13 Solutions That Add More Volume To Your Hair

by Laura Collins1 August 2022Categories: Have A Good Hair Day 0 Comment

If your hair is fine, flat, lifeless, and you’re struggling to achieve volume or body, then this post is for you! Below I list 13 different ways to achieve more volume in your hair.

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.

1. Fine or thin hair that lacks volume

Probably the most common reason that your hair is laying flat and lacking volume is that it is significantly fine or thin. There just isn’t as much hair present 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, a surgery, medications, quitting smoking, stress, diet, or any significant changes in your life.

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

To counteract this problem, you’ll want to check out the styling solutions down below that will add fullness to your hair.

2. Too long or heavy hair that is being weighed down

Another common problem that many face is that their hair is too long or thick, which means it is 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, you need to look at the cutting solutions below that are removing weight and bulk from the hair.

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 doing any sort of styling routine, then I suggest trying some of the different styling methods listed below.

4. Same style 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 gets used to being worn the same way and it can begin to get set in its ways.

To fix this, try the solutions listed below geared towards styling.

5. Straight hair that lacks body and movement

Wave patterns in hair are one of those things, that you always want what you don’t have. If you have straight hair you want it curly, and if you have curly hair you want it straight.

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

To fix this, check out the styling and other solutions listed below.

Solutions for flat and limp hair that’s lacking volume

Styling solutions for flat 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! ***

1. Hair products for volume

There are products that can help to give you more volume and 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 root lifters. Less is more when it comes to hair products! If you’re using too much, you may be weighing the hair down even more.

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 your root 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 in before blow-drying for maximum results.

Kenra Platinum Blow Dry Spray

This blow-dry spray gives you ultimate volume while protecting your hair from the heat of the blow dryer. It is 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 with the whole head, gently comb or brush the hair out. This also adds as a heat protectant from the iron.

Aquage Volumizing Fix Hairspray

This hairspray is light so it won’t weigh your hair down. I recommend holding the can 8-10 inches away and below where you are spraying, aiming the flow upwards. This helps guide the hair up to get maximum volume. It also acts as a UV protectant from the sun.

Amika Undone Texture Spray

Similar to a dry shampoo, this is a matte hairspray that gives fullness and texture over hold. Usually when you wash your hair, it is so clean that it lies a little flat. This spray feels a little powdery or gritty 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.

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 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 way 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.

Over-directing the brush and hair will also help you give you more volume. Pull the hair up and out with your round brush.

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

3. Rollers 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.

For maximum results, round brush your hair as mentioned above, and then set your hair in hot or Velcro rollers spraying with hairspray.

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 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.

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

And 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 so that it will be lifted upwards instead of lying flat.

Lastly you can even crimp 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 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 on your shoulders.

Utilizing a pony tail, half up half down, or a braid can be a great way to add volume. 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

8. 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 a little bit shorter hair with some volume.

Personally I think that mid-length cuts with more volume tend to be more flattering!

9. 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.

But 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 can happen in shorter cuts more commonly.

10. Texturizing to remove weight from the hair

Texturizing is one of my favorite ways to add volume to the hair. This is different from layering in that rather than the layers being exterior, they are interior.

When the hair is dry, you can see where the heavy areas are. 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.

Have A Good Hair Day