Are you wondering how to add volume to your hair? You’re certainly not alone. Many women struggle with flat hair. The good news is that there are many ways to add volume to your hair, regardless of your hair texture. But there’s a catch: you must know your hair texture to learn how to add hair volume.
In this blog post, we’ll define each hair texture and how they affect which volumizing products and styling techniques you should use for your hair. We’ll also provide a comprehensive guide for adding volume to fine, medium, and coarse hair textures. So, if you want to learn how to add volume to flat hair, keep reading!
Understanding Your Hair Texture
The first step to learning how to add volume to hair is understanding your hair texture. The three main types of hair textures are fine, medium, and coarse.
- Fine hair has thin strands closely spaced together. Because the strands are so thin, fine hair can be especially prone to breakage. It’s also more prone to looking flat and limp than other hair textures because it gets greasy more quickly than other hair textures.
- Medium hair has an average thickness and strand size. It’s often versatile and easy to style.
- Coarse hair has thick strands that may be prone to dryness. It can be more challenging to style and may become frizzy. But once styled correctly, it can also hold volume well.
Hair texture affects volume in a few ways. Since fine hair has small strands, it can easily be weighed down by hair products. This is why it’s essential to use lightweight products to volumize fine hair. Coarse hair, on the other hand, is more prone to frizziness and dryness, so moisturization is vital. Those with medium hair will have the easiest time adding frizz-free volume to their hair.
Please remember that hair texture differs from curl pattern and thickness. Each of these textures can be straight, wavy, curly, or coily. Additionally, texture differs from thinness or thickness, which refers to the number of hair strands. For example, you can have fine hair that’s thick (a large number of thin strands), coarse hair that’s thin (a small number of thick strands), or many variations in between.
Tips and Techniques for Adding Volume to Fine Hair
If you have fine hair, you know the struggle: you style your hair exactly how you want. Then, an hour later, your hair is flat again. If this has happened to you, follow these tips to boost hair volume.
1. Wash your hair with volumizing shampoo and conditioner.
Look for products that are lightweight and volumizing. Avoid using heavy products (like those formulated for coarse, curly, or dry hair), as these can weigh down fine hair.
2. Use lightweight hair volumizing products.
These products will help add body to hair. Look for products labeled as “volumizing” or “lightweight”. Avoid products with heavy oils. Choose thickening serums or volumizing mousses over creams. Apply a minimal amount to damp hair before adding more. One of the best things about having fine hair is that this hair texture tends to need less product!
3. Use a root-lifting spray.
Root-lifting sprays will help to add volume where you need it most: the roots. Apply it to the roots of your hair and comb through before you blow dry to plump up flat hair.
4. Rough blow-dry your hair upside down.
Blow-drying hair upside-down helps create lift at the roots. Once your hair is mostly dry, use a round brush to finish the blowout. Pull the hair the opposite way from how it usually falls, aiming the blow dryer's nozzle away from your scalp. Drying “against the grain” like this will help create more volume at the roots. Finish the look by gently combing the hair into place and adding a spritz of light-hold hairspray.
Tips and Techniques for Adding Volume to Medium Hair
Medium hair is versatile and easy to style. But, like any hair type, medium hair can sometimes fall flat. Master these hair lift techniques to add volume to medium hair.
1. Try a layered haircut.
For medium hair, hair volume has much to do with your haircut. Long lengths may weigh down medium hair, leaving it flat at the roots. To combat this, try a layered haircut. These voluminous hairstyles remove weight from hair while adding movement.
2. Use a volumizing mousse or thickening serum.
These products will help to add all-over volume and texture to your hair. Apply them to damp hair before you style it.
3. Use a round brush when blow-drying your hair.
This will help to create more lift at the roots. As with fine hair, we recommend blow-drying it in the opposite direction of how it usually falls to add a little extra oomph to the roots.
4. Tease hair at the roots.
Otherwise known as back-combing, this tried-and-true hair styling technique can add a lot of temporary volume to your hair. However, we recommend using this volume-boosting technique for special occasions since teasing your hair too often could lead to damage.
Tips and Techniques for Adding Volume to Coarse Hair
Coarse hair can be challenging to style. The good news? Once you’ve styled coarse hair, it tends to hold its style. Follow these thicker hair tips to add volume to coarse hair.
1. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.
Coarse hair tends towards dryness, which makes hair more difficult to style. Deep conditioning treatments can make coarse hair more manageable and easier to style. Look for products that contain deeply moisturizing ingredients like shea butter or coconut oil.
2. Use heat protection.
Due to its thick strands, coarse hair requires more heat to coax it into your desired style. So it’s essential to load up to on heat protection before styling coarse hair to protect it from dryness and damage.
3. Try hair extensions.
Coarse hair’s strength makes it the ideal hair type for hair extensions, which can add extra thickness and volume to your hair. Just make sure to take breaks from extensions, as using them too often can damage your hair.
4. Try thickening serums or texturizing sprays.
Texturizing sprays are ideal for those with straight, coarse hair. They add body and texture to create beachy waves and curls.
The Role of Hair Thickening Serums
So, what are thickening serums? Hair thickening serums are formulated to add volume and thickness to the hair. They work by coating each strand with a thin layer of film, which makes the hair appear thicker and fuller. Some hair-thickening serums also contain ingredients that can help to strengthen the hair and prevent breakage.
Our pick for the best hair-thickening serum? Viviscal Hair Thickening Serum. Formulated with hair building blocks Biotin and Keratin and fortified with Marine Collagen and Seaweed extract, Viviscal Hair Thickening Serum is a lightweight leave-in treatment that coats each hair strand without frizz, leading to thicker, fuller-looking hair^^.
It’s also paraben-free, SLS-free, and SLES-free. The Thickening Serum contains our signature floral, fresh fragrance infused with lush greens, dewy florals, and hints of ocean breeze. And it’s easy to apply to wet or dry hair to suit your hairstyling needs.
How to Add Volume to Hair: Frequently Asked Questions
Short on time? Follow these hairstyling tricks for volume, organized by hair type.
How to Add Volume to Thin Flat Hair
Use a small amount of a lightweight, volumizing hair product and blow-dry your hair upside down. Apply a root lifting spray directly to your roots before drying.
How to Add Volume to Straight Hair
Use dry shampoo to absorb excess oil, apply lightweight volumizing products, and blow-dry hair with a round brush. Apply a heat protectant and use a flat iron to add bend and body to the hair.
How to Add Volume to Fine Hair
Choose lightweight volumizing hair styling products formulated without heavy oils and butters. Apply a root lifting spray and blow dry hair upside down. Use a flat iron or 1 ½” curling iron to add body to hair.
How to Add Volume to Hair Overnight
Braid your hair for loose waves, or put it in a bun with a cloth hair tie before bed to create lift at the roots. Make sure to wear a bonnet or use a satin or silk pillowcase to prevent frizz.
In this blog post, we discussed the importance of understanding your hair texture and choosing the right volumizing products and techniques for hair type. We also provided hair styling tricks for adding volume to fine, medium, and coarse hair. Everyone’s hair is different, so what works for one person may not work for another. The most important thing is experimenting and finding what works best for your hair.
^^ Use in conjunction with Viviscal Thickening Shampoo and Strengthening Conditioner.