Nothing can boost your confidence quite like a good hair day—and by that, we mean a voluminous hair day. Volume gives hair a fuller appearance with lots of body and movement. While it may seem like a challenge to achieve salon-quality lift at home, anyone can add volume to their hair if they follow the right steps.
Below, we’ll teach you how to add volume to hair, even if it runs thin, fine, and oily. Believe it or not, it doesn’t take gallons of crunchy hairspray or damaging heat styling to volumize your do.
Key Takeaways:
- Takeaway #1: Heat styling is an excellent way to give flat hair a boost of volume, though it should be done with a protectant to prevent damage. Leave-in treatments and texturizing hairsprays can also help hair appear full and lifted when it’s dry.
- Takeaway #2: Have you ever wondered: ‘why is my hair so flat?’ It's important to identify all of the root causes of hair flatness. Thin, fine, and damaged hair may struggle to maintain volume, and the same goes for oily hair that can be weighed down.
- Takeaway #3: Volume is easy to achieve if you use products that cater to your hair type and main concerns. Focus on shampoos and conditioners that provide lightweight volume and lots of nourishment, along with weightless mousses and sprays for styling.
What Causes Flat Hair?
- Flat hair can be caused by an assortment of factors. Fine, thin hair may be prone to flatness, while those with overactive sebaceous glands can have their hair weighed down due to excess oil. Product buildup can also make hair heavier, as well as frequent heat styling, which can cause significant damage over time.
- If you’re unsure of the root cause of flat hair, it’s important to evaluate your specific hair type, scalp condition, products, and styling routine to better understand the root cause of the issue (pun intended!). From there, you can better gauge the right steps to achieve voluminous hair. You can always consult your dermatologist or a favorite salon specialist for a more comprehensive evaluation.
How To Add Volume To Your Hair
Step 1: Start with a lightweight shampoo and conditioner
The best way to pump up the volume in your hair is to make sure it’s properly prepped. The Pureology Hydrate Sheer Shampoo and Conditioner Duo is a fantastic combination because it thoroughly cleanses hair, adds volume, and nourishes it without weighing it down. This dynamic duo works great if you have thin hair.
Step 2: Apply a texturizing leave-in
Texturizing sprays and leave-in treatments are some of the best volumizing hair products. For instance, mousses hold volume at the root, texturizing sprays lift and create movement in different sections of hair, and curl creams keep spirals bouncy and defined.
Step 3: Use the Right Styling Techniques
Blow drying your hair can instantly give it lift, though it’s important to use a heat protectant to shield it from damage. The same goes for curling, which is an excellent way to create body and movement in your hair when paired with a proper protectant.
Step 4: Maintain Volume Throughout the Day
Washing and heat styling are incredibly effective at volumizing hair, but they are certainly time-consuming. To refresh your locks in a jiff, try the Matrix Refresher Dry Shampoo that quickly absorbs oil at the root to give your locks an instant lift.
8 of the Best Volumizing Hair Products
1. Pureology Pure Volume Shampoo
The Pureology Pure Volume Shampoo gently cleanses fine and flat hair, all while adding lightweight volume and body. It uses vitamin E to rejuvenate hair follicles, sunflower seed extract to nourish hair, and eucalyptus to soothe the scalp. For the best results, follow it up with the Pureology Pure Volume Conditioner.
2. Biolage Professional Volume Boost Shampoo
As the name suggests, the Biolage Professional Volume Boost Shampoo is a great product to help achieve voluminous hair. It’s formulated with micro-dosed soy protein and polymers to plump up fine strands and give hair some long-lasting lift. Pair it with the Biolage Professional Volume Boost Conditioner for some additional nourishment and volume.
3. Redken Stay High Mousse
Redken’s Stay High Mousse is a lightweight styling product that gives hair volume, movement, and texture for up to 24 hours. It has a malleable gel-to-mousse formula that swiftly locks in lift and makes hair appear fuller. Apply from root to tip on damp hair before blow-drying.
4. Matrix High Amplify Wonder Boost
The Matrix High Amplify Wonder Boost is a volumizing hair spray that’s best used on damp fine hair before drying and styling. Its long nozzle allows you to easily direct the product at your roots, so you can target flatness right from the source. It promises lightweight volume with a flexible hold thanks to key ingredients like rice protein and amino acids.
5. Pureology Style + Protect Beach Waves Sugar Spray
Pureology’s Style + Protect Beach Waves Sugar Spray is one of the best products for flat hair. It creates waves in the hair without a crunchy feel, making locks appear fuller and lifted in a pinch. The product is infused with pure sugar cane, which conditions hair as it adds volume, and also has almond and tuberose for an inviting scent. The brand recommends spraying it onto your hands, then scrunching your hair sections for the best results.
6. Redken Volume Maximizer
Redken’s Volume Maximizer crunch-free hair spray is designed to provide instant volume to all hair types. It’s a lightweight thickening spray infused with ceramides and polymers to lift hair and make it appear thicker, all while keeping it super soft. To apply, spray then comb the product through damp hair before air-drying or blow-drying.
7. Biolage Professional Volume Boost Root Lift Spray
The Biolage Professional Volume Boost Root Lift Spray is best suited for fine hair. It's infused with polymers and micro-dosed soy protein that plump and volumize hair without giving it a stiff feel or appearance. Plus, it’s easy to use—spray it throughout damp hair, then style as desired.
8. Shu Uemura Art of Hair Muroto Volume Hair Mask
Hair masks can also be effective in creating voluminous hair. Shu Uemura’s Art of Hair Muroto Volume Hair Mask rebalances your hair’s natural oils as it conditions, allowing it to dry softer and with more lift. Its mineral-rich formula plumps strands of fine hair and provides long-lasting nourishment without weighing them down.
Next Up: What Is Dry Shampoo and How Do You Use It?
Header image credit (left to right): @pureology, @matrix
Looking to refresh your mane? Use our salon locator to find a pro stylist near you.
