5 Simple Tips to Give Hair Volume
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Time to read 5 min
Let’s face it – who doesn’t want hair with body and volume? It’s the envy of those of us with thin or fine hair, and the crowning glory of those lucky enough to be born with effortlessly voluminous locks. Even those who eschew “big hair” in favor or subtler looks don’t want hair that’s flat, limp or lifeless. But how to give hair more volume? Fortunately, you can add volume to hair more easily than you might think. Through her years “behind the chair” as a stylist and colorist, Virgo de Novo founder Diana Bernard has picked up tips, developed tricks, and even created an entire professional hair care product range formulated to give hair volume. Read on to benefit from her knowledge with these simple tips for how to add volume to hair.
Our Top Tips to Give Hair Volume
Tip 1 to Give Hair Volume: Use Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner
Just like our hair toning mantra – “one shade does not fit all” – we have one for washing and conditioning hair as well: all shampoos and conditioners are not created equal. (We love a good mantra!) While there are a few features we insist on or ingredients that are common to our formulas, like sulfate-free shampoos, color-safe pH levels, and our hair-healthy plant protein complex, shampoos and conditioners designed to add volume and body to fine or thin hair should be different than those meant for dehydrated, damaged or coarse hair.
For example, hydration is essential for hair health and volume regardless of hair type. However, while moisture provided by dense oils and large emollient molecules might do wonders for thick or coarse dehydrated hair, it will likely turn fine hair into a flat, oily, over-moisturized mess. Conversely, when shampoos and conditioners are (properly) formulated to add volume to fine hair, like Swell Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner, they will provide the necessary hydration with lightweight emollients and smaller molecules that can penetrate (=plump) rather than coat (=weigh down) strands.
Tip 2 to Give Hair Volume: Style with Volumizing Hair Products
Similar to using the wrong shampoo and conditioner, the wrong styling products can make hair fall flat – and with it your dreams of that voluminous style. When it comes to volumizing styling products, most of us think of styling foams and mousses to give hair volume and body, and rightfully so. These products, including our non-sticky, shine-enhancing Lift Styling Foam, are specifically formulated to provide styling control that doesn’t weigh hair down while adding lift and body where applied.
However, there are other styling products that can provide volume and body as well – even some that might seem unlikely, like texturizing products. Texture is a key component of hair thickness, movement and definition, all of which are needed to create volume. While heavy formulations can weigh down thin or fine hair, lighter weight styling creams or sprays, such as Waves Sea Salt Spray, can give hair strands the texture they need to maintain volume and style. Styling powders like our High Altitude Volume Mist are innovative products to add fullness and texture, especially at the roots, and allow hair to be fluffed with fingers to rejuvenate volume as needed.
Tip 3 to Give Hair Volume: Use the Right Styling Tools and Techniques
One of the simplest ways to add volume to hair is simply to dry and style it after washing. Letting hair dry naturally allows strands to lay close and flat to the scalp, minimizing volume and movement. Blow drying hair away from the scalp or direction of growth, such as with your head upside down and/or using a round brush to curl hair up and away from the head, gives hair body and shape. Of course, using volumizing styling products as mentioned above will maximize and extend these effects, as will focusing styling products at the root.
Another time-tested styling technique to add volume is backcombing or “teasing” hair. This involves combing small sections of hair near the roots in a backward direction (toward the scalp) using a fine-toothed comb. A more modern version of this is “back brushing” – the same concept but using a brush instead of a comb. It doesn’t add as much lift at the roots, but it does create overall volume and is less aggressive to the hair than backcombing.
"Any hair type and texture can achieve more volume. Here are a few more tricks of the trade."
- When using a round brush, the bigger the barrel, the bigger the lift! Use the brush to over-direct each section forward and upward as you blow-dry to achieve that perfect root bump and full-bodied look.
- Blow-dry your hair in the opposite direction of your usual part. Once you’re done, flip your hair back to your natural part – instant volume at the roots.
- "Pre-dry" roots before styling. Focus the blow-dryer on your roots to ensure they’re lifted and dry before you style, preventing them from flattening when you dry other areas of your hair.
Tip 4 to Give Hair Volume: Choose the Right Haircut
The cut you choose is another way to boost your hair’s volume potential. Blunt, single-length cuts are heavier throughout and can be more difficult to volumize, especially the longer the hair is. With layered cuts, hair is different lengths in different places, allowing for more movement and styling versatility and less weight when using the above volumizing products and techniques.
Similarly, keeping hair no more than shoulder-length makes it much easier to add volume than longer styles. If you're someone who adores keeping your hair long, your stylist can help by incorporating interior layers. These subtle, hidden layers remove weight and act as structural support, creating fullness and lift without being visibly noticeable.
You can gauge your ideal length and style based on these styling considerations as well as your preference, experience, face shape – and of course the advice of your trusted stylist!
Tip 5 to Give Hair Volume: Consider Hair Color
Remember what we said about texture being essential to volume? Something professional stylists and colorists have long known is that coloring or chemical processing alters the hair cuticle, “roughing” it up (without causing harmful damage when done properly!) and adding thickness and – you guessed it – texture. This improves hair’s manageability, ability to hold style, and in turn, volume.
Tip 6 to Give Hair Volume: Avoid Mistakes that Weigh Hair Down
You’ve just read five things you can do to add volume to your hair, so chances are you have already figured out what not to do! But just so we are clear, maximizing hair’s volume involved minimizing its weight by:
- Avoiding heavy or overly moisturizing shampoos and conditioners
- Avoiding heavy, waxy, or oily styling products
- Not letting wet hair air dry
- Staying away from blunt cuts and super long lengths without layers
Bonus tip: Even for hair that has natural volume, periodically using a detoxifying shampoo like Purify Detox Shampoo will remove heavy, volume-canceling buildup, refreshing hair and renewing body and volume.
More Voluminous Hair Is Within Reach
By following these simple tips, you can easily unlock your hair’s volume potential. Simply using the right hair care products, including volumizing shampoo, conditioner and styling products, with the proper styling techniques will make a noticeable difference in hair volume, body and manageability. Layering in volume-encouraging cuts (see what we did there?) and even coloring hair can take fullness further. And by all means, when you’re looking to add volume to hair, avoid things that add weight. Let us know how these tips work for you – we’d love to see your results @virgodenovo
