If your hair is fine, flat and volume-challenged, I feel your pain! Over the years, I’ve dealt with my fair share of limp locks, falling curls and bangs that were glued to my forehead.
Fortunately, I also happen to have this weird job called “beauty editor,” where I get to meet and interview tons of top hairstylists—and steal all their best tips. You can bet your blow-dryer that I’ve been collecting ALL their tricks for creating maximum volume with minimum effort. And now I’m passing them along to you!
These 10 pro tips are tried and beauty editor-tested, so I KNOW they work (and if I can do them, you can do them). Some you’ll want to incorporate into your daily routine, and others you’ll want to bust out for special occasions.
Here’s how to cheat your way to more voluminous hair.
Change Your Part
Change your part to create volume at the crown.
Chances are, you have a favourite place to part your hair. It’s where your hair likes to fall naturally (somewhere in the middle or off-centre), or on the side closest to it. Problem is, that’s also where your hair lies the most flat, and you’re training it to stay that way.
Flipping your part to the opposite side creates instant volume at the crown. If you’re worried about looking lopsided, then do it while your hair is still wet. To build the most height, try a deep side part on the opposite side in dry hair, misting lightly with hairspray to hold. This is the model-esque swoosh that I’ve been talking about lately, which is a little bit 1980s and VERY sexy.
In this photo, I’m using the Mason Pearson Rake Comb, but I also like the Mason Pearson Styling Comb (which has narrower teeth).
Back-Brush It
Back-brush the roots of the under-layers of your hair for soft volume.
Teasing has a bad rep. It doesn’t have to mean aggressively back-combing your hair with a fine-toothed comb to create massive tangles (which are a nightmare to get out in the shower). You can actually create soft volume by back-brushing the roots, using a large paddle brush instead.
My preferred technique is to pin up the uppermost layer of the hair, and then back-brush the rest, working section by section. Holding each section taut and away from the head, brush in a downward motion at the roots in three quick strokes. To make the volume last, spray each back-brushed area with hairspray. Once you’ve completed all the sections, let down the rest of the hair, leaving it smooth.
My all-time favourite brushes are from Mason Pearson—either the Junior Mixture, Handy Mixture or Popular Mixture styles. These have a mix of nylon and boar bristles, and they last forever. One you try this brand, you’ll never want to use anything else!
Blow-Dry Upside Down
Blow-dry your hair upside down for instant, easy volume.
Haven’t perfected your blow-drying technique? No worries—the best shortcut to a voluminous blowout is just flipping your head upside down. I know it sounds too easy, but it’s exactly how my hairstylist dries my hair every time I get a haircut. (Then he finishes off my ends with a flat iron, for a “straight with volume” look.)
The reason this works is because upside down, your roots are automatically lifting off your scalp, which is how you want them to dry. I like to use this method to get my hair about 90% dry, and then I might do my final smoothing with a round brush. Note: if you have bangs, always dry them right side up first!
I love the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer (it really is worth the investment!), but if that’s out of your budget, I also recommend T3. I used their dryers for more than a decade before I upgraded, and they never failed me!
Boost Your Roots
Use a root booster on damp hair before you blow-dry.
Root-boosting products are your friends. Think of them as the scaffolding to your hairstyle. They provide structure and support for any lift that you manually create near the roots, helping your style to last all day (or even several days).
Look for a product specifically designed for fine hair, so it won’t weigh you down, and apply it all over the head, right at the scalp. Make sure you use it on damp hair—root-boosters won’t work once hair is dried. And don’t be afraid to layer your volume-building products, adding mousse and/or blow-dry spray through the lengths.
Products to try:
- Living Proof Full Volume & Root Lifting Spray
- Color Wow Raise the Root Thicken + Lift Spray
- IGK Pick Me Up Maximum Lift Root Boost Spray
Put in Hot Rollers
Throw in a set of hot rollers to get easy waves without the work of a curling iron.
Everybody forgets about hot rollers. But hot rollers are awesome! Unlike curling irons and flat irons, there’s no special technique required. Just throw them in while you’re doing your makeup and 20 minutes later, you’ll have sweet volume. This is a great trick if your hair is already dry and it’s too late to build volume into your blow-dry.
All you need to do is choose which direction you want your waves. Rolling away from the face gives you glam Hollywood waves, while towards the face creates a more vintage, Veronica Lake effect. To make your volume last, mist each section with hairspray before rolling, and let the rollers cool completely before taking them out. Then brush out and shape your waves for a soft, modern look.
My favourite hot rollers are the T3 Volumizing Hot Rollers LUXE. Before I invested in them, I used a cheap drugstore set, and there really is no comparison! The T3 is so much less damaging, with clips (instead of pins) to hold the rollers in place, and it doesn’t create any weird dents in your hair. You won’t regret getting these rollers!
Use a Volume-Building Shampoo
It’s a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at the difference a good shampoo makes to your volume goals. My rule of thumb is to use products that are clear or at least translucent, since they’re the least likely to be loaded with heavy conditioning ingredients. Nothing white and creamy for my hair, please!
Also go easy on the conditioner. I only apply it to the bottom half or third of my hair, and I make sure to rinse it extra-thoroughly.
My current favourite volumizing shampoos are:
- R+Co Dallas Biotin Thickening Shampoo
- Monday Volume Shampoo
- Phillip Adam Orange Vanilla Shampoo
- Virtue Full Shampoo
Crimp Your Roots
Crimp the roots of the under-layers of your hair to make them stand out from the scalp.
For real! Crimped hair was big in the 1980s, and now it’s making a comeback—but in a brand new (and non-tacky) way. Just crimping at the roots, in the under-layers of the hair, is a fantastic way to rough up the texture and make it stand out from the scalp. Can you say soft, natural-looking volume?
The best part is that it only takes a few minutes, and unlike curling irons and flat irons, it requires zero expertise. And the top layer of hair completely hides the crimping from detection.
I have the Voloom Classic Hair Volumizing Iron, which is designed for exactly this purpose. It also comes in a Petite version.
Alternatively, consider one of these:
- Bed Head Little Tease 1” Tourmaline Ceramic Crimper
- Hot Tools 1” Micro Crimper
- BaBylissPRO Nano Titanium Styling Crimper
Sleep in a Bun
Sleep with damp hair in a bun overnight and wake up with volume and waves.
Don’t knock the scrunchie. It’s super-useful for this overnight volume cheat—no heat required! After showering at night, pull hair up into a high, loose bun while it’s still damp, and secure with your scrunchie or soft elastic (tight plastic ones may create creases). Your hair will dry lifted off the scalp, so when you wake up and take it down, you’ll have insta-volume, plus soft waves.
My favourite scrunchies are the Slip Slipsilk Skinny Scrunchies. They’re made of pure silk, so they won’t dent or damage your hair.
Another way to get easy volume while you sleep is with a stretchy fabric headband. Wear it across your forehead and wrap sections of damp hair around it until all the hair is wrapped up, securing with pins if required. Take it out the next morning, and you’ll have gorgeous Hollywood waves.
Apply Dry Shampoo
Apply dry shampoo right away to prevent oils from sabotaging your volume.
Are you waiting until day two or three after washing your hair to use your dry shampoo? You might want to reconsider. By the time you notice your hair feels dirty, your scalp’s natural oils are already sabotaging your volume, travelling down the hair shaft and starting to weigh down your strands.
I recommend a preventive approach: coat your scalp with a layer of dry shampoo as soon as you finish blow-drying. That way, there’s already a barrier to the oil, stopping it in its tracks and helping your volume style to last longer. Bonus: dry shampoo is innately volume-building. Spray it through the lengths as well, to create even more texture.
Try one of these dry shampoos:
- OUAI Dry Shampoo
- Olaplex No.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo
- Not Your Mother’s Plump for Joy Body Building Dry Shampoo
Add Colour
Colour can rough up the hair cuticle and give you more body.
If you don’t lighten your hair, then here’s a little secret from those of us who do. It’s not just about the colour—it’s also about the texture it gives you. A little bleach creates added body and roughs up the hair cuticle so it’s not so “slippery.” Basically, a godsend for anyone whose hair lies flat and won’t hold a voluminous style.
But you don’t have to resort to a whole new hair colour to benefit from the volumizing effect of bleach. A few peekaboo highlights, placed in the under-layers of your hair and in a tone-on-tone colour, can give you just enough of a boost, without having to worry about re-growth.
