The Best Tricks To Add More Volume To Your Hair

by Laura Collins8 July 2024Categories: Hair Styling 0 Comment

If your hair is fine, flat, limp, and you’re struggling to achieve any volume or body; then this post is for you! In this blog post I list out 13 different ways to attain more volume in your hair.

You can watch my Youtube video on this topic below:

Why is my hair flat?

Before diving into the solutions, let’s first cover the 5 different reasons that your hair might be flat or lacking volume. This way it will be easier to determine which solutions will work the best for you based on your hair individually.

1. Fine or thin hair that lacks volume

Probably the most common reason that your hair is lying flat and lacking volume is that it is fine or thin. There just isn’t as much hair present on your scalp as on someone with coarse and dense hair, so it’s much harder to get that same fullness.

This can be due to your hair genes and genetics, hormones, surgery, medications, quitting smoking, stress, diet, or any significant changes in your life.

If this hasn’t been something you’ve dealt with your entire life and you believe your hair is actually thinning out, check out my post here for 5 helpful solutions for thinning hair.

To counteract this problem, jump to the styling solutions down below that will add fullness to your hair.

2. Your hair is too long and heavy

Another common problem that many face is that the hair is actually too long or thick. This means that it’s heavy and is being pulled down by the weight of the hair. This is the exact opposite problem as the above section, yet both conditions can cause the hair to lay flat to the head.

To counteract this, jump to the the cutting solutions below that will remove weight and bulk from the hair.

And if you aren’t sure what hair type you have, check out my post here.

3. Lack of styling causing hair to lay flat

As much as we’d all love to wake up with gorgeous voluminous hair everyday, it really doesn’t work like that for most of us.

While having a good haircut can definitely decrease the amount of effort you need to put into your hair, you generally do need to do some sort of styling to get the look you want depending on your hair type.

If your hair is lacking volume and you aren’t currently following any sort of styling routine, then I suggest trying some of the different styling methods listed below.

4. You’ve had the same hairstyle for too long

If you’ve been wearing your hair the same way for the last decade, then it may be time to switch it up. Our hair actually gets used to being worn the same way and it can begin to get set in its ways.

Something as simple as switching the side of your part can do wonders for increasing volume.

If you fit into this category, jump to the styling solutions listed below.

5. Straight hair that lacks body and movement

Wave patterns in hair are one of those things where you always want what you don’t have. Those with straight hair want it curly, and if those with curly hair want it straight. Why are we like this??

While straight hair can be great because it’s generally less frizzy than curly hair, the problem is that it can be extremely difficult to get any body or movement.

To fix this, see the styling solutions listed below.

Solutions for flat, limp hair

***Since I’m sharing the products that I love to use with you guys, this page includes affiliate links to these products. If you take action and purchase a product through clicking one of my links, I’ll make some commission money from it at no extra cost to you. This enables me to be able to continue giving you awesome hair tips, so thanks! ***

Styling solutions for flat hair

In this section I give you all of my best styling secrets to attaining more volume and body in your hair. I’ve broken these styling secrets into 7 categories:

Hair products
Round brush blow drying
Rollers/heatless waves
Heat tools for volume
Teasing
Part adjustment
Styling

1. Hair products for volume

Using the right hair products can help to give you more volume, but there are also products that can actually weigh your hair down. You’ll want to stick to anything that says it’s for volume, and stay away from heavy moisturizing products.

Never start off using too much product, even when it comes to root lifters. Less is usually more when it comes to styling products! If you’re using too much, you’re likely weighing the hair down even further.

Pureology Pure Volume Shampoo and Conditioner

This shampoo and conditioner combo will help to give you some extra volume. It is lightweight enough so to not weigh your hair down but still gives it the moisture it needs to keep it from drying out.

Aquage Uplifting Foam

This is my all-time favorite mousse. A common mistake many make when using a root lifter is applying it to ALL of your hair. Make sure you are only applying it to the root only of your hair while your hair is still wet. No need to reapply on day 2+ hair.

Aquage Thickening Spray Gel

If your hair is thin, this will help to give you a little more density and ultimately achieve more volume. I suggest spraying it all throughout before blow-drying for maximum results.

Kenra Platinum Blow Dry Spray

If your hair is fine but not necessarily thin, this blow-out spray is a great choice. This spray gives you ultimate volume while protecting your hair from the heat of the blow dryer. It’s lighter than the thickening spray listed above and won’t give you more density, but makes the hair feel lighter after a blow dry.

Kenra Hot Spray

This is a pre-ironing hairspray that gives your hair maximum hold when using before a curling or flat iron. Any time I have a client tell me that their hair doesn’t hold a curl, I reach for this. Spray it on section by section before ironing. When you are done ironing the whole head, gently comb or brush the hair out. This also aids as a heat protectant from the temperature of the iron.

Kenra Volume Hairspray

This hairspray is light so it won’t weigh your hair down. I recommend holding the can 8-10 inches away and below the hair, aiming the flow upwards. This helps guide the hair up to get maximum volume!

Amika Undone Texture Spray

Similar to a dry shampoo, this is a matte hairspray that gives fullness and texture rather than hold. Usually when you wash your hair, it is so clean that it lies a little flat. This spray has a gritty texture and makes the hair feel a little more lived in. It gives you that day 2 hair immediately while absorbing any oils that would weigh it down. I like to call this spray “sexy in a can.”

2. Blow-Drying with a round brush for body

If your hair is lacking volume and you aren’t currently blow-drying it, then this is a good place to start. For maximum volume, use some of the products listed above and get a good sized round brush. Check out my post here for different options of round brushes.

The bigger the brush you use, typically the more volume you’ll get. Use your best judgment to select the best brush based on your hair length.

Keep in mind that you’ll get more volume if you blow-dry the hair the opposite direction that it lays. So if you part your hair on the right side, blow-dry it parted on the left. When you’re done, brush the hair over how you would wear it.

Another trick is to over-direct the brush which will help you give you more lift. Pull the hair up above where it’s growing from as you move the brush through the hair.

I also like to flip my head upside-down and blow-dry my hair 80% of the way prior to round brushing, and then section it out and use the brush for the finish.

3. Rollers/heatless curl sets for volume

While I’m not suggesting getting a full on roller set done and sitting under the dryer like they did back in the day, rollers can be a good addition to adding volume to your hair.

Hot rollers or Velcro rollers can help to set your hair in place, and I still have many clients that swear by them and find that they work better than anything else. They also can be relatively easy to do.

A newer and trendier option is to use a heatless wave curler set. This is essentially a bendable curling rod that you’ll wrap your hair around before bed.

For best results round brush your hair and set it in your heatless wave option of choice, following with hairspray. Sleep in the curlers or do your laundry, then after a few hours remove the curlers for voluminous waves.

4. Heat tools for volume

Heat tools can be a great way to add volume to your hairstyle. Just make sure you are using a heat protectant before using any of these options on your hair.

A blow dry brush is actually a little easier to use than a typical blow dryer and round brush combo. It gives you volume and body in your hair as you blow it dry. If you choose this option I highly recommend getting the Shark air wrap combo. This tool is a blow dryer, rounded air brush, paddle air brush, and curler all in one. And it’s much cheaper than the Dyson.

The next heat tool is the curling iron, wand, or 3 prong waver which will give body and width to all of your hair, not just at the root.

But if used properly, a flat iron can actually give you volume and body as well. Make sure to over direct the hair from where it lays, pulling the hair up above where it grows from so that it will be lifted upwards instead of lying flat.

Lastly you can even use a crimper at the root of your hair. This creates texture and fullness at the base and works really well to add lift.

To learn more about heat tools and to find more recommendations, check out my post here.

5. Tease the hair for volume

When done properly, teasing can be a great addition to adding volume to a hairstyle. You just want to be sure you are doing it properly or else you can actually damage your hair.

I recommend using a teasing brush, but any comb or brush will do.

To tease your crown, take a 1 inch section at the very front of where your teasing will begin. Stick the comb or brush into the hair about 2-3 inches from the scalp, and then press it down to the scalp. Pull the brush out of the hair completely and bring it back up to the 2-3 inch mark, then reinsert it to the hair and push it down.

You never want to move the comb up and down inside of the section of hair. This can cause damage and excess frizz.

Especially at the first section, I would only tease 2-3 times or else it will have too much teasing. After the first section is done, pick up the next 1 inch section behind it and add it to the first section, and repeat.

You always want to add the next section to the first section to tease them together. This avoids having gaps and separation in the hair.

When you are done, lay the hair down and smooth the top over with your brush and some hairspray.

6. Change your part to increase volume

If you have worn your hair parted the same way your whole life, this could be a huge factor in why your hair isn’t getting volume, or why one side is flatter than the other.

I actually change my part every time I wash my hair! Switching it up stops the hair from getting used to laying the same way. The smaller part side usually ends up becoming thinner than the other side, so it’s important to cover that hair to protect it.

When your hair is parted the same way repeatedly, it will lay flat. If you switch the part, you may have a slightly hard time to get it to lay that way at first, but it will have MUCH more volume.

7. Styling for volume

When I say styling for volume, I don’t mean blow drying or curling your hair. There are many ways you can wear your hair other than just all down at your shoulders.

Utilizing a pony tail, half up half down, or a braid can be a great way to add volume to your hair. Clipping some of the hair up will reduce a lot of weight being put on your hair that is pulling it down.

After putting your hair up in a clip or pony tail, pinch and pull at some of the hair to add volume to your look.

Head to Pinterest page and check out my board to see some easy everyday styles to try!

Cutting solutions to add volume to the hair

My next three secrets for adding volume and movement to the hair are focused around haircutting. And while these options are ideal for those with thick hair, they are useful for ANY hair type.

The three cutting categories to add more volume to your hair are:

Sacrifice some length
Add layers
Remove weight with texturizing

1. Length can weigh hair down

MID-LENGTH-CUT — Mid-length cuts will get more volume than long hair

Often times gals with extremely long hair complain about not having any volume. The thing is, the hair is SO long that it is being weighed down.

Sometimes you need to make a choice at what you would rather have. Extremely long and flatter hair, or mid-length hair with some volume.

Personally I think that mid-length cuts with more volume tend to be more flattering anyways! Long hair can pull our faces down, which is typically why shorter cuts look better on older women. The length from the long hair is pulling the eyes down rather than picking it up.

2. Layers for volume

If you aren’t ready to give up any length, try adding some exterior layers to your hair. This can give you the best of both worlds when it comes to keeping your hair long but having some movement put back into it.

Just keep in mind, you don’t want your layers to be cut too short because actually the opposite problem can happen.

If the layers are too short, there isn’t enough hair to lay properly to give you that rounded volumized look. This is much more common in short cuts than it is longer cuts.

3. Texturizing to remove weight from the hair

Texturizing is one of my favorite ways to add volume to the hair. It is referring to removing bulk from the hair in specific areas that are being weighed down. This is different from exterior layering in that rather than the layers being visible, the hair still appears to be the same length.

And you may be thinking, why would I want to remove bulk if I am looking for more body? The reason is because the bulk is weighing your hair down, stopping you from attaining volume. When the bulk is removed, the hair is lighter and will become more voluminous naturally.

Proper texturizing is typically done on dry hair so that you can see exactly where the weight lies. Bulk is removed from the ends of the hair where it is being weighed down, and kept at the base of the hair so that it can be lifted up.

Small cuts are made into the ends so that not every hair is cut, which is the opposite of traditional layering.

I use this technique on every single haircut that I do to ensure the hair is laying properly. This makes it much easier to style on a regular basis.

To learn more about the difference between layers, texturizing, and thinning, see my post here.

Adding volume conclusion

This post was packed full of different solutions to flat, limp, and thin hair. To wrap it up, the 5 reasons you may be lacking volume in your hair are:

Your hair is fine and thin
Your hair is too long or heavy
You don’t style your hair
You’ve had the same hairstyle for too long
Your hair is extremely straight

And my 13 solutions for adding move volume and body to your hair are:

Use the right hair products
Blow dry with a round brush
Use a heatless curler set
Use hot tools
Tease your hair
Switch up your part
Play with different styles
Lose some length
Add layers
Remove weight by texturizing
Color the hair with highlights
Perm the hair for body
Add extensions/hair pieces

Hopefully this post has given you some new ideas for how to add more volume to your hair! As always if you have any questions for me, feel free to leave them in the comments section! Be sure to subscribe below to make everyday a good hair day!

Last updated 07/08/2024

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