Does Coloring Your Hair Really Make It Thicker?

Coloring your hair, according to most stylists and several news articles, may help your hair look a little thicker. In fact, if you apply permanent color when you are coloring your hair, it will temporarily make each hair strand become as much as a third thicker in volume. But you have to understand what coloring your hair, which means applying color, rather than stripping color from the hair, means.

In most cases, if you’re going many shades lighter, you will have to bleach your hair. This actually strips the hair of some of its density. Sometimes people first bleach and then apply color, which may restore the hair’s look to original density. You still may look like you have about the same thickness of hair if you use this dual process for coloring your hair. When you actually color your hair by adding color deposits onto each hair, you are increasing the weight of each hair strand. This means you’re not bleaching first in most cases, but instead merely applying color in a shade similar to your own, and not significantly lighter than your hair color.



You can still apply lighter shades when you’re coloring your hair. Yet to do so without bleaching may not result in the shade you want. If you’re making a dramatic transition from very dark hair to blond, for example, you often end up with more reddish tints. While your new reddish hair might technically be thicker, it wouldn’t necessarily be the shade you want.

However, for those who want hair to appear thicker, there are a number of ways to get the appearance of thickness, some that don’t even involve coloring your hair. When you do use color, one way to add the appearance of thickness if you’re going lighter is to use highlights and lowlights. When hair appears all one color, it generally appears thinner and flatter. By adding different complementary colors, hair looks more natural and multi-dimensional. So if you want lighter hair, consider highlights, lowlights or color weaves to make your hair look thicker.

Of course, if you don’t like color, another way of making hair appear thicker is to choose cuts that will give hair more body. Typically, layering hair will make it appear thicker than it truly is and can give you added body and style. Other women turn to hair replacements like hair extensions or small hairpieces or tracks, which can be added to hair to make it look less sparse, and more voluminous.