How To Achieve More Volume in Your Hair

Dec 11, 2022by Faith Cancro

Voluminous hair can be very hard to achieve, so, this one’s for my fine-haired peeps. That includes myself. Sometimes I feel like my hair is just so flat and there’s no way to fix it. Fortunately, there are some hacks that will really help you get some more body.

Get a haircut- The longer your hair is, the flatter it will be. Consequentially, the shorter it is, the more likely it is to have some body. Fine hair is said to look the best and most voluminous above the collarbone. Some suggestions from Byrdie for fine hair-cuts are, a long bob (a “lob” if you will), a haircut to your shoulders with the front a little longer than the back, or a pixie cut.

Keep it long- On the other hand, you may want to avoid a haircut. Maybe long hair is just your thing. In that case, there are some things you can do to volumize it. For one, change your part. Over time, your hair is trained to part a certain way, and as your hair essentially settles into that usual part, it will begin to lay flatter. Moving your part to one side or another can help that. Bangs might also be in your future if you are a long, fine haired gal. Whether it’s a curtain bang, fringe, standard front bangs, or anything in between, that might be something you want to try as well. If you are really displeased with your natural hair, maybe you’ll consider extensions. Whether they’re clip ins or permanent extensions you go to the salon to get put in, it is something to consider. As long as you have the understanding that extensions do have the potential to damage your hair.

Try layers, or avoid them- Layers add body and dimension and allow your hair to move in a way it wouldn’t if it were one length. The only thing to worry about is over-layering. Too many layers can look rough and choppy, so it’s best to talk to your stylist about the amount and length of layers you may want. Although, there is a case to be made for hair all one length. Single-length hair may appear thicker, whereas sometimes layers, can look stringy if not done right. Sometimes adding layers can make your hair lose shape, whereas a single-length cut can provide a good shape which results in more volume and strength, stylist Ted Gibson told Stylelist.

Do something with the color- While too much color can damage your hair, a little dye never hurt anybody! Sometimes dyeing your hair can result in the hair shaft appearing thicker and fuller. Similarly, adding some highlights can give the impression of more voluminous hair, thanks to the contrast of light and dark. Essentially, more dimension = more volume. A balayage is a great option for someone looking into highlights who doesn’t want to worry about too much maintenance.

5. Shampoo matters- Do you have to wash your hair almost every day? Fine-haired problem number… I’ve lost count. As much as this might be sort of unavoidable, your shampoo might actually be making a difference. A shampoo that specifically targets volume or even is simply made for finer hair is going to bode well for you. Some people are using shampoos for thicker hair, which is pretty counterproductive. Good shampoos for fine hair include SUDZZfx Whipped Volumizing Shampoo and Framesi Color Lover Volume Boost Shampoo. What matters just as much as the shampoo you use, is how you shampoo. I know it’s so easy to just give up and wash your hair when you can’t figure out a greasy hairstyle that you feel confident and happy with. The thing is, if you train your hair, you can go more than a day without washing! Here is a rundown from Byrdie that is said to work well for thin hair.

Wet hair and apply shampoo only to the scalp and roots.
Massage the shampoo into the scalp, cleansing it thoroughly. Don’t work it down to the ends.
Apply conditioner on the bottom two-thirds of your hair, staying away from the scalp.
Rinse out the shampoo and conditioner. As the shampoo works its way down the hair, it also rinses out the conditioner.”

Conditioner matters- Conditioner is great, don’t get me wrong, but it can weigh down your hair like no other. Conditioners like SUDZZfx Enhance Volumizing Conditioner and Framesi Color Lover Volume Boost Conditioner are better for fine hair as they’re lighter and more volumizing. Sometimes conditioners leave residue, so some have suggested to condition before shampoo, so the shampoo washes away the residual conditioner.

Let it air dry- Fine hair is sometimes prone to dryness, so avoiding the blow dryer might be a good idea for you. Blotting your hair dry (sort of scrunching it with a towel) has proven to be more effective and safer than rubbing your hair dry. Follow with a volumizing spray or root booster at the crown of your head and then just allow it to air dry. If you find your hair going flat after not a lot of time, you can wet your hands and massage where you previously put the product. Adding water can reactivate the products. A tip courtesy of Heidi Klum is to wash your hair at night and you will wake up with beautifully voluminous hair the next morning.

Get blowouts- Going to the salon will probably give you the best results, but who’s to say you can’t do it yourself. Here’s another description, courtesy of Byrdie, on how to get the best homemade blowout…

First, you’ll want to towel dry your hair.
Follow that with a rough dry, removing the attachments form your blow dryer. (A nozzle concentrates the heat and will make you flatter than you would like.) Tousle your roots while you blow dry your hair all over, even turning your head upside down to give the roots even more height.
“Once your hair is about 50 to 75 percent dry, section it off and dry from underneath. Pull hair up towards the ceiling with your brush and shoot the hair up and along the shaft to add body. Put your nozzle back on- a diffuser also helps point the air in a specific direction- and finish drying” (Byrdie).
Follow these steps with a shot of cold air, which “creates fullness and loosens up the blow-dry,” says Nathaniel Hawkins for Allure.

Your brush matters- What a difference a brush makes. To blow dry with, some people prefer a metal round brush. A vented one is even better as the vents allow the air to circulate and the metal conducts heat. How you blow dry your hair is also important. To get the most volume, pull your hair up with the brush and send the heat up from your root. Rounding off the ends of your hair is a nice touch. Some people use a paddle brush for blow drying and then use a round brush only for the ends.

Two words. Clarifying Shampoo- Even if you shampoo often, product buildup is a common struggle. Hair spray, mousse, dry shampoo, all that stuff just sitting on your scalp. This buildup often leads even heavier hair, as it weighs it down. Some people may recommend an apple cider vinegar rinse, but instead of essentially putting salad dressing in your hair, try a clarifying shampoo. Two salon favorites are SudzzFx Nyrvana Purifying Shampoo and Olaplex No. 4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo. Double shampooing, first with a clarifying shampoo then another shampoo of your choosing, is a good habit to get into.

Salon Quality Products are a big deal- Products that are not good for your hair do exactly what they imply, not good things. A volumizing spray applied to your root or a lotion on your roots, when your hair is mostly dry, can add a lot of body. Some comb the product through their hair with a wide tooth comb. It’s never a good idea to put serums and oils on the scalp or in excessive quantities, but especially if you have fine hair, use those products sparingly and carefully, for they are destined to weigh down your hair. Some Warehouse stylists recommend, AZ Intense Volume Mist, Milk Shake Lifestyling Shaping Foam, and AG Hair BigWigg Root Volumizer. If you want a whole volumizing routine, SUDZZfx has a great line.

Mousse, Dry Shampoo, Hairspray, repeat- Now, don’t do all these things at once, that’s a recipe for disaster. When used correctly, these are all viable options. Without making your hair hard and crunchy, mousse applied to your roots and mid lengths will give you the body you’re looking for. As for dry shampoo, according to Byrdie, “[it] should become a staple in any fine-haired [person’s] beauty supplies.” It soaks up oils, thus alleviating some of the extra weight in your hair. Not to mention you don’t have to wash for a few more days! Neither of those sound good? Hairspray the crown of your head. Massaging hairspray, post blow dry, into your crown can really volumize the blowout that much more. Bonus: If you have a bit of a natural wave, sea salt spray can really emphasize it. A fan favorite is Onesta Beach Play Texture Spray.

Roll and Tease- You can use a curling iron, but for volume around your crown, rollers are the way to go. Garren, a hairstylist for InStyle magazine, says for using rollers, rough-dry your hair first, then roll two-inch sections from the ends to your roots. Once your hair is entirely dry, you can take the rollers out. Some people might opt for teasing instead. Hairstylist Mark Townsend told Allure, “Be sure to fully remove the teeth of the rattail comb from your hair after each precise, downward stroke” to make sure you are successfully teasing the hair rather than “just pushing it around.”

Big hair, flat hair, long hair, short hair, layers, no layer, whatever feels right for you, we’re here for it. The best thing about your hair is that it’s yours, so do with it what you please! If you’re looking for a way to achieve that voluminous look, these are some quick fixes you might want to try. Or not. I’m not gonna pull your leg… or your hair.