young woman with curly hair in a sweater and jeans
Image: freya-photographer/Shutterstock

If you’ve tried to get your hair to have bounce and body but it’s still flat and scraggly, don’t despair. As frustrating as lank hair can be, there are still several tips to try beyond the usual volumizing mousse and shampoo. You may want to combine tips for your best chance at having lasting and regular volume in your hair. Below are some top tips to give your hair the boost it may desperately need.

Flip Your Part Over

One of the easiest little hacks you can do to get some instant volume in your hair is to part your hair in a place it doesn’t part naturally. A deep side part or even a couple inches in the opposite direction will both do the trick. Since your hair isn’t used to parting there, it’ll do the volume boosting for you. A light misting of hair spray will keep the hair in place.

The Upside Down Blow-Dry Trick

Another easy and popular way to get volume all over is to blow dry hair with your head upside down. You’ll want to really get that blow dryer close to the roots while your hair is hanging down. That will dry your roots so they are not clinging to your scalp and give them more natural bounce. If you’re worried about the damaging effects of heat tools, use the blow dryer on the cool setting.

Tease Hair The Right Way

You’ve probably heard of people destroying the hair shaft by over teasing. Teasing may even conjure up stories you’ve heard from the ‘80s, when teasing and volume reached such a fever pitch it was common to lose hair this way. However, a light tease done the right way can easily add some volume and keep hair healthy.
Simply grab a strand of hair and brush backward with a comb. Don’t rub both ways, as that is what can damage the hair shaft. Remove the comb from the hair completely between each downward movement. Go light with it and never force it. Hair should already be brushed and straight before trying this method.

Avoid Second Day Clean

One of the best ways to make sure your hair always has volume is to keep it as clean as possible. Unfortunately, the hair’s natural oils will always, always weigh it down. If you’re not comfortable with washing hair every day, then make sure to keep up on the dry shampoo at the roots each day. As a preventative measure to avoid having to rectify greasy and limp roots, you can try applying dry shampoo before you go to bed on the day you washed your hair.

Don’t Condition Your Roots

The roots are the newest and healthiest part of your hair, and they’re the most easily conditioned by the scalp’s natural oils. So adding more conditioner can just weigh them down. A few days a week, just leave the roots alone while conditioning for an added volume boost.

Invest In A Root Booster

One way to get instant volume is to go out and buy a root-boosting product. A popular and affordable option is John Frieda’s Luxurious Volume Root Booster Blow-Dry Lotion. It’s a great addition to upside down blow-drying. The polymer ingredients in the product help thicken strands.

Find A Volumizing Hair Spray

These do exist, and they’re a bit of a miracle. An example is Kenra Volume Spray #25, which gives the hair hold and volume for an advertised 120 hours. Products like these are perfect to add after you’ve done your other styling hacks.

Advertisement