short or shaved, while the top is left significantly longer. There’s a harsh and sharp transition from the sides to the top with no blending. The top is often slicked back, although not always. 

It’s a style that may not be ideal for thin or fine hair, but is still a reasonable option. 

The style is usually quite slick and defined up top. Thin hair usually benefits from texturizing and layering, as opposed to slickness and definition. 

But this is something you should make clear to your barber or stylist when getting the cut done in the first place. 

Explain that you want a layered and textured appearance up top as this will make it a lot easier to build volume with it to account for the lack of volume at the sides and back. 

Undercuts do benefit those with thin hair and a receding hairline. The reason for this is that the sides are brought down very short and very high. So much so, that the receding temples become less noticeable as a result. 

This is most effective when the sides are shaved – the shorter the better. 

Overall, undercuts can be styled in people with thin hair – as long as it’s done the right way. 

I’ll be discussing specific styling tips for undercuts with thin/fine hair later on. First, let’s take a look at some examples of undercut styles you could consider adopting as your own. 

Undercut Styles For Thin Hair 

Use these as a source of inspiration. 

Slicked Back Undercut

The slicked back undercut can be styled with thin hair. Consider using low shine or natural finish styling products instead of the more typical high-shine products. This should prevent the slick back from looking overly thin. 

While slick backs are possible with thin hair, they aren’t usually encouraged due to the nature of the products usually used to achieve them. 

Slick backs are often styled using waxes, pomades, and hair gels. The trouble with these is that they’re shiny and can often make thin hair look thinner, often revealing the scalp under strong lighting. 

But considering how the slicked back undercut is the quintessential undercut style, it’s not a style you want to completely disregard if you’ve got thin hair. 

Ask your barber for a layered finish for the hair on top. This should reduce the risk of looking too thin but should also make it easier for you to build some volume with it. 

Go for low shine products (eg. clays, pastes, putties) instead of high-shine ones too. 

Disconnected Undercut

A simple disconnected undercut is an option for people with thin hair. It can be combed or brushed to one side or the other. 

Technically all undercuts are “disconnected”. It simply means that the sides are disconnected from the top, with no blending. 

Disconnection literally defines all undercut styles. 

However, I sometimes use the term to refer to undercuts where the hair is pushed to one side or the other, instead of slicked back (which is more common). 

Once again, consider getting a layered finish up top to make the hair appear thicker. 

Short Undercut

Short undercuts often work well for people with thin hair as they’re easy to manage. In addition, going short with the undercut can often make the hair appear fuller and thicker than it actually is. 

It really does have its benefits. 

With super short hair at the sides and hair on top that’s pretty short too, wash, drying, and styling gets a lot quicker. 

Going short with thin hair may sound like an odd choice, but it often works pretty well. 

For one, you can’t usually go that short with undercuts anyway. It usually needs to be long enough to slick back or at the very least comb all the way over to one side. 

Because of that, you don’t need to worry about ever going that short when you’re trying to style an undercut. 

But going as short as you can with an undercut is often better than growing it out very long. 

Shorter and more even hair often gives the illusion of fullness and thickness. 

Shaved Undercut

Shaved undercuts can also work well for people with thin or fine hair. The sides will be shaved and will transition very sharply into the longer hair on top. 

One of the benefits of going this short with the sides is that it can actually make the top look fuller in comparison. In order for this effect to be noticeable, the sides really do need to be a lot shorter than the top. 

You can’t really get any shorter than shaved. 

Another benefit of the shaved undercut for people with thin hair is relevant if they’ve got a receding hairline to go with it. 

As I mentioned earlier, shaving the sides all the way to the top can make receding temples less obvious. 

This is because the receding temples simply get absorbed by the shaved sides and are tough to distinguish from simply being a part of the overall style. 

Top Knot Undercut

The top knot undercut can be styled with thin hair. It’s where the sides are clipped short while the top is grown out long enough to slick back and tie into a coil or small ponytail.  

This one won’t be for everyone, mainly due to personal preferences. It really just doesn’t appeal to some people. 

But it’s a great way to keep long hair up top under control and in place. 

Undercut Styling Tips For Thin Hair

Consider these tips whenever you’re going for an undercut with thin hair. They won’t always work, but they often do. 

1. Get A Layered And Textured Cut

With undercuts, a lot of the hair will be removed – most of the sides and back. Because of this, you’ll want the hair that’s left to be nice and layered. 

“Layering” simply means that the hair appears to accumulate in many tufts that fall on top of each other, instead of appearing to blend into one. 

What this does is give the illusion of width with the hair. In other words, it makes it look thicker and fuller than it actually is. 

This is even more important when you’re styling undercuts. 

It really comes down to your barber and stylist. It’s important that they’re made fully aware of what you want to do with the top when you get the cut done itself. 

2. Blow-Dry And Back-Comb 

As I mentioned, undercuts are often pushed back. They’re usually slicked back which means it needs to have enough length to do this. 

It’s possible to train hair to slick back, but ultimately, having enough length to slick it back and keep it that way is the main factor here. 

If you are sweeping that undercut backward or even to the side, consider blow-drying while doing so. Back-comb or brush from the roots to really build volume. 

In addition, you could try a volumizing pre-styler before blow-drying to really get that fullness. 

All of this should make the hair appear fuller and thicker once it’s all done. 

3. Always Use The Right Styling Product 

When you’ve got thin hair and you’re styling your undercut, go for matte or low-shine products. 

They may not be what you first think of when you’re styling a classic slicked back undercut, but they’re way easier to build volume and texture with. 

Volume and texture are both benefits when you’ve got thin hair, especially when you’ve got a layered haircut, to begin with. 

It’s way easier to make thin hair appear fuller with products like hair clays and pastes than it is with wetter or shinier products like gels and pomades. 

Conclusion 

There you have it. 

Hopefully, everything you could want to know about undercuts with thin or fine hair. 

Enjoy.