8 Expert Tips for Getting Voluminous Hair

Voluminous hair brings images of Farah Fawcett and Oprah to mind. This big volume has come to define great hair but, not all of us are born with bouncy waves or full, thick hair. Or, if we are, it doesn’t seem to last.

If your hair has fallen flat and you’re looking to learn how to add volume to hair, you have come to the right place. From blow-drying techniques to using hair volume spray, our hair experts and team of talented scientists are sharing their top tips for getting voluminous hair.

How To Add Volume to Hair

With these simple tips, you can achieve more voluminous hair, increase the health of your hair, and even help prevent future hair loss due to damage.

Here’s how to add volume to hair whether you are battling your thin hair genes, experiencing thinning hair, or just want that big bouncy hairdo.

1. Shampoo and Condition with Volumizing Benefits

Voluminous hair starts in the shower, and what you use in the shower matters. If you wanted to bake a chocolate cake, you’d use a chocolate cake mix—a vanilla cake mix just wouldn’t do. In the same way, if you want to achieve voluminous hair, you shouldn’t settle for any old shampoo and conditioner. Instead, look for hair products online that are formulated specifically for volume such as our Full Shampoo & Conditioner. Our Full Shampoo & Conditioner are thoroughly cleansing and lightweight to keep your hair from falling flat and formulated to promote maximum body. Follow the recipe for hair volume and fullness.

Adjust Your Washing Technique

Not only does what you use in the shower matter but also how you use it. If you have fine hair or damaged hair, washing technique is particularly important. This rule can save you a lot of washes and a lot of damage: keep your shampoo at the roots and your conditioner at the ends. Fine hair can look oily fast, but with this technique and the right volumizing shampoo, you’ll need to wash your hair less often, which can elongate your style and decrease the potential for damage.

Flat hair could also be the result of too much product build-up. If you typically use a lot of styling products, and your hair feels greasy or chalky at the root even after shampooing, this is likely the culprit. Consider incorporating a clarifying shampoo into the mix. It will rid your hair of any product build-up that could be weighing it down. Try our Clarifying Detox Shampoo weekly or as needed to clear up the build-up and experience more volume.

2. Blow Dry Your Hair Upside Down

No, this isn’t some experiment to make you do funny things. Blow drying your hair upside down can actually create ultimate volume!

Just as with how you wash and condition your hair, the steps you follow for blow-drying matter. Here’s a quick look at how to blow dry hair for volume:

Start with a volumizing styling product for the best results.
We recommend spraying Full Root Lift at the roots of damp hair and following with Full Thickening Mousse on the lengths of your hair.
Remove the nozzle from the end of your blow dryer and roughly dry your hair upside down. This promotes lift at the roots at fullness all over.
When your hair is nearly ⅔ dry, put the nozzle back on and blow-dry with a round brush, pulling the hair up from the root and aiming the nozzle upwards from underneath your hair. The type of round brush you use matters too. Try a boar and nylon bristle brush to add body to your hair while also detangling and creating shine.
Finally, blast your hair with cool air, which helps it achieve ultimate fullness.

3. Blow Dry Your Hair

If blow drying isn’t your cup of tea, you can still achieve voluminous hair. We all know heat styling does have some damaging effects on the hair, so steering clear of the blow dryer can have major benefits that help contribute to volume. So, you’re probably wondering how to give your hair volume without the use of one?

Well, keeping your hair intact is key to keeping it voluminous and blot drying can help keep it intact. Fine hair is more prone to breakage, and wet hair is even more fragile, so take extra care when drying it. When you exit the shower, gently blot your hair with the towel, rather than roughly rubbing it. To add texture and definition, apply Full Thickening Cream to the mid-to-end lengths of your hair. Then, let it air dry.

Another way to skip the effort of blow drying your hair and the potential damage from a rough towel dry is to skip the shower altogether and opt for dry shampoo instead. Our Perfect Hair Day™ Dry Shampoo actually cleans hair, eliminating oils and odors so you can have that fresh, clean feeling minus the shower.

4. Switch Up Your Part

No, this isn’t another hoax. Switching up your part is such a simple fix that can have a dramatic effect on hair volume. Over time, hair gradually lies flatter as it’s parted the same way. By simply switching from a side part to a middle part or vise versa, you are encouraging your hair to lay less flat.

To encourage it even more and add lift, spay a hair volumizer at the roots. Our Dry Volume Blast is a hair volumizing spray that creates instant volume and texture that’s almost as light as air for big, lasting results. Use it on dry hair anytime, anywhere.

5. Try An Old-School Styling Technique

Styling your hair isn’t only limited to a blowout or a curling iron. If you’re wondering how to get more volume in your hair, keep these techniques up your sleeve.

Rollers were a popular way to style hair for our mothers and grandmothers, and even though we have innovative hot tools today, this decades-old technique is still the best way to achieve voluminous curls. Set your hair in big velcro rollers when it’s almost dry, lifting the hair from the crown and rolling down from the ends toward the root. Remove them when your hair has totally dried to big bouncy waves that you can brush out or leave as is.

Another great styling technique to add volume to hair is another trick from previous generations: teasing. That’s right. Take a fine-tooth comb and work some magic at the roots to achieve a life like no other.

6. Adjust Your Diet

Beyond transformative techniques and products, there are a few lifestyle tactics that can help add volume to hair. One of these is adjusting your diet. Adding supplements to your diet and/or focusing on adding foods that are high in vitamins and minerals that have been shown to promote hair health can vastly improve the quality of your hair and enhance volume.

These vitamins and minerals include:

Vitamin D
Zinc
Fatty acids
Biotin

However, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t take supplements without the advice of a doctor if you aren’t already deficient in these vitamins.

A healthy diet featuring whole foods, on the other hand, is never a bad idea. Consider adding the following to your meal rotation:

Fish, which contain fatty acids
Eggs, which contain biotin
Protein-rich foods, the building block of hair

7. Get A Professional Cut

Hairdressers can be like magicians for taking lifeless locks to new levels. You walk in the salon feeling drab about your hair and walk out with a brand new more voluminous ‘do. Here are a few ways a good cut can truly transform the look of flat, fine hair.

If you have naturally straight hair, ask your hairstylist for long layers that will create movement and body without causing thinness at the bottom of your style. A short hairstyle, think a lob or bob, can also work wonders for thin hair, whether it’s straight or curly. The shorter hair is, the more lightweight it is, which keeps it from lying flat. While you may be attached to your long locks, a short cut can instantly breathe new life into longer hair that can’t seem to retain its volume.

8. Use The Right Products (And Ditch The Wrong Ones)

We briefly talked about some of our favorite volumizing products above to add to your routine, but there are a few products you should remove from your routine as well if you want to know how to volumize hair. Say “yes” to volumizing sprays, mousse, and dry shampoo, and say “no” to thick creams that will weigh your hair down.

If you have particularly fine hair, always follow the “less is more” rule when applying hair products. Start with a little and build up to more as needed. This will help keep your hair from falling under the weight of the product and build up.

As you can see, there are several ways to add volume to hair, so you don’t ever have to settle for a flat style again.