Hair help
Thin Hair Over 50? We Compared 6 Ways to Handle It, Ours Included
Teasing, the beauty shop, a wig, a bargain bun or just a hat: each one has its place. Here’s an honest look at what each does well, where it falls short, and the 30-second bun we make for exactly this.
By the JuvaBun team
Love it or return it within 60 days Easy shade exchange
You know the moment. You twist your hair up for the day, and the bun comes out the size of a grape. You tease it, spray it, try again. If your hair has gotten thinner, finer or grayer, that’s not you doing it wrong. There’s only so much hair to work with.
So there are a handful of ways women handle it. We put the usual six side by side below. Fair warning: we make one of them. But we’ll tell you what’s good about every option, including the one time ours isn’t the answer.
We’ve made the JuvaBun Messy Bun since 2019, for women with thin, fine and graying hair. Here’s what we’ve learned from the women who wear it.
Why listen to us?
We’re a US hair brand, and the Messy Bun is where most of our customers start. We’ve been on CBS, USA Today, NBC and Fox News, and customers have left us 8,203 reviews.
So we won’t ask you to take our word for it. Along the way, you’ll read theirs.
Option 1
Styling it yourself every morning
What’s good: It’s your own hair, it costs nothing extra, and you already know how. On a good hair day, it’s all you need.
Where it falls short: With thin or fine hair, a bun can only get so full. Teasing and volumizing spray take time, and on a busy morning that time is the first thing to go. Some mornings it’s the small bun, or a ponytail, and a sigh.
“Normally I have to spend 30 to 40 minutes styling my hair because it is very thin in the back and it takes a bit of styling to cover that up.”
Option 2
The beauty shop updo or weekly blow-dry
What’s good: A professional does the work, and you walk out looking lovely. For a wedding or a big night, it’s a real treat.
Where it falls short: It means an appointment every time, and the style doesn’t last forever. It’s wonderful for an occasion, but it doesn’t help much on a regular Tuesday morning.
“It was for my 84 year old mom it looks great no more beauty shop”
Option 3
A full wig
What’s good: It covers everything at once, and if you want a whole new look or full coverage, that’s exactly what it’s for.
Where it falls short: It’s a big step: choosing one, getting the fit right, caring for it, getting used to it. If what you want is a fuller bun or an updo, a whole wig is more than you need for that.
Option 4
A bargain off-brand messy bun
What’s good: It’s easy to find online and easy to try, and the idea is right: add hair to the bun you already have.
Where it falls short: A bun gives itself away in two ways: shine, and a shape that’s too perfect. Add a color that’s a shade off from the hair around it, and it looks bought, not grown. That’s where bargain buns fall short.
“I had bought different brands but you made me a believer.”
Buy 2, Get 2 FREE · Free US shipping included
Option 5
Hiding it: a hat, a scarf, a low ponytail, or doing nothing
What’s good: No effort, nothing to buy, and some days a hat is exactly right. There’s nothing wrong with leaving your hair alone.
Where it falls short: If your hair bothers you, hiding it doesn’t make it bother you less. And then there’s the day a hat won’t do: the wedding, the family photo, the night out.
“I have very thin hair and my daughter was getting married so my search for solutions started.”
Option 6
The JuvaBun Messy Bun
It’s a ready-made messy bun that wraps on like a scrunchie around your own small bun or ponytail. It’s made for thin, fine and graying hair. Here’s how it does on the three things that matter most.
“I have tried many things to help camouflage my thinning hair. Juva Bun is the only vendor I’ve found that really helps me.”
Easy enough for every morning
If it takes 20 minutes, it stays in the drawer on a busy morning. The JuvaBun wraps on like a scrunchie:
- Tie a small bun or a ponytail.
- Wrap it around.
- Fluff it with your fingers. Done.
1. Tie a small bun
2. Wrap it around
3. Fluff it. Done.
That’s about 30 seconds, no clips or pins needed. To keep it in place, wrap it two or three times, until it’s snug. Bobby pins are in the box if you ever want extra hold.
“My hair is extra fine and hits the top of my shoulders. Just long enough for a small ponytail. Perfect for the JuvaBun and the color is spot on!”
Looks like your own hair
It’s made with soft, matte fibers with no plastic shine, in a loose, messy shape. It looks like the bun you’d twist up yourself on a good hair day.
“I wore the messy bun to my daughter‘s graduation and nobody knew that it wasn’t my own hair.”
“I've had other hair pieces similar to this, but I really like the texture and ability to keep looking great, even after days like today, where I had a toboggan on and delivered a calf in basically a mud pit. This is how it looked when I took off my hat.”
Matches your color, gray included
There are 19 shades, from black and Medium Brown to Silver Gray and Salt And Pepper. Two simple rules:
- Match it to the hair around your face.
- Stuck between two shades? Pick the lighter one.
Not sure? Find My Shade takes 3 quick questions, or send us a photo and we’ll pick your shade.
Color not right? We’ll swap it. Just let us know and we’ll exchange it for the right shade.
“Who wouldn’t love gray hair in a minute! The color matched perfectly.”
Side by side
Here’s how the six compare on what matters most for a bun you’d wear every day.
| What matters | JuvaBun Messy Bun | Style it yourself | Beauty shop updo | Full wig | Bargain bun | Hide it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Looks like your own hair | Yes | Yes | Yes | Depends | Depends | Depends |
| Ready in about 30 seconds | Yes | No | No | Depends | Depends | Yes |
| Matches your color (gray included) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Depends | Depends | Doesn’t apply |
| Adds fullness to a thin bun | Yes | Depends | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Every day, not only special occasions | Yes | Yes | Depends | Yes | Depends | Yes |
| Easy to fix if the color is off | Yes | Doesn’t apply | Doesn’t apply | Depends | Depends | Doesn’t apply |
✓ yes✗ no~ depends- doesn’t apply
“Depends” means it depends on the product, the fit or the day. “Doesn’t apply” means there’s nothing to match or fix: your own hair always matches, and a hat or scarf simply covers it.
The easy way to get it
Easy to wear, looks like your own hair, matches your color. Here’s the easy way to get it: our Buy 2, Get 2 FREE special offer. Pick any 4 and pay for 2, so each bun comes to about half price. That’s why most women end up with four:
- Between two shades? Take both.
- Wear it every day, with one ready while the other is in the wash. It washes easily.
- One for Mom or a sister. It makes an easy gift.
No salon, no store shelf, no middleman markup: we sell direct to you online.
“I wear these all the time. I love how easy they are to use and I look like I had an updo at a fancy salon.”
Special offer
Buy 2, Get 2 FREE
Pick any 4. You only pay for 2.
Build my bundle60-day money-back guarantee Love it or return it, no questions asked. Wrong color? Easy shade exchange.
Limited-time offer
Order today, arrives Mon, Nov 16 - Wed, Nov 18
Everything you get with your bundle:
- 4 JuvaBun pieces for the price of 2
- Free US shipping included
- Free travel bag included
- Bobby pins included for extra hold
- Easy color matching: send us a photo and we’ll find your perfect shade
What women say
As seen on CBS, USA Today, NBC and Fox News
“I received many compliments today at work. Everyone thinks I have a ton of hair.”
Shari M.Verified buyer 
“My hair color is a light strawberry blonde and not the easiest color to match, but my Juvabun matches perfectly and so quick to have a beautiful updo!”
Kristi H.Verified buyer 
“It magically made my fine gray hair look full and gorgeous!”
Madonna J. M.Verified buyer
Every option on this page has its day. If you want a fuller bun that looks like your own hair, in your shade, in about 30 seconds, that’s the one we make. Match your shade, wrap it on, fluff it, and go. And if it isn’t right, you’re covered by our 60-day guarantee.
The JuvaBun team
Try it for 60 days. Love it or return it.
Wrong color? Easy shade exchange · Buy 2, Get 2 FREE · Free US shipping included
Build my bundle