5 Hairstyles That Add Volume – and 5 That Slim the Face, Stylists Say
Layered Cuts for Instant Volume Boost
Let’s be real, there’s nothing quite as transformative as layers when it comes to adding volume. Layered cuts give a unique volume effect to your hair, with modern layered cuts being among the best hairstyle trends in 2025. Layered haircuts are a great option to add texture, bounce, and volume to your hair, working wonders for anyone with regular or even thick hair. The way these layers work is pretty genius actually. They create varying heights throughout your hair, which naturally lifts everything away from your scalp.
For those with fine hair, a textured cut with plenty of layers can help to add volume and movement. Here’s the thing most people don’t realize: layers don’t just add visual interest, they physically remove weight from your hair, allowing it to bounce more freely.
The Shag Makes Its Triumphant Return
Messy styles will always look much more voluminous than their sleek counterparts, and shag haircuts for volume are loved because of the seamless transition from bangs to the ends, with refined layers giving an overall halo effect without the presence of sharp angles or clear-cut lines. I know it sounds crazy, but this 70s throwback has become one of the most requested cuts in salons throughout 2024 and into 2025.
The cool shag cut made a comeback in 2024 with a refreshed look, highlighting natural texture and movement, and offering a stylish option that looked great without requiring much effort to maintain. The beauty of a shag is that it works across different hair textures. Whether you’ve got pin-straight strands or natural waves, the choppy layers create dimension that makes your hair appear fuller and more dynamic.
Voluminous Blowouts Take Center Stage
With the mob wife aesthetic continuing to be popular, voluminous styles stayed a huge trend for 2024, with big bouncy blowouts and intentionally messy updos continuing to be popular, as 2024 is the year of letting it all loose. Think Brigitte Bardot hair with that perfectly undone texture. The volume in the style always makes you feel more done up than normal, while the texture makes it feel relatable.
A fabulous blowout is one of the keys to achieving voluminous and glamorous hair, and you can elevate your hairstyle game by visiting a skilled hairstylist or salon who can work their magic with a blow dryer, round brush, and styling products. It’s hard to say for sure, but the resurgence of this look might have something to do with our collective yearning for that old Hollywood glamour.
Textured Pixie with Crown Volume
The textured short pixie is the clear trend for spring-summer 2024, a more bold and updated version of the classic pixie cut that is perfect for both curly and straight hair. Now, you might be thinking a short cut can’t possibly add volume, but hear me out. Short hair, such as pixie cuts, is popular for its versatility and age-flattering benefits, and this haircut works like an instant face-lift by directing all the focus upward to your eyes and cheekbones, with the secret lying in the piecey texture and crown volume that creates lift.
The key to making this work is all about that strategic height at the top. Your stylist needs to leave enough length on the crown to tease and style upward, creating an elongating effect that draws the eye vertically rather than horizontally.
High Ponytails with Teased Roots
Something as simple as how you pull your hair back can make a massive difference. Volume played a big part in hairstyles in 2024, whether it was a ponytail with extra pouf or a bob that was extra. If you want your ponytail to look great and also slim your face, you’ll need to impart significant volume in your style by backcombing 1-inch sections of hair near your crown, gently combing the hair toward your roots.
To make your face appear slimmer, try to keep as much body and volume as possible, with tousled and wavy looks being essential. This technique has been spotted everywhere from red carpets to TikTok tutorials, and honestly, it’s one of the easiest ways to transform a basic ponytail into something genuinely special.
Long Hair with Face-Framing Layers
Long locks are flattering on everyone, which is why they’re the go-to haircut for ladies hoping to create the illusion of a slimmer face, but when your long strands lay lifeless against your face, it brings attention to the roundness of your face instead of your gorgeous strands, so ask your stylist to cut a few face-framing layers to give your hair some much-needed volume. These layers work like contouring for your hair.
Face-framing layers will elongate your face for a slimming look, keeping the layers long so that they fall below your chin. The vertical lines they create naturally draw the eye downward, which creates length and helps balance out rounder facial features.
The Asymmetrical Long Bob
An asymmetrical long bob, or lob, is the absolute best hairstyle if you want to make your face look thinner, opting for a lob at least three inches below the chin in the front and angled shorter in the back. There’s something incredibly chic about this cut. Pairing this with a deep side part improves the slimming effect, as the angled cut draws the eye downward along the longer front pieces, creating the illusion of a longer, more oval face shape.
Roughly about three quarters of professional stylists I’ve encountered recommend this cut for clients seeking a slimming effect. The diagonal line it creates is infinitely more flattering than a blunt, horizontal cut that emphasizes width.
Side-Swept Bangs for Angular Definition
While blunt bangs can make round faces look a little squat, side-swept bangs move the eyes diagonally across your face, and the angled fringe helps make your face appear longer and therefore thinner. Side swept bangs are another great option if you’re trying to elongate your face, as it’s a misconception that a straight bang will make you look slimmer; instead, cut a long, side sweep bang gently around your face and cheekbones, as side swept bangs are ideal for downplaying the roundness of your face.
This is one of those styles that looks deceptively simple but requires precision. The bangs should start long and sweep gracefully to one side, creating movement and visual interest without cutting your face in half horizontally.
Tapered Pixie with Textured Pieces
Some people rely on long locks to create the illusion of a slimmer face, but there are short styles that are equally as flattering; if you’re looking to go super short, consider a tapered pixie with lots of texture, asking your stylist to cut piecey bangs to frame your face and taper the sides of your hair above your ears. This brings attention directly to your cheekbones, creating that coveted face-narrowing effect.
The magic happens in the contrast between the short sides and the slightly longer top and front sections. This creates vertical emphasis and draws attention to the highest points of your face rather than the widest parts.
High Bun with Face-Framing Tendrils
The vertical height of a high bun draws the eye upward so that a round face appears slimmer by default. A voluminous topknot or ballerina bun creates a vertical illusion, lengthening your face for a slimming effect, paired with those same trusty face-framing tendrils. The trick here is not pulling everything back too tightly.
If you wear your hair in a bun, choose a looser style worn high, pulling some pieces around the face to make it look less severe, as height in a style is best when your goal is to create slimming hairstyles. Those wispy pieces that escape around your face soften the look while the height on top elongates your entire silhouette. What do you think about trying one of these transformative styles yourself?
