How to Increase Hair Volume – Tips for Big Full, Voluptuous Hair

You just have to use the right products and plan your style beforehand!

Right now, big hair is trendy and bone straight hair is out. It’s the perfect time to ‘go big’ if you’ve been waiting for the opportunity!

Hair Volume Facts

Hair texture is often confused with volume. The texture of your hair is determined by how thick or thin individual hair strands are. Your hair’s volume is determined by how thick your hair is as a whole, when all strands are combined together.

Someone with fine hair for example, can have very thick hair. Conversely, someone with coarse hair texture might have thin hair. Therefore, hair volume is dependent on the number of strands you have per inch.

To determine your hair volume, pull your hair back into a ponytail. If the diameter (thickness) is approximately 3/8 inch, (diameter of a dime) you have thin hair; 5/8 inch, you have normal/medium hair; and 3/4 inch, you have thick hair.

Another way to determine volume is to check whether you can see your scalp when your hair is wet.

Thin hair - If you can easily see your scalp, your hair is considered to be thin. There just aren’t enough strands to give it a full, fluffy look. Thin hair has a tendency to hang close to your head, making the scalp more visible.

Medium hair - If you can see some of your scalp but not an overwhelming amount, your hair's thickness is medium, which is considered to be normal by most standards.

Thick hair - If you can’t get a good view of your scalp because your hair’s in the way, you've got thick hair.

Medium hair volume works the best in most styles. Of course, hair volume isn't the only thing to keep in mind when you choose a haircut or hairstyle. Its just something you won’t have to worry about if your hair is medium volume.

Thick hair often looks frizzy or poofy, because of the amount of sheer volume. Adding longer layers or having your hair thinned gives hair less volume. Add too many layers though, and your hair will stand out to the wall!

How to Increase Hair Volume

Never wash your hair the day of or the night before you want to style your hair. Slightly dirty hair holds your hairstyle so much better! Clean hair is just too soft. Use a root lifter to help lift and hold your tresses! If you don’t have a root lifter (and you should!), lift small sections of your hair up in the air and hairspray the roots. Blow dry in the upright position for more lift. If you’re curling your hair, mix small tighter curls with looser slightly larger curls. Tease your hair (backcomb) with a fine toothed comb or a flat paddle brush. If you ‘just gotta’ wash your hair, use a volumizing shampoos. If your hair is longer, use a volumizing conditioner as well. Do not apply conditioner to roots. Apply to ends and mid hair shaft only. Apply hair gels and/or hair mousse on slightly wet to damp hair. Work through to the ends using a wide toothed comb.

Flip your head upside down and blow dry your roots on a medium setting. Massage your scalp with your fingertips to give extra lift at the roots. You can also spritz gels or hairsprays onto roots before you blow dry for extra holding power. This technique helps to hold your roots in an upright and lifted position.

Flipping your head upside down and blow drying all of your hair will give your hair more width, but not necessarily height.

If you have curly hair and want to enhance them, scrunch your hair by aiming the blow dryer nozzle at the section of hair you're scrunching. (Use a diffuser if you have one!) Do not dry it completely though. Scrunched hair curls should be allowed to air dry to avoid frizzy hair.

Instead of freezing your hair in place, use a spritz of flexible finishing spray or medium hold hairspray. Too much hairspray can weigh down your hairstyle, so don't go overboard. For the best results, apply hairsprays to your fingertips and then run your fingertips through your hair. Or spray the air in front of you and walk into the mist.

Use a small amount of hair pomade or styling wax to tame flyaway's and define hair ends, curls, or layers.

Having trouble growing out your hair? Try Super Biotin, a B vitamin that helps all hair grow!