Sometimes you need to rely on slimming hairstyles when your diet just hasn’t kicked in yet.
It’s winter so I may not have been following the diet and exercise plan I mean to for awhile. I’ve gained a little weight and even worse (for me), I’ve lost the tone I had, and that can be depressing and demotivating.
Nope, instead I’m focusing on finding slimming hairstyles to give myself a self-confidence boost until those diet and exercise changes really start to make a difference.
It’s January, and I turned 40 just before the holidays That combination means that I’m taking stock of a body that isn’t quite what I want to see when I look in the mirror.
I haven’t been the the gym as often as I’d like (*cough* not since mid-November *cough*), nor have I been eating as mindfully as I should be. And the winter drab hair? It’s not helping matters.
It’s easy to look at it and just want to give up and forget it, but I refuse. I have a gym membership, and it’s on my calendar to go again.
I know when I put it on my calendar, I’m more likely to make time for it the way I should and not have the excuse that I was “too busy” to go.
And I like my gym and the classes I take – never once have I been and regretted it. I’m also working on thinking about what I’m eating and how much I’m eating, both of which will help.
But those are long term solutions. Looking in the mirror today can be a little depressing.
Until I’m back into the shape I want to be in, I also need to see a difference in my face, even if I am just faking it until I make it.
There are certain hairstyles that are simply more slimming than others. It doesn’t mean you need to get a new haircut; you can work with the hair you have.
I’m lucky that my hair has a natural wave to it, but I’m often tempted to straighten the life out of it because it looks so sleek and pretty. Unfortunately… it also tends to not slim my face.
When I’m at my ideal weight, that’s not a problem, but let’s just say that my straightening iron hasn’t had a workout lately.
Instead, there are so many styles you can choose to flatter your face and help it appear slimmer. I’ll take those slimming hairstyles tricks, especially the ones that don’t take a ton of time and effort!
5 Slimming Hairstyles
Loose waves.
This probably takes the most time and effort of all the styles, but it is still relatively simple.
A super curly bush of a hairstyle isn’t slimming, but having some texture and definition and curl around your face helps to create texture and contrast that make your face look thinner.
Use your curling wand to curl small pieces in the front section of your head or all around, then loosely tousle to create a beachy look. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be one of the slimming hairstyles, and messy is in!
As a bonus do a side part or a zigzag part, which is another slimming hairstyles trick.
High bun.
I don’t wear this style a ton, but every time I do I remember how much I like it. It’s fun and can also be messy and not take a ton of time to do.
The added height and hair pulled away from your face help highlight your cheekbones and yes, this is one of those easy slimming hairstyles.
How easy? Literally brush your hair to the top of your head.
I find it easiest to do this with my head down, which also helps avoid lumps and bumps as I gather my hair up to make the bun.
Gather your hair together in one hand at the top of your head and straighten so you’re standing upright again. With your other hand, loop the ponytail once around your hair to make the base of a ponytail.
Loosely wrap your hair around your fingers and the ponytail base to create a loose bun, then secure with more loops of the ponytail. Fluff or adjust the bun to fit your style.
Accessorize.
The little things can make a difference.
Do you have a favorite barrette or clip or headband? Tuck it into your hair.
Again, this creates a new place of visual interest, especially if it is somewhat off to the side of your head rather than smack dab in the middle. So easy to do, and it can even help mask a bad hair day!
The looser you secure it, the better. I prefer to leave a small bit of my hair loose to frame my face outside the accessory, as well.
It’s not so much that it’s in my face and annoying me (fussy and annoying do not make for good slimming hairstyles in my book!), but it finishes off the look nicely.
Half up.
If you’re someone who loves wearing hair down, there are styles you can choose that are still slimming hairstyles.
Put up just a portion of your hair in the back and let the rest fall naturally. Keep a few strands loosened to frame your face, and you have a winning look.
My favorite is to grab a funky hair piece to use so that there is an item of interest in the back of my head instead of just a plain barrette.
High ponytail.
I’ll admit that I walk around with a ponytailer on my wrist all the time. When it’s windy (hello, Chicago) or my hair is just annoying me, it’s so easy to pull it into a ponytail.
And often, I do pull it “just” into a ponytail. But you can easily create a simple high ponytail.
Dress it up by leaving out a piece to wrap around the ponytail base and pinning it into place for an even more put together look.
Depending on what I’m doing and where I’m going, I may straighten my hair to put it into the ponytail for a more sleek look or leave it as is for a more casual and relaxed day. Either way works in terms of slimming hairstyles.
As with the majority of these slimming hairstyles, you want to brush your hair into the style to avoid lumps. I brush it into my hand at the height I want my ponytail, then pull out a section of hair from the side of my head.
Slimming hairstyles don’t need to be overdone, so don’t take a huge chunk of hair, but you want enough that you’ll see it wrapped around your ponytail at the end. Mine is maybe a half inch piece that I use.
Leave that loose while you create a ponytail with the remaining hair. Once the ponytail is secure, pull the loose hair straight to ensure you haven’t missed any and carefully wrap it around your ponytail.
I find it works best to start under my ponytail and wrap around.
Pro tip: don’t wrap until you reach the end of your hair or it won’t stay well.
When there is an inch or so of the hair remaining at the bottom of your ponytail, uses a bobbypin to clip it into place. Less than five minutes for yet another of my favorite slimming hairstyles!
There are so many ideas, and many of them don’t take much time or effort – something I need in January when I’m focusing all my willpower elsewhere and with little sun, I don’t have the energy to do more.
Try out some of these, and you may just find you’ll have plenty of reasons to smile when you look in the mirror – just a little change can be such a self-confidence boost to push us in the right direction!
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